CN115956969A - Cutting anastomat - Google Patents

Abstract

The application relates to a cutting anastomat, which comprises an anastomat body and an execution assembly, wherein the anastomat body comprises: a transmission circuit for transmitting a signal obtained at the distal end of the stapler body towards the control unit; a loading and unloading assist mechanism provided with an elastic member operatively interposed between the stapler body and the actuating assembly to transmit force, the elastic member being compressed to provide feedback to an operator during installation of the actuating assembly, the elastic member being extended to cause ejection of the actuating assembly after the lock between the actuating assembly and the stapler body is released during removal of the actuating assembly; and a rotary electrical connector including a stationary disk fixedly mounted, and a rotating disk rotatable relative to the stationary disk and electrically connected thereto. The loading and unloading auxiliary mechanism and the main part of the transmission circuit are positioned in different planes and are mutually overlapped in the longitudinal direction of the anastomat body, the rotating disc is electrically connected with the transmission circuit, and the fixed disc is electrically connected with the control unit.

Description

Cutting anastomat

Technical Field

The present application relates to a cutting stapler.

Background

Cutting staplers are widely used in a variety of minimally invasive procedures, such as for the excision, transection and anastomosis of tissue in open procedures for abdominal, gynecological, pediatric and thoracic surgery. The cutting stapler mainly comprises an executing component for executing operations such as cutting, transverse cutting and anastomosis, and a stapler body for operating the executing component to implement various functions. The actuating assembly is rotatable relative to the stapler body. The distal end of the stapler body is engaged with an actuating assembly, and the proximal end has a handle, a control unit, and the like. The stapler body is sometimes also referred to as an operating assembly. The actuating assembly can be of various types depending on the different surgical requirements (e.g., endoscopic staplers include actuating assemblies that meet different suture lengths), and the stapler body can be engaged with various types of actuating assemblies. Generally, in order to reduce the use costs of cutting staplers, the stapler body is reusable, replacing the engaged actuating assembly according to different situations. The closing and firing operations of different types of implement assemblies are different. If the wrong performing component is docked with the operating component during the operation, the wrong closing and firing operation can be performed, and further an immeasurable medical accident and/or instrument damage can be caused. Therefore, the cutting stapler is provided with a recognition device to recognize the type of the actuating assembly, so as to prevent the wrong actuating assembly from being butted with the stapler body.

However, the prior art cutting stapler has disadvantages in the following respects.

First, the relevant information (e.g., the type of the performing assembly) identified by the identifying means needs to be communicated to the control unit in the stapler body, and the corresponding drive mode is selected to perform the proper closing and firing operations on the performing assembly. Typically, the identification means for the actuating assembly are arranged at the distal end of the stapler body, while the control unit of the cutting stapler is arranged at the proximal end of the stapler body. Between the proximal and distal ends of the stapler body there is provided an elongated rod inside which there are arranged a number of components that are delicate, complex and capable of relative movement. It is problematic how to transmit the identification signal at the distal end via such an elongated rod-like piece to a remote control unit without causing damage or interference to the stapler body or without significantly increasing the size of the stapler.

Second, the cutting stapler's actuating assembly can rotate about a central axis relative to the stapler body. The signal generated by the identification device is transmitted from the distal end of the stapler body to the relatively rotatable proximal end via a transmission line. It is problematic how to avoid the transmission line from being twisted and knotted when performing the rotation of the assembly.

Third, there is also a risk in practice that the surgeon will not be able to properly install or remove the performing assembly. For example, upon detaching the implement assembly from the stapler body, the surgeon may pull the implement assembly hard without properly unlocking the lock between the implement assembly and the stapler body, thereby causing damage to the components. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the operability of the load handling actuator.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a novel cutting stapler to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the present disclosure, a cutting stapler comprises a stapler body, and an actuating assembly configured to be detachably mounted to the stapler body, characterized in that the stapler body comprises: a transmission circuit, provided in the stapler body, for transmitting a signal regarding the actuating assembly obtained at the distal end of the stapler body towards a control unit located at the proximal end of the stapler body; a loading and unloading assist mechanism provided with an elastic member operatively interposed between the stapler body and the actuating assembly to transmit a force between the stapler body and the actuating assembly, the elastic member being capable of being compressed to provide feedback to an operator during installation of the actuating assembly, the elastic member automatically elongating to eject the actuating assembly from the stapler body after the lock between the actuating assembly and the stapler body is released during disassembly of the actuating assembly; and a rotary electric connector including a fixed disk fixedly installed in the stapler body, and a rotary disk rotatable with respect to the fixed disk and electrically connectable with the fixed disk, wherein a main part of the transmission circuit and the loading and unloading assisting mechanism are located in different planes in the stapler body and overlap each other in a longitudinal direction of the stapler body, and the rotary disk of the rotary electric connector is electrically connected with the transmission circuit, and the fixed disk is electrically connected with the control unit. Note that the "locking" released here includes both "circumferential rotational locking" and "axial insertion locking" between the actuating assembly and the stapler body.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stationary disk of the rotary electrical connector comprises at least one conductive line and the rotary disk comprises at least one resilient contact, the resilient contact of the rotary disk being aligned with and pressed against the conductive line of the stationary disk, the resilient contact maintaining electrical connection with the conductive line as the rotary disk rotates.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stationary disk of the rotating electrical connector includes a plurality of annular conductive traces that are concentric and insulated from one another, and the rotating disk includes a plurality of resilient contacts, each resilient contact being aligned with a respective conductive trace.

