US20120132663A1 - Jaw Restraint - Google Patents

Abstract

A jaw restraint is provided to temporarily secure an anvil assembly relative to a cartridge assembly during shipping. The jaw restraint generally includes a body portion having an upper arm for releasably securing the anvil assembly and a lower arm for releasably securing the cartridge assembly. An inwardly projection is provided between the upper and lower arms. The anvil assembly is secured between the upper arm and the inwardly directed projection and the cartridge assembly is secured between the lower arm of the inwardly directed projection. One or more finger members extending proximally from the body portion may be provided to facilitate biasing the upper arm away from the lower arm to release the anvil and cartridge assemblies from the jaw restraint. The jaw restraint may be provided with structure for engagement with shipping packaging.

Description

BACKGROUND
• 1. Technical Field
• The present disclosure relates to jaw restraints for use with a jaw assembly of a surgical instrument. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a removable jaw restraint which temporarily secures first and second jaws of a surgical instrument against movement during shipping.
• 2. Background of Related Art
• Surgical instruments are typically transported from the manufacturer to the end user in sterile shipping packages. Some surgical instruments such as, for example, surgical stapling apparatus contain many movable parts which need to be protected during shipping. Surgical stapling instruments typically include an anvil assembly and an associated cartridge assembly which contains a plurality of staples. The staples are releasably retained within staple pockets formed within the cartridge assembly.
• During transportation, the shipping package is often subjected to extensive handling which may result in the shipping package being bumped or shaken. This can result in movement of the staple cartridge assembly within the shipping package and possibly dislodging the staples wholly or partially from within the staple pockets.
• Therefore, there exists a need for a jaw restraint which prevents movement of anvil and cartridge assemblies during shipping. Additionally, there exists a need for a jaw restraint which is configured to be easily disengaged from associated anvil and cartridge assemblies. There is still further need for a jaw restraint which can be secured within a shipping package to further secure the anvil assembly and cartridge assembly within the shipping package.
SUMMARY
• There is disclosed a jaw restraint for releasably securing a first jaw of a tool assembly relative to a second jaw of the tool assembly to prevent movement of various components of the tool assembly during shipping. The jaw restraint generally includes a first arm for supporting a first jaw of the tool assembly and a second arm for supporting a second jaw of the tool assembly. A projection is directed inwardly between the first and second arms and is provided to be positioned within the first and second jaws of the tool assembly. A first portion connects the first arm to the projection and a second portion connects the second arm to the projection. The first and second portions are arcuate in shape and face in a first direction. The projection is also arcuate in shape and faces in a second direction generally opposite to that of the first direction.
• The jaw restraint additionally includes a finger member extending from the first portion to facilitate biasing the first arm away from the second arm. The finger member extends in a direction opposite that of the first arm. The first arm includes a first inwardly directed lip having an enlarged distal end to prevent sideways movement of an associated anvil or cartridge assembly.
• In a specific embodiment, the projection is formed from a flexible material. For example, the projection is formed of a polymeric material. In an alternative embodiment, the entire jaw restraint may be formed of a flexible material. In a particular embodiment, a first finger member extends from the first portion of the jaw restraint and a second finger member extends from the second portion of the jaw restraint.
• There is also disclosed a jaw restraint for securing a first jaw of a tool assembly relative to a second jaw of the tool assembly. The jaw restraint includes a body portion having a first arm for supporting a first jaw of a tool assembly and a second arm for supporting a second jaw of the tool assembly. A projection is directed inwardly between the first and second arms. A first portion connects the first arm to the projection and a second portion connects the second arm to the projection. A finger member extends from the body portion. In a more specific embodiment, two finger members extend independently from the body portion. The two finger members are provided to be biased together in order to move the upper and lower arms away from each other.
