1 2
PERICARDIAL STRIP AND STAPLER against an anvil which initiates bending of the staples.
ASSEMBLY FOR DIVIDING AND SEALING Thereafter, the knife both cuts the tissue as desired and
VISCERAL TISSUES AND METHOD OF USE bends the staples further so that they are permanently
THEREOF attached. At the same time, this will sever the O-ring or the
5 sutures so that the stapler may be readily removed and the
This Application is a Continuation-in-Part of application pericardial strips left behind to seal the lung. In place of the
Ser. No. 09/041,091, filed Mar. 12, 1998. O-ring, there can be provided suitable sutures which are
The present Invention is directed to the surgical incision applied manually by the surgeon. In those cases in which the
of visceral tissues of warm blooded animals, especially stapler is not provided with a knife, it is removed after the
resection of all or a portion of the human lung. Although the 10 staples have been driven and surgical scissors or another
following description will focus on lung tissue, the Inven- instrument is used to cut the tissue and the O-ring or sutures, tion is applicable to visceral tissues of virtually all types.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the accompanying drawings, constituting a part hereof
It has been known to use stapling devices to seal visceral 15 and in which like reference characters indicate like parts,
tissue upon resection thereof. However, stapling of the lungs FIG. 1 is a plan view of the pericardial strip;
often results in an air leak which is detrimental to the health FIG. 2 is a schematic view of one j aw of a surgical stapler;
of the patient. This is especially true when the resection is FIG 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the
used to accomplish "lung reduction". Since the lung reserves 2Q pericardial strip Mly attached in solid lines and partially
of such patients are very limited, even a small air leak can attached in broken lines'
be extremely detrimental and even fatal. . . . r . , . , ,
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a typical surgical stapler
In order to minimize the foregoing problem, pericardial as used in the present Invention;
tissue has been used in conjunction with a surgical stapler. _ . , . ... r , ■ r • ,
rr ■ „ • j- 1 *• • » • J tZ • u FIG. 5 is a schematic partial view of the laws of a surgical
lypically, the pericardial tissue is retained on the jaws by a 9c , . , , , ,J &
, , ,. , TT ... , .1 , stapler with the pericardial strips attached;
cloth or plastic sleeve. However, this makes the procedure r r r
cumbersome and awkward. The foregoing is particularly FIG. 6 shows the surgical stapler being applied to visceral
true if the procedure is endoscopic. tissue;
The surgical stapler comprises three principal parts. One FIG. 7 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 6, wherein surgical
contains the staples, the other constitutes an anvil which 30 scissors are cutting the visceral tissue;
receives the staples and initiates bending them in the proper FIG. 8 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 1, showing the
direction, and the third, which is optional, is the knife which sutures attached to the trailing end of the pericardial strip;
puts the final bend on the staples and cuts the tissue where FIG. 9 is a plan view of one form of O-ring;
deslred- FIG. 10 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 9, of a second
Surgical staplers usually are designed to insert two rows 35 form of O-ring;
of staples, spaced apart from each other in a direction FIQ u is a ' ^ yiew of the secQnd embodiment of the
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of their jaws. In such pericardiai strip 0f the present Invention;
a case, the knife cuts between the two rows. „„ ^, . ... ^ „„ , , , ^. ..
FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 2 and shows a modification of
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 40 the pericardial strip;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view, showing the insertion of the
In order to solve the foregoing problem, the present trailing end of the pericardial strip of FIG. 12;
Invention eliminates the cloth or plastic sleeve. This is FIQ u is a view> similar tQ that of FIQ ^ showing the
accomplished by using a pericardial strip and surgical sta- pericardial strip on a jaw of the stapler;
pier assembly wherein the strips are provided with an .c 1c, . . , . 4, ,. , . . 4,
r . ,• , • , ,• 1 rTM . ^ , 45 FIG. 15 is a view showing the pericardial strips on the
opening adjacent their leading ends. Ihe intermediate sec- visceral tissue'
tion extends from the leading end to the trailing end remote'
therefrom. The openings in the pericardial strips are placed FIG- 16 18 a vlew' slmllar to that of FIG- u> of a thlrd
over the distal ends of the two jaws of the stapler. This embodiment of the present Invention;
retains the leading ends of the strips on the j aws. In addition, 5Q FIG. 17 shows the pericardial strip of FIG. 16 inserted on
in a preferred form of the Invention, the trailing ends of the one jaw of the stapler;
strips are secured to the proximal ends of the jaws by an FIG. 18 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 17, with both
O-ring, also preferably made of pericardial tissue. In an ends of the pericardial strip of FIG. 16 on the stapler; and
alternative form of the Invention, the trailing ends of the FIG. 19 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 18, with the
strips are provided with sutures whereby the surgeon can 55 O-ring securing the pericardial strip to the stapler, manually tie them to the jaws.
In a second embodiment of the Invention, the pericardial strip has a hole adjacent the trailing end. Thus, the distal end
of the jaw of the stapler enters the hole and the trailing end Surgical stapler 1, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, comprises
is slid to a point adj acent the proximal end thereof. Then, the 60 handle 2, first j aw 5, and second j aw 6. Handle 2 consists of
opening at the leading end is slipped over the distal end of stationary part 3 and movable part 4. The staples (not shown)
the jaw, thereby securing the strip thereto at both ends. This are stored in first jaw 5 and anvil 7 is provided on second jaw
eliminates the necessity for the O-ring. 6 to receive the staples and initiate bending thereof. Staple
Once the assembly has been inserted and the visceral holes 9 are provided on first jaw 5 and distal end 10 is
tissue which is to be cut placed between the jaws, the stapler 65 preferably pointed for ease of insertion,
is actuated and it drives the—preferably double—row of Pericardial strip 11 consists of a leading end having
staples through the two pericardial strips and the tissue opening 13 and intermediate portion 12 extending to trailing