According to a preferred embodiment, the rotary disk is substantially U-shaped, and the same number of resilient contacts as the conductive tracks are provided on each of the two arms of the substantially U-shaped rotary disk.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stapler body is provided with a first housing at the proximal portion, the fixed disc being fixedly mounted to the first housing.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stapler body further comprises a second housing located distally of the first housing, the rotary disk being rotatably mounted within the second housing.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first and second shells are joined to form together a part of the housing of the stapler body.

According to a preferred embodiment the fixed disc is provided with two mounting flanges of unequal size.

According to a preferred embodiment, the fixed disk is provided with a central hole for the central shaft of the stapler body to pass through, the diameter of the central hole being greater than the diameter of the central shaft.

According to a preferred embodiment, the substantially U-shaped rotary disk is provided with an opening for passing through the central axis of the stapler body, the opening having a size larger than the diameter of the central axis.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stapler body comprises an elongated sleeve, the elastic member being accommodated in an accommodation space of the sleeve and the elastic member being inserted onto and movable along a central shaft extending longitudinally within the stapler body.

According to a preferred embodiment the sleeve is provided with guide grooves for routing the transmission circuit in a section with a wall thickness of at least 0.4 mm.

According to a preferred embodiment the wall thickness of the part of the sleeve for the arrangement of the guide groove is 0.45mm to 1.2mm.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stapler body comprises a movable member movable relative to the sleeve outside the sleeve, a part of the transmission circuit being arranged between the movable member and the sleeve.

According to a preferred embodiment, the movable member is a locking member for releasably locking the effector assembly to the stapler body, the locking member comprising a flat surface facing the sleeve, the sleeve comprising a flat surface opposite the flat surface of the locking member, the guide slot being provided in the flat surface of the sleeve.

According to a preferred embodiment, the depth of the guide groove is designed such that the movable member moving relative to the sleeve does not interfere with the transmission circuit housed in the guide groove.

According to a preferred embodiment, the transmission circuit is a flexible circuit board.

According to a preferred embodiment, the handling aid mechanism is further provided with a force transmitting member operatively interposed between the resilient member and the actuating assembly to transmit force between the actuating assembly and the resilient member.

According to a preferred embodiment, the force transmitting member comprises a force transmitting cartridge in operable contact with the resilient member for transmitting force between the resilient member and the actuating assembly, the force transmitting cartridge being inserted onto and movable along a central axis extending longitudinally within the stapler body.

According to a preferred embodiment, the force transmitting member further comprises a force transmitting plate operatively connected to the force transmitting cylinder for transmitting force between the force transmitting cylinder and the actuating assembly.

According to a preferred embodiment, one of the force transmission cylinder and the force transmission plate is provided with a through hole, and the other of the force transmission cylinder and the force transmission plate is provided with a boss insertable into the through hole to connect the force transmission sleeve and the force transmission plate.

According to a preferred embodiment, the resilient member is a spring.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stapler body is provided at the distal end with identification means for identifying the type of actuating assembly, the signal transmitted by the transmission circuit being a signal relating to the type of actuating assembly generated by the identification means.

According to a preferred embodiment, the handling aid is located on the proximal side of the identification device.

According to a preferred embodiment, the handling aid is arranged near the distal end of the stapler body.

According to a preferred embodiment, the rotating electrical connector is disposed near a proximal end of the stapler body.

According to a preferred embodiment, the plane of the handling aid is at an angle of about 60 to about 120 degrees to the plane of the guide grooves for routing the transmission circuit.

According to a preferred embodiment, the plane of the handling aid forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the plane of the guide grooves for the routing of the transmission circuits.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stapler body comprises an elongated sleeve in which the main part of the transmission circuit and the handling aid are arranged.

Further features of the present application will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Drawings

The present application will now be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale; in addition, components shown in one drawing may be omitted from other drawings for convenience of illustration. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating exemplary embodiments of the application and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the application. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a simplified diagram schematically illustrating an overall structure of a cutting stapler according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the cutting stapler of FIG. 1 with portions of the housing and the like removed to more clearly illustrate the internal structure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a stapler body of the cutting stapler with portions of the housing and the like removed to more clearly show the internal structure;

fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a transmission circuit, a rotary electrical connector, a loading assist mechanism, and the like according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a sleeve of the stapler body;

fig. 6 to 8 are various explanatory views schematically showing the locking member of the stapler body;

fig. 9 to 10 are a plurality of explanatory diagrams schematically showing the transmission circuit;

fig. 11 is a side view schematically illustrating a rotary electrical connector;

fig. 12 is a plan view schematically showing a fixed tray of the rotary electrical connector;

fig. 13 is a perspective view schematically showing a first housing to which the fixed disk is attached;

fig. 14 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a rotating disk of the rotating electrical connector;

fig. 15 and 16 are a plurality of explanatory views schematically showing the loading assist mechanism;

fig. 17 and 18 are perspective views schematically showing a force transmission cylinder of the loading assist mechanism;

fig. 19 is a perspective view schematically showing a force transmission plate of the loading assist mechanism;

fig. 20 is a schematic explanatory view schematically showing a moving stroke of the actuator in the loading operation.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the description of the various embodiments is illustrative only and is not intended to limit the technology of the present application in any way. It is also to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

It should be understood that like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views. In the drawings, the dimensions of some of the elements may be modified, exaggerated or minimized for clarity; or some components may be omitted or shown in somewhat schematic form in order to highlight certain components.