• There is still further disclosed a jaw restraint for use with a suture package. The jaw restraint includes a body portion having a first arm for supporting a first jaw of a tool assembly and a second arm for supporting a second jaw of the tool assembly. A projection is directed inwardly between the first and second arms and first and second portions connect the first and second arms, respectively, to the projection. A finger member extends proximally from the body portion and includes a cut out for engagement with a suture package. In one embodiment, the cut out is formed in a proximal edge of the finger member. In another embodiment, the cut out is formed in a side edge of the finger member. In still another embodiment, the cut out is formed through a generally central area of the finger member.
• There is also disclosed a shipping package assembly having a shipping package and a jaw restraint including a body portion. The body portion includes a first arm for supporting a first jaw of a tool assembly and a second arm for supporting a second jaw of the tool assembly. A projection is directed inwardly between the first and second arms and is connected to the first and second arms by respective first and second portions. A finger member extends proximally from the body portion and includes a cut out. The suture package has a projection for engagement with the cut out in the finger member in order to secure the jaw restraint to the suture package.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Various embodiments of the presently disclosed jaw restraint are disclosed herein with reference to the drawings, wherein:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a jaw restraint positioned about a tool or jaw assembly of a surgical instrument;
• FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the jaw restraint ofFIG. 1 positioned about the jaw assembly;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the jaw restraint ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 is a side view of the jaw restraint ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line5-5, ofFIG. 2;
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the jaw restraint ofFIG. 1 being removed from the jaw assembly;
• FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a jaw restraint for use with a surgical instrument;
• FIG. 8 is a side view of the jaw restraint ofFIG. 7 positioned about a jaw assembly;
• FIG. 9 is a side view of the jaw restraint ofFIG. 7 being removed from the jaw assembly;
• FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternate jaw restraint and loading unit of a surgical instrument positioned within a shipping package;
• FIG. 11 is a top view of the jaw restraint and loading unit ofFIG. 10 positioned within the shipping package;
• FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line12-12 ofFIG. 11;
• FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the jaw restraint ofFIG. 10;
• FIG. 14 is a side view, partially shown in section, illustrating the jaws of the loading unit being removed from the jaw restraint ofFIG. 10;
• FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating the loading unit being removed from the shipping package;
• FIG. 16 is a top plan view of an alternate finger member for use in a jaw restraint; and
• FIG. 17 is a top plan view of a further alternate finger member for use in a jaw restraint.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
• Embodiments of the presently disclosed jaw restraint will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings wherein like numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. As is common in the art, the term ‘proximal” refers to that part or component closer to the user or operator, i.e. surgeon or physician, while the term “distal” refers to that part or component further away from the user.
• Referring initially toFIG. 1 there is disclosed one embodiment of ajaw restraint10 for use with asurgical stapling instrument12.Surgical stapling instrument12 generally includes ahandle assembly14 having anelongate member16 extending distally fromhandle assembly14. Aloading unit18, including a tool orjaw assembly20, is removably attached to a distal end22 ofelongate member16.Jaw assembly20 generally includes ananvil member26 and thecartridge assembly28. Ajaw assembly20 is movable from an open position to a closed position in whichanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 are in close cooperative alignment. Atrigger30 is provided onhandle assembly14 to moveanvil assembly26 from the open position to the closed position relative tocartridge assembly28. Arotation knob32 is provided onelongate member16 in order to rotatejaw assembly20 with respect to thehandle assembly14 and relative to the tissues being operated upon.
• Jaw restraint10 is provided to maintainanvil assembly26 in the open position relative tocartridge assembly28 during shipping ofloading unit18, in a manner described in more detail hereinbelow. By maintaininganvil assembly26 and the open position relative tocartridge assembly28,jaw restraint10 prevents shifting of, or damage to, internal components associated withanvil assembly26 orcartridge assembly28 due to bumping, crushing, etc. during shipment.