Unless otherwise indicated, all terms used in the specification have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Well-known functions or constructions or functions or constructions not related to the inventive aspects of the present application will not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" may include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. The terms "comprising," "including," and "containing" when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features. The term "and/or" as used in this specification is inclusive of any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In the description, when an element is referred to as being "on," "attached" to, "connected" to, or "contacting" another element, etc., it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, or contacting the other element or intervening elements may be present. This definition applies to similar language.

In the description, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used only for distinguishing various components, and are not intended to limit the order and function of the various components. Further, "second" or "third" etc. subsequent components may be provided without providing or employing "first" etc. prior components.

In the description, "proximal" refers to the side close to the operator (e.g., surgeon) cutting the stapler 1, while "distal" refers to the side away from the operator (i.e., close to the patient).

In the specification, "left", "right", "upper", "lower", "outer", "inner", and the like refer to directions in the drawings unless otherwise specified. It should be understood that spatial relationships such as "left", "right", "upper", "lower", "outer", "inner", and the like are intended to describe the relationship of one feature to another in the drawings. It should be understood that the spatial relationship terms encompass different orientations of the cutting stapler 1 in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

Next, a basic structure of a cutting stapler 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2. The cutting stapler 1 mainly includes a stapler body 10 provided with various elements such as a button, a driving unit, a control circuit, and the like, and an actuating assembly 20 detachably mountable to the stapler body 10. Proximal end 21 of effector assembly 20 may be inserted into distal end 11 of stapler body 10 (which is also the distal end of elongate sleeve 100 of stapler body 10) so as to connect with stapler body 10. The actuating assembly 20 and the sleeve 100, etc. to which it is attached are integrally rotatable about a central axis 110 (see fig. 16) relative to the proximal portion of the stapler body 10. The applicator assembly 20 may be of different types for performing various operations such as cutting and stapling. The same stapler body 10 may be used with a plurality of different types of actuating assemblies 20.

< Transmission Circuit >

First, a specific structure of the transmission circuit 200 of the cutting stapler 1 and the arrangement thereof are described.

In order to correctly identify the type of the execution assembly 20 to take the proper closing and firing operations, an identification device 12 is provided at the distal end 11 of the stapler body 10. The identification means 12 may also be referred to as a signal acquisition unit for acquiring information (e.g. type) about the execution assembly 20. The identification means 12 is for example provided at the distal end of an elongated sleeve 100 of the stapler body 10, as shown in fig. 2, 4. The electrical signal generated by the identification means 12 will be transmitted finally to the control unit 13 (see fig. 2) provided at the proximal end of the stapler body 10 through the transmission circuit 200. As shown in fig. 2, the transmission circuit 200 will extend at least through the sleeve 100. The identification means 12 may be, for example, a hall sensor, the specific structure of which may be referred to, for example, in the applicant's prior patent CN217430084U. The control unit 13 performs overall control of the cutting stapler 1.

In the stapler body 10, as shown in fig. 2, the portion where the sleeve 100 is located is a portion having the smallest cross-sectional dimension. Through slots or openings or recesses are provided in the sleeve 100 for the arrangement of a number of fine and complex parts that can move relative to one another. The sleeve 100 may be considered as a base for mounting these components and needs to have a certain strength. The provision of these components, and in particular the transmission circuit 200, in the sleeve does not significantly reduce the structural strength of the sleeve 100 and does not interfere with the movement of the relevant components in the sleeve, while avoiding damage to the transmission circuit itself by these moving components. Therefore, it is problematic how to provide the circuit structure in the sleeve 100 portion of the stapler body 10.

The inventors of the present application have found through extensive tests and verifications that a depth of the guide groove 103 for routing the transmission line of the transmission circuit 200 is appropriate to be about 0.2mm to 0.3mm. Furthermore, only if the guide grooves 103 for routing the transmission circuit are provided in the sleeve 100 in a region having a wall thickness of at least 0.4mm, for example a wall thickness of 0.45mm to 1.2mm, the structural strength of the sleeve 100 is not compromised too much, so that the sleeve can still function correctly without breakage or breakage.

Further, the inventors have found that when the guide groove 103 for laying the transmission circuit 200 is provided in the surface 101 of the sleeve 100 opposite to the locking member (which is an example of a movable member, the structure and function of which are described more specifically below) 120, the movement of the relevant parts in the sleeve is not disturbed, and the damage of the transmission line itself by these moving parts can be avoided.

Fig. 4 shows an arrangement of the transmission circuit 200. Here, the housing and other extraneous components located outside the sleeve 100 and the locking member 120 are removed. Further, a main portion 203 (described below) of the transmission circuit 200 is hidden from view by the locking member 120.