• Whilejaw restraint10 is described for use withsurgical stapling instrument12, it is contemplated thatjaw restraint10 is useful with other surgical instruments having a pair of jaw members such as, for example, surgical stapling instruments including parallel jaw members, electro-surgical instruments used to join tissue, etc.
• Referring now toFIG. 2, there is disclosed an enlarged view ofloading unit18 includingtool assembly20 andjaw restraint10. As shown,cartridge assembly28 includes first and second longitudinally extending rows ofstaple containing pockets34 and36. Aknife slot38 extends longitudinally throughcartridge assembly28 between first and second rows ofstaple containing pockets34 and36. In this embodiment, thecartridge assembly28 has three rows of staples on either side of the knife. It is contemplated herein that the disclosed jaw restraint can be used with cartridge assemblies having less than three rows of staples on either side of the knife. While not specifically shown,jaw restraint10 is provided to maintain and stabilizeanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 in order to prevent staples (not shown) from being bumped or ejected out of the rows ofstaple containing pockets34 and36.
• As shown,jaw restraint10 includes afinger member40 to facilitate manipulation ofjaw restraint10 aboutanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28.Jaw restraint10 includes a first orupper arm42 which is provided to engage and stabilizeanvil assembly26 and a second orlower arm44 which is provided to engage and stabilizecartridge assembly28. Thefirst arm44 is arcuate in shape and forms a recess “recess44a” for receiving the jaw of the tool assembly. Thesecond arm44 can have a similar shape, where the restraint engages a surgical stapling tool, the for engaging the cartridge assembly has a greater depth “d” than the other
• Referring now toFIGS. 3 and 4,jaw restraint10 is at least partially formed of a generally flexible material in order to be easily removed from aboutanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28.Jaw restraint10 may be formed from a variety of materials such as polymeric copolymer materials, stainless steel, shape memory alloys, etc. Additionally, whilejaw restraint10 is illustrated as formed from generally thin rectangular material, it is also contemplated thatjaw restraint10 maybe formed from materials having other cross-sections such as, for example, tubular, solid circular, etc.
• A resilient portion extends between thearms42,44. Thus,jaw restraint10 includes a resilient inwardly facingprojection46 in this embodiment provided between upper endlower arms42 and44. Inwardly facingprojection46 is flexible relative to upper andlower arms42 and44. Inwardly facingprojection46 functions as a hinge and is provided to bias upper andlower arms42 and44 into a first or closed position. Additionally, inwardly facingprojection46 is provided to extend betweenanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 in order to prevent any relative movement there between during shipment. In the disclosed embodiment only one inwardly facing projection is shown, however, it is contemplated that more than one inwardly projection can be used.Arm42 is connected to inwardly facingprojection46 by a first arcuate member orportion48. Likewise,lower arm44 is connected to inwardly facingprojection46 by a second arcuate member orportion50. Inwardly facingprojection46 also has a generally arcuate shape facing generally in an opposite direction from first and secondarcuate portions48 and50.
• In this embodiment,finger member40 extends proximally from firstarcuate portion48. In order to inhibitanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 from sliding sideways out betweenupper arm42 andlower arm44, upper andlower arms42 and44 are provided with first and second inwardly directedlips52 and54. First and second inwardly directedlips52 and54 are provided with respective enlarged distal ends56 and58 to further inhibit any sideways movement ofanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 relative tojaw restraint10.
• It should be noted that, the various disclosed jaw restraints and elements of the jaw restraint, such asjaw restraint10, may be formed as a single, integral body member or, alternatively may be formed from separate components joined together through various known methods such as, for example, welding, gluing, etc.
• Referring now toFIGS. 5 and 6, and initially with respect toFIG. 5, the use ofjaw restraint10 to stabilizeanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 during shipment will now be described. As noted herein above,cartridge assembly28 includes a plurality ofstaples60 provided within first and second rows ofstaple containing pockets34 and36. First and second rows ofstaple containing pockets34 and36 are formed in aplastic body portion62 ofcartridge assembly28. A generallyU-shaped channel member64 is provided to supportbody portion62.Anvil assembly26 includes anupper anvil member66 and alower anvil plate68 which is provided to crimpstaples60.
• Prior to shipment,jaw restraint10 is positioned aboutanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28. Specifically,upper arm42 ofjaw restraint10 engages and securesanvil assembly26 whilelower arm44 engages and securescartridge assembly28. As shown, inwardly facingprojection46 extends betweenanvil plate68 ofanvil assembly26 andbody portion62 ofcartridge assembly28 to thereby inhibit any movement ofanvil assembly26 relative tocartridge member28 during shipping.
• Additionally, first andsecond lips52 and54, along with respective enlarged distal ends56 and58, provided on upper andlower arms42 and44, respectively, assist in preventinganvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 from sliding sideways in the direction of arrow A out ofjaw restraint10.
• Referring now toFIG. 6, in order to removejaw restraint10 fromanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28,finger member40 is moved or squeezed in the direction of arrow B flexing or compressing inwardly facingprojection46 thereby causingupper arm42 to move or rotate in the direction of arrow C up and away fromanvil assembly26. This causesupper arm42 to rotate to an open position relative tolower arm44. Rotation ofupper arm42 to the open position freesanvil assembly26 from between inwardly facingprojection46 andupper arm42. Additionally, movement offinger member40 in the direction of arrow B, flexes the inwardly facing projection and moves inwardly facingprojection46 slightly in the direction of arrow D tofree cartridge assembly28 from between inwardly facingprojection46 andlower arm44.
• Thereafter,jaw restraint10 may be drawn sideways in the direction of arrow E away fromanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 thereby freeinganvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 fromjaw restraint10. It should be noted that, whilejaw restraint10 is illustrated and described as being removed sideways in the direction of arrow E relative toanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28,jaw restraint10 may alternatively be slid longitudinally overanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 to slidejaw restraint10 longitudinally off ofanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28.
• In this manner,jaw restraint10 firmly and robustly securescartridge assembly28 relative toanvil assembly26 during shipping thereby preventing any dislodging ofstaples60 from rows ofstaple containing pockets34 and36 due to bumping, shaking etc. ofanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 during shipping.
• Referring now toFIGS. 7-9, and initially with regard toFIG. 7, there is disclosed an alternative embodiment of ajaw restraint70.Jaw restraint70 is similar tojaw restraint10 and generally includes a first orupper aim72 and a second orlower aim74. An inwardly facingprojection76 is positioned betweenupper arm72 andlower arm74.Upper arm72 is connected to inwardly facingprojection76 by a firstarcuate portion78 andlower arm74 is connected to inwardly facingprojection76 by a secondarcuate portion80. In order to prevent sideways movement of a cartridge and anvil assembly such as, for example,cartridge assembly28 andanvil assembly26 described herein above,upper arm72 has an inwardly facingfirst lip82 terminating an enlargeddistal end84 andlower arm74 has an inwardly facingsecond lip86 terminating in an enlargeddistal end88.
• Jaw restraint70 differs fromjaw restraint10 described herein above in thatjaw restraint70 includes afirst finger member90 extending proximally from firstarcuate portion78 and asecond finger member92 extending proximally from secondarcuate portion80. The provision of first andsecond finger members90 and92 provide additional leverage to compress inwardly facingprojection76 and thus separateupper arm72 fromlower arm74.
• Referring now toFIGS. 8 and 9, the use ofjaw restraint70 to secure and releaseanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 will now be described. Referring initially toFIG. 8, in the shipping condition,upper arm72 engagesanvil assembly26 and secures it against inwardly facingprojection76.First lip82, including enlargeddistal end84, inhibits sideways movement ofanvil assembly26 relative to inwardly facingprojection76. Similarly,lower arm74 engagescartridge assembly28 andsecond lip86 including an enlargeddistal end88 inhibit sideways movement ofcartridge assembly26 relative to inwardly facingprojection76. As shown, in the shipping condition, first andsecond finger members90 and92 are in a static or spaced apart condition.
• Referring now toFIG. 9, in order to releaseanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 fromjaw restraint70, proximal ends94 and96 of first andsecond finger members90 and92, respectively, are squeezed together in the directions of arrows F and G. This compresses inwardly facingprojection76 causingupper arm72 andlower arm74 to move outwardly in the directions of arrows H and I to the open position. In this open position,anvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 are free to be removed fromjaw restraint70. Similar to that described herein above with respect tojaw restraint10,jaw restraint70 may now be moved sideways relative toanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28, or may be slid longitudinally along the long axes ofanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28, to release them fromjaw restraint70.