The structure and arrangement of the sleeve 100, the locking member 120 and the transmission circuit 200 will be specifically described below with reference to fig. 4 to 10.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the sleeve 100 is a generally hollow tubular member, and is provided with a plurality of through slots or openings or recesses or the like in the tubular wall for receiving or engaging various components of the cutting stapler 1. The structure of the sleeve 100 is very complex and only the sleeve structure and the associated components attached thereto relevant to the inventive aspects of the present application will be described herein. Further, the sleeve 100 is an injection molded piece that is molded in one piece. The injection molded sleeve is simple and convenient to manufacture, high in precision and low in cost.

Sleeve 100 mounts an identification device 12 for identifying the type of implement assembly at a mounting site 102 located near the distal end (i.e., distal end 11 of stapler body 10). The sleeve 100 is provided with a guide groove 103 for routing the transmission circuit 200 in a surface 101 at about 60 to 120 degrees, for example about 90 degrees, from the mounting location 102. Surface 101 of sleeve 100 is a substantially flat surface and is opposed to a substantially flat surface 122 of a locking member 120 of the stapler body (see fig. 7, 8). The guide slot 103 is parallel or substantially parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve 100 or the central shaft 110. The shape of the guide slot 103 matches the shape of the transmission circuit 200 located therein so that the transmission circuit 200 can fit snugly into the guide slot 103. The guide groove 103 is located outside the sleeve 100, which facilitates assembly of the transmission circuit 200.

In terms of size, the depth of the guide groove 103 is designed to be slightly larger than the thickness of the transmission circuit 200 so that the movement of the lock member 120 relative to the sleeve 100 does not interfere with or damage the transmission circuit 200 accommodated in the guide groove 103, and the transmission circuit 200 does not interfere with the movement of the lock member 120. The depth of the guide groove 103 may be approximately 0.2mm to 0.3mm. The wall thickness of the sleeve 100 in the region of the surface 101 is at least 0.4mm, preferably 0.45mm to 1.2mm. Therefore, the provision of the guide groove 103 does not affect the overall structural strength of the sleeve 100. It will be appreciated that the wall thickness of the sleeve 100 may vary according to the actual needs.

Within the sleeve, the transmission circuit 200 will generally follow the path shown by the dotted line a in fig. 5. Specifically, the transmission circuit 200 is connected at a first end (i.e., distal end) 201 to the identification device 12 at the mounting site 102, thereafter extends to the guide slot 103 via the arc-shaped connection slot 104 after extending a distance proximally along the axial direction of the sleeve 100, and finally is connected at a second end (i.e., proximal end) 202 to a later-described rotary electrical connector 300.

Referring to fig. 4, 6, 7, 8, the locking member 120 of the stapler body will be described. Fig. 6 is a front view of the lock member 120, fig. 7 is a plan view of the lock member 120, and fig. 8 is a perspective view of the lock member 120 as viewed from the inside. Locking member 120 is used to releasably lock implement assembly 20 relative to stapler body 10, the details of which are described below. The lock member 120 is movable forward and backward with respect to the sleeve 100 in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the sleeve, and therefore is also a movable member. The locking member 120 comprises a surface 121 on the outside and a corresponding surface 122 on the inside. Both of these surfaces are flat or substantially flat surfaces to facilitate axial movement of the locking member 120 relative to the sleeve 100. In the mounted state, the surface 122 of the locking member 120 will be opposite the surface 101 of the sleeve 100 and the guide groove 103 provided therein, thereby sandwiching the transmission circuit 200 between the surface 122 and the surface 101.

Referring to fig. 9, 10, the transmission circuit 200 will be described. Fig. 9 is a front view of the transmission circuit 200, and fig. 10 is a perspective view of the transmission circuit 200. The transmission circuit 200 includes a first end (i.e., distal end) 201 connected to the identification device 12, and a second end (i.e., proximal end) 202 connected to a rotary disk 320 of a rotary electrical connector 300 described later. The main portion 203 of the transmission line shown in fig. 9, 10 is a portion arranged in the guide groove 103. As can be seen, the shape of the transmission circuit 200 is complex, including planar portions lying in at least one of planes perpendicular to each other or planes parallel to each other, and at least one of a slope portion or an arc portion for connecting these planar portions. Preferably, the transmission circuit 200 is a flexible circuit board, thereby facilitating arrangement in various complex shapes.

Note that in the present application, the term "transmission circuit" or "transmission circuit of the cutting stapler" is intended to be an accentuated circuit structure arranged between the identification means 12 and the rotary electrical connector 300 (in particular, the rotary disk 320 of the rotary electrical connector 300), at least the main part of the transmission circuit 200 being provided inside the elongated sleeve 100 in the stapler body 10, as shown in fig. 2 and 3. In addition, since there is a large margin of space for disposing the transmission circuit in the proximal portion of the stapler body 10 and the degree of freedom in design is large, the circuit structure between the fixed disk 310 of the rotary electrical connector 300 and the control unit 13 will not be described in detail.

< rotating Electrical connector >

Now, with reference to fig. 2, 4, 11 to 14, the rotary electrical connector 300 of the cutting stapler 1 will be described.