• In this manner,jaw restraint70, incorporating pair offinger members90 and92, provides additional leverage for separating upper andlower arms72 and74 to releaseanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 fromjaw restraint70.
• Referring now toFIGS. 10-15, there is disclosed a further embodiment of ajaw restraint100 specifically configured for use with ashipping package102 andloading unit18 described herein above. Referring initially toFIGS. 10 and 11,jaw restraint100 generally includes anupper arm104 and alower arm106 separated by an inwardly facingprojection108. In contrast to the finger members described herein above, a cut out110 is provided in aproximal end112 of afinger member114 ofjaw restraint100 to securejaw restraint100 toshipping package102.Shipping package102 is generally in the form of abox structure116 having a pair of support blocks118 and120 for releasably securingproximal body portion24 ofloading unit18 withinshipping package102.Box structure116 includes an inwardly projectingfinger122 having anenlarged end124. Inwardly projectingfinger122 andenlarged end124 engage cut out110 inproximal end112 offinger114 to firmlysecure jaw restraint100 tobox structure116. As shown, inwardly projectingfinger122 extends from asidewall126 ofbox structure116.Box structure116 can be formed from injection molded plastic or otherwise molded plastic.Blocks118,120 can be formed during the molding process. With recesses that engageproximal body portion24 of theloading unit18.
• Shipping package102 may additionally be provided with aremovable cover128 positioned overbox structure116 to maintainloading unit18 in a sterile condition (FIG. 12). Cover128 may be formed from a variety of materials such as, for example, plasticized structures, Tyvek materials, etc.
• Referring now toFIGS. 12 and 13,jaw restraint100 further includes a firstarcuate portion130 connectingupper arm104 to inwardly facingprojection108 and a secondarcuate portion132 connectinglower arm106 to inwardly facingprojection108. In this embodiment,finger member114 is formed as a proximal extension ofupper arm104. Alternatively,finger member114 may be formed as a proximal extension oflower arm106 or may extend proximally from either first or secondarcuate portions130 or132, respectively.
• Referring now toFIGS. 10,14 and15, and initially with regard toFIG. 10, in use,loading unit18 is secured withinshipping package102 andjaw restraint100. Specifically,anvil assembly26 is secured betweenupper arm104 and inwardly facingprojection108 andcartridge assembly28 is secured betweenlower arm106 and inwardly facingprojection108. In this particular embodiment,jaw restraint100 does not include the inwardly facing lips with enlarged distal ends. In order to maintainanvil assembly26 andcartridge assembly28 withinjaw restraint100,proximal body portion24 ofloading unit18 is releasably secured betweenblocks118 and120 formed inbox structure116.Loading unit118 is maintained in a sterile condition withinshipping package102 bycover128.
• Referring now toFIGS. 14 and 15, in order to removeloading unit18 fromshipping package102,cover128 is initially peeled offbox structure116 to exposeloading unit18. Thereafter,proximal body portion24 ofloading unit18 is lifted free ofblocks118 and120 ofbox structure116 andanvil assembly26 and28 may be pulled free fromjaw restraint100.
• Referring now toFIG. 16 there is disclosed analternate finger member134 for use with any of the above described jaw restraints such as, for example,jaw restraint100.Finger member134 includes a pair ofside cutouts136 and138 formed in side edges140 and142 offinger member134.Side cutouts136 and138 are provided to cooperate with corresponding structure in a shipping package to securejaw restraint100 within the shipping package. More specifically, the box structure includes a pair of fingers with enlarged ends for being releasably disposed in thecut outs136,138.
• Referring toFIG. 17, there is disclosed afinger member144 for use with any of the above described jaw restraints. In this particular embodiment,finger member144 includes a central cut out146 formed infinger member144. Central cut out146 is provided to receive and engage an upwardly projecting member or plug148 formed on ashipping package150 in order to secure the associated jaw restraint withinshipping package150.
• It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, the disclosed finger members may extend proximally from the upper or lower arms or the first or second arcuate portions. Further, alternative structure may be provided on the underside of the upper and lower arms to secure the cartridge assemblies within the disclosed jaw restraint, such as, for example, adhesives, abraded surfaces, etc. Additionally, the disclosed jaw restraints may be provided with jaw or tool assembly restraining structure on only one of the upper or lower arms. Still further, the assembly retaining structure may be configured to completely encircle the respective anvil or cartridge assembly such that disclosed jaw restraint is slid longitudinally along the respective anvil cartridge assembly to release the anvil cartridge assembly from the disclosed jaw restraint. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.