As previously mentioned, the actuating assembly 20 and the sleeve 100, etc. to which it is connected are rotatable about the central axis 110 with respect to the proximal portion of the stapler body 10 in which the control unit 13, etc. is arranged. In this way, there is a risk of the transmission circuit 200 transmitting the electrical signal of the identification device 12 to the control unit 13 becoming entangled or knotted. In order to prevent the transmission circuit 200 from being entangled and knotted, the stapler body 10 is provided with a rotary electric connector 300.

The rotary electrical connector 300 comprises a fixed disc 310 fixedly disposed within the first housing 130 at a proximal portion of the stapler body 10, and a rotary disc 320 rotatable relative to the fixed disc 310 and disposed distal to the fixed disc 310, as shown in fig. 2, 4, 11. The rotary disk 320 is located within the second housing 140 distally engaged with the first housing 130. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first housing 130 and the second housing 140 together form a portion of the housing of the stapler body 10. The rotating disk 320 is electrically connected with the fixed disk 310, and can transmit an electrical signal transmitted thereto to the fixed disk 310. The fixed disk 310 is then connected to the control unit 13 through a transmission circuit.

As shown in fig. 12, the fixed disk 310 is a substantially circular disk-shaped member. Fixed plate 310 includes a central hole 311 for passing through central shaft 110 (see fig. 16) of stapler body 10. The central hole 311 has a diameter larger than that of the central shaft 110 so as not to interfere with the central shaft 110 passing therethrough. The central hole 10 is preferably non-circular. In addition, the fixed disk 310 also includes at least one annular conductive line 314 disposed on a surface opposite the rotating disk 320. The conductive traces 314 are insulated from each other. Preferably, four electrically conductive traces 314 are provided, each in electrical contact with a resilient contact 322 on a rotating disk 320, described later. The conductive line 314 is finally connected to the control unit 13 of the stapler body 10 through a transmission line.

Further, the fixed disk 310 is also provided on the circumferential outer side thereof with a mounting portion for fixedly mounting the fixed disk 310 in the first housing 130 of the stapler body 10. For example, the fixed disk 310 is provided with mounting flanges 312 and 313 as mounting portions. As shown in fig. 13, the first housing 130 is provided at the open end 131 as the distal end with mounting grooves 132 and 133 that engage with mounting flanges 312 and 313, respectively. Preferably, the two mounting flanges 312 and 313 are of unequal size so as to prevent the fixed disk 310 from being mounted in the first housing 130 in the wrong orientation when the fixed disk 310 is mounted, i.e., to ensure that the conductive traces 314 of the fixed disk are towards the far side of the stapler body when mounted so as to mate with the rotating disk 320.

As shown in fig. 14, the rotary plate 320 is substantially U-shaped, having an opening 321 for passing the central shaft 110 (see fig. 16) of the stapler body 10. The opening portion 321 has a size larger than the diameter of the central shaft 110 so as not to interfere with the central shaft 110 passing therethrough. The shape of the opening 321 is not particularly limited. The rotating disk 320 includes at least one elastic contact piece 322 disposed on a surface opposite to the fixed disk 310. In the assembled state, the resilient contact 322 will be pressed against the conductive traces 314 of the fixed disk 310, thereby making electrical contact with the conductive traces 314. Preferably, a plurality of elastic contact pieces 322 are provided on both arms 323 and 324 of the substantially U-shaped rotating disk 320, respectively. For example, four resilient contact pads 322 are provided on each arm 323 and 324, respectively, that make electrical contact with the four conductive traces 314 of the mounting plate 310. Such a rotating disk arrangement facilitates force equalization when the rotating disk 320 is pressed against the fixed disk 310.

The rotary disk 320 is mounted within the second housing 140 of the stapler body 10, the second housing 140 engaging the first housing 130 distally thereof. The second end of the transmission circuit 200 is electrically connected to the rotating disk 320. The rotary disk 320 is rotatable around the central shaft 110 within the second housing 140 integrally with the actuator assembly 20, the sleeve 100 and the transmission circuit 200. Also, during rotation, the elastic contact pieces 322 of the rotating disk 320 can always slide in electrical contact on the conductive traces 314 of the fixed disk 310, thereby achieving transmission of signals. Since electrical contact is made between the fixed disk 310 and the rotating disk 320 by the separately provided elastic contact pieces 322 and conductive traces 314, electrical connection can be stably achieved also during rotation of the rotating disk 320, and the problems of wire entanglement and knotting in the prior art can be avoided.

< Loading/unloading support mechanism >

Referring now to fig. 15 to 20, a handling assist mechanism 400 for the effector assembly 20 of the cutting stapler 1 will be described.

The attachment/detachment assisting mechanism 400 is a mechanism for assisting attachment/detachment of the effector assembly 20 to/from the stapler body 10, thereby improving operability of attaching/detaching the effector assembly 20 and avoiding damage to parts of the cutting stapler when attaching/detaching the effector assembly 20.

In the stapler body 10, as described above, the rotary electric connector 300 has been provided near the proximal end of the handle, and thus there is no longer sufficient space for arranging the handling assistance mechanism 400 described below. It is problematic how to provide a loading and unloading assistance mechanism without causing interference with other members of the cutting stapler, without significantly causing damage to the overall structural strength and increase in size of the stapler body.

The inventors have made extensive tests and verifications and have found that the handling aid 400 can be ideally disposed at the distal end of the stapler body 10, i.e., the engagement end 11. In particular, the handling assist mechanism 400 may desirably be disposed at the distal end of the elongate sleeve 100 of the stapler body 10. Preferably, the handling assist mechanism 400 is disposed proximal to the mounting site 102 in the sleeve 100 adjacent to the mounting site 102 of the stapler body 10 for mounting the identification device 12. In this way, the handling aid mechanism 400 will be located proximal (i.e., rearward) of the identification device 12 so that the movable handling aid mechanism 400 does not interfere with the identification device 12. Further, it is more preferable that the attachment/detachment assisting mechanism 400 overlaps the transmission circuit 200 in the axial direction of the center shaft 110, whereby a compact structure can be obtained. Further preferably, in the stapler body 10, the handling assistance mechanism 400 is located in a different plane from the guide groove 103 for routing the transmission circuit 200. For example, the handling assist mechanism 400 is at an angle of about 60 to 120 degrees, for example, about 90 degrees, with the guide groove 103 for arranging the transmission circuit 200, thereby avoiding interference between the handling assist mechanism 400 and the transmission circuit 200.

The specific structure and mechanism of action of the handling assist mechanism 400 is described below.

As shown in fig. 4, 15, and 16, the handling assistance mechanism 400 includes an elastic member 410 as the most essential member. The elastic member 410 can take a locked state in which its expanded and contracted state is locked, and a lock-released state in which its locked state is released. The elastic member 410 is accommodated in the accommodation space 105 of the sleeve 100 of the stapler body 10. Furthermore, the elastic member 410 is movably inserted onto the central shaft 110 longitudinally extending within the sleeve 100 of the stapler body 10. In other words, the elastic member 410 can be extended and contracted along the central axis 110 within the housing space 105 of the stapler body 10. The distal end of resilient member 410 is operably connected to actuation assembly 20. "operatively connected" does not mean that the resilient member 410 must be in direct contact or connected with the actuating assembly 20, but rather that there may be intermediate members between them, so long as forces can be transmitted between the resilient member 410 and the actuating assembly 20. In this sense, it can be said that the elastic member 410 is operatively interposed between the stapler body 10 and the actuating assembly 20.

In the present embodiment, the elastic member 410 is a spring that is elastically deformable. It is contemplated that the elastic member 410 may also be other components capable of springing back, such as a resilient sheet of metal, a resilient resin, or the like.

As shown in fig. 16-19, the handling assist mechanism 400 may further include a force transfer member 420 operably disposed between the resilient member 410 and the actuating assembly 20 for transferring an operating force applied to the actuating assembly 20 by an operator operating the cutting stapler to the resilient member 410 and for transferring a force of the resilient member 410 to the actuating assembly 20.

The force transfer member 420 may include a force transfer cartridge 421. The force transfer cartridge 421 is provided with an axial bore 422. The force transmission cylinder 421 is inserted onto the center shaft 110 of the stapler body 10 at the axial hole 422 and is axially movable along the center shaft 110. Further, the resilient member 410 can be at least partially inserted into the axial bore 422 from a proximal end of the axial bore 422. The distal end of the axial bore 422 is provided with an abutment 423 (see fig. 15) for preventing the resilient member 410 from coming out of the distal end of the axial bore 422. In this manner, the force transfer cartridge 421 can be in operable contact with the resilient member 410 for transferring force between the actuator assembly 20 and the resilient member 410.

As shown in fig. 16, 19, the force transfer member 420 of the handling assist mechanism 400 may further include a flat plate-shaped force transfer plate 425 configured to be operably connected to the force transfer cylinder 421 at a distal end (left end in fig. 16) of the force transfer cylinder 421. In addition, the distal end of force transfer plate 425 is configured to be in operable contact with implement assembly 20. The force transfer plate 425 is used to transfer force between the force transfer cartridge 421 and the actuator assembly 20. The force transfer member 420 may also comprise further components as long as the function thereof is fulfilled.

In order to achieve a connection between the force transmission cylinder 421 and the force transmission plate 425, the force transmission plate 425 is provided with a through hole 426, the force transmission cylinder 421 being provided at the distal end with a boss 424 insertable into the through hole 426. The boss 424 may be provided with a slope on one side for convenience of assembly. Further, it is contemplated that force transfer plate 425 may be provided with bosses and force transfer cylinder 421 provided with corresponding through-holes. That is, one of the force transmission cylinder 421 and the force transmission plate 425 may be provided with a through hole, and the other may be provided with a boss.

Before describing the mechanism of the handling aid 400, the movements in mounting and dismounting of the actuating assembly 20 relative to the stapler body 10 will first be described with reference to the schematic diagram of fig. 20. In this embodiment, the functional guide path of the actuator assembly 20 during loading and unloading is substantially L-shaped. Here, the "L-shaped functional guide path" refers to a guide path that enables the actuator 20 to move in an L-shape, and the L-shaped movement of the actuator 20 may be implemented by one guide path or a plurality of guide paths provided at different positions. A first path L1 (horizontal path in fig. 20) of the L-shaped guide path is parallel to the direction of the central axis 110 of the stapler body 10 (i.e., axial direction, arrow M1 direction). The actuating assembly 20 is only linearly movable (i.e., back and forth) in the axial direction relative to the stapler body 10 in the first path L1, and is not rotatable. A second path L2 (vertical path in fig. 20) of the L-shaped guide path is substantially perpendicular to the first path and extends along a circumferential direction (i.e., arrow M2 direction) of the sleeve 100 of the stapler body 10. The actuation assembly 20 can only rotate in the circumferential direction in the second path L2 with respect to the stapler body 10, and cannot move back and forth.