Claims (18)

1. A jaw restraint for securing a first jaw of a tool assembly relative to a second jaw of the tool assembly comprising:

a first arm for supporting a first jaw of a tool assembly;

a second arm for supporting a second jaw of the tool assembly;

a projection directed inwardly between the first and second arms;

a first portion connecting the first arm to the projection; and

a second portion connecting the second arm to the projection.

2. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 1, wherein the first and second portions are arcuate and face in a first direction.

3. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 2, wherein the projection is arcuate and faces in a second direction generally opposite the first direction.

4. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 3, further comprising a finger member extending from the first portion.

5. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 4, wherein the finger member extends in a direction opposite that of the first arm.

6. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 1, wherein the first arm includes an inwardly directed lip.

7. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 6, wherein the inwardly directed lip includes an enlarged distal end.

8. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 1, wherein the projection is formed from a flexible material.

9. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 8, wherein the projection is formed of a polymeric material.

10. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 1, further comprising a first finger member extending from the first portion and a second finger member extending from the second portion.

11. A jaw restraint for securing a first jaw of a tool assembly relative to a second jaw of the tool assembly comprising:

a body portion having;

a first arm for supporting a first jaw of a tool assembly;

a second arm for supporting a second jaw of the tool assembly;

a projection directed inwardly between the first and second arms;

a first portion connecting the first arm to the projection; and

a second portion connecting the second arm to the projection.

12. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 11, further comprising a finger member extending from the body portion.

13. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 11, further comprising two finger members extending independently from the body portion.

14. A jaw restraint for use in a package comprising:

a body portion having;

a first arm for supporting a first jaw of a tool assembly;

a second arm for supporting a second jaw of the tool assembly;

a projection directed inwardly between the first and second arms;

a first portion connecting the first atm to the projection;

a second portion connecting the second arm to the projection; and

a finger member extending proximally from the body portion and having a cut out for engagement with a package.

15. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 14, wherein the cut out is formed in a proximal edge of the finger member.

16. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 14, wherein the cut out is formed in a side edge of the finger member.

17. The jaw restraint as recited inclaim 14, wherein the cut out is formed through a generally central area of the finger member.

18. A shipping package assembly comprising:

a jaw restraint including;

a body portion having;

a first arm for supporting a first jaw of a tool assembly;

a second arm for supporting a second jaw of the tool assembly;

a projection directed inwardly between the first and second arms;

a first portion connecting the first arm to the projection;

a second portion connecting the second arm to the projection;

a finger member extending proximally from the body portion and having a cut out; and

a package having a projection for engagement with the cut out in the finger member.

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