Next, the mechanism of action of the handling assistance mechanism 400 will be explained.

First, a case where the actuating assembly 20 is mounted to the stapler body 10 is described. In the early stage of the installation process, after the engaged end 21 of the actuating assembly 20 and the engaging end 11 of the stapler body 10 are aligned with each other, the operator quickly inserts the actuating assembly 20 into the stapler body 10 for a certain length in the direction of the arrow M1, starting from the point D1 of the first path L1, substantially without hindrance until the engaged end 21 of the actuating assembly 20 starts to contact the force transmission plate 425 at the point D2. Thereafter, actuating assembly 20, which is further advanced in the direction of arrow M1, pushes against force transfer plate 425, causing force transfer plate 425 to also move in the direction of arrow M1 toward the proximal side of stapler body 10, thereby compressing elastic member 410 in the direction of arrow M1 via force transfer cylinder 421. The operator may feel the increase in the operating force significantly due to the resistance generated by compressing the elastic member 410. That is, the compression of the resilient member 410 at this time conveys a significant feedback to the operator: the mounting process of the actuating assembly 20 has reached a later stage, and the mounting speed should be slowed and the mounting force adjusted accordingly so as not to damage the components of the cutting stapler. At point D3, implement assembly 20 reaches the end of its axial advance stroke. At this time, the elastic member 410 is compressed to the maximum extent. Thereafter, the operator rotates the actuating assembly 20 in the direction of arrow M2 with respect to the stapler body 10. Once in the second path L2, the elastic member 410 is in a locked state in which its compressed state is locked. Meanwhile, even if a reaction force of the elastic member 410 in a compressed state or an operation force of an operator in an axial direction is received, the actuating assembly 20 cannot move forward and backward in the axial direction with respect to the stapler body 10. At point D4, stapler body 10 is rotated into position. Upon being rotated into position, the previously described locking member 120 (see fig. 6-8) will project (e.g., by the action of a spring) from point D5 into the second path L2 to prevent the actuator assembly 20 from rotating in the direction opposite arrow M2. Thereby, the effector assembly 20 is locked to the stapler body 10, and the installation process thereof is completed. In addition, the elastic member 410 continues to be maintained in a compressed locked state.

In contrast, in the absence of the loading/unloading assist mechanism 400 according to the present application, the actuating member 20 is advanced toward the stapler body 10 at a high speed substantially without hindrance until the actuating member 20 suddenly collides with the stapler body 10 to cause the advancing stroke to suddenly stop. At this time, the components involved in the violent collision are likely to be damaged. With the handling assist mechanism 400 according to the present application, it is possible to provide feedback to the operator in time before the propulsion stroke reaches the end point, and thus it is possible to avoid the occurrence of violent collision and damage of components.

Next, a case of detaching the actuating assembly 20 from the stapler body 10 will be described. First, the operator actuates the button 123 (see fig. 4) to retract the lock member 120 rearward from the second path L2, thereby releasing the lock member 120 from the rotation of the actuating assembly 20. Thereafter, the operator rotates implement assembly 20 in the direction opposite to arrow M2 until the proximal end (rightmost end in fig. 8) of first path L1 is reached. At this time, the lock of the forward and backward movement or the pushing stroke of the actuator 20 with respect to the stapler body 10 is released, and the compression lock of the elastic member 410 is also released, that is, the elastic member 410 starts to be in the lock release state where the lock thereof is released. Due to the elastic force of the elastic member 410 in the compressed state, the actuating assembly 20 will be pushed to move along the first path L1 in the direction opposite to the arrow M1 until finally the actuating assembly 20 is completely pushed out of the stapler body 10, i.e. the detachment of the actuating assembly 20 is completed. Note that when the actuating assembly 20 is rotated to the position in the detachment operation, the actuating assembly 20 is automatically ejected from the stapler body 10 by the elastic force of the elastic member 410. That is, in the disassembling operation, the operator needs to perform only the operation of releasing the rotation lock of the actuator assembly 20 and rotating the actuator assembly 20 into position. The ease of the disassembly operation reduces the possibility of error during operation.

In contrast, in the case where the handling assistance mechanism 400 according to the present application is not provided, the operator first needs to release the rotational lock of the effector assembly 20 with respect to the stapler body 10, then rotate the effector assembly 20 to a position movable in the axial direction with respect to the stapler body 10, and finally pull out the effector assembly 20 from the stapler body 10. However, it is difficult for the operator to determine when the actuator assembly 20 has rotated into position. Therefore, there is a risk that the operator pulls out the stapler body 10 without rotating the actuating assembly 20 to a position movable in the axial direction with respect to the stapler body 10. Also, the operator may also attempt to pull the actuator assembly 20 multiple times or increase the pull-out force at this time without successfully pulling out the actuator assembly 20. This can damage the internal structure of the cutting stapler or deform certain components. With the handling assistance mechanism 400 according to the present application, these errors can be avoided.

In the above and the drawings, described are examples in which the actuator assembly 20 moves in an L-shape. However, the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the following example can be conceived. During installation of actuating assembly 20, when actuating assembly 20 reaches point D3 of first path L1 (i.e., reaches the end of its axial insertion advancement stroke), actuating assembly 20 is locked to stapler body 10, while also locking resilient member 410 in a compressed state. That is, the second path L2 does not exist at this time. When the effector 20 is detached, after the locking between the effector 20 and the stapler body 10 is released, that is, the locked state of the elastic member 410 is released, the elastic member 410 of the attachment/detachment assisting mechanism 400 automatically extends to eject the effector 20. That is, the handling assistance mechanism 400 according to the present application is applicable regardless of the movement path of the actuator 20 during handling.

The novel cutting anastomat 10 has the advantages of compact overall structure, proper strength and close relation among various parts, and meanwhile interference among the parts can be avoided.

Although the figures illustrate and describe the cutting stapler 10 as including three of the transmission circuit 200, the rotary electrical connector 300, and the handling assist mechanism 400, the cutting stapler 10 need not include all three. For example, cutting stapler 10 may include only at least one of transmission circuit 200, rotary electrical connector 300, and handling assist mechanism 400, as well as address at least one of the problems associated with the prior art.

While the present application has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present application is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims (9)

1. A cutting stapler (1) comprising a stapler body (10), and an actuating assembly (20) configured to be detachably mounted to the stapler body (10), characterized in that the stapler body (10) comprises:

a transmission circuit (200) provided in the stapler body (10) for transmitting a signal regarding the actuating assembly obtained at the distal end of the stapler body towards a control unit (13) located at the proximal end of the stapler body;

a handling assistance mechanism (400) provided with an elastic member (410) operatively interposed between the stapler body (10) and the actuating assembly (20) to transmit forces therebetween, the elastic member (410) being capable of being compressed during the installation of the actuating assembly (20) to provide feedback to an operator, the elastic member (410) being elongated during the removal of the actuating assembly (20) after the lock between the actuating assembly (20) and the stapler body (10) is released to eject the actuating assembly (20) from the stapler body (10); and

a rotary electrical connector (300) comprising a stationary disc (310) fixedly mounted in the stapler body (10), and a rotary disc (320) rotatable relative to the stationary disc and electrically connectable with the stationary disc,

wherein the main part of the transmission circuit (200) and the loading and unloading auxiliary mechanism (400) are positioned in different planes in the anastomat body (10) and are mutually overlapped in the longitudinal direction of the anastomat body, the rotating disk (320) of the rotating electric connector (300) is electrically connected with the transmission circuit (200), and the fixed disk (310) is electrically connected with the control unit (13).

2. The cutting stapler according to claim 1, wherein the stationary disk (310) of the rotating electrical connector (300) comprises at least one conductive trace (314), the rotating disk (320) comprises at least one resilient contact (322), the resilient contact (322) of the rotating disk (320) is aligned with the conductive trace (314) of the stationary disk (310) and is pressed against the conductive trace (314), the resilient contact (322) remains electrically connected to the conductive trace (314) as the rotating disk (320) rotates; or

Further preferably, the stationary disk (310) of the rotary electrical connector (300) comprises a plurality of annular conductive traces (314), the plurality of annular conductive traces (314) being concentric and insulated from each other, the rotary disk (320) comprises a plurality of resilient contacts (322), each resilient contact (322) being aligned with a respective conductive trace (314); or

Further preferably, the rotating disk (320) is substantially U-shaped, and the two arms (323, 324) of the substantially U-shaped rotating disk (320) are respectively provided with the same number of elastic contact pieces (322) as the conductive wires.

3. The cutting stapler according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stapler body (10) is provided with a first housing (130) at a proximal portion, the fixed disc (310) being fixedly mounted to the first housing (130); or

Further preferably, the stapler body (10) further comprises a second housing (140) distal to the first housing (130), the rotary disk (320) being rotatably mounted within the second housing (140); or alternatively

Further preferably, the first shell (130) and the second shell (140) are joined to form together a portion of the shell of the stapler body (10); or alternatively

Further preferably, the fixed disc (310) is provided with two mounting flanges (312, 313) of unequal size; or

Further preferably, the fixed disk (310) is provided with a central hole (311) for the central shaft (110) of the stapler body (10) to pass through, and the diameter of the central hole (311) is larger than that of the central shaft (110); or alternatively

Further preferably, the substantially U-shaped rotating disk (320) is provided with an opening (321) for passing the central shaft (110) of the stapler body (10), the size of the opening (321) being larger than the diameter of the central shaft (110).

4. The cutting stapler according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stapler body (10) comprises an elongated sleeve (100), the elastic member (410) being housed within a housing space (105) of the sleeve (100), and the elastic member (410) being inserted onto a central shaft (110) extending longitudinally within the stapler body (100) and being movable along the central shaft (110); or

Further preferably, the sleeve (100) is provided with a guide groove (103) for routing the transmission circuit (200) in a portion having a wall thickness of at least 0.4 mm; or

Further preferably, the wall thickness of the portion of the sleeve (100) for the arrangement of the guide groove (103) is 0.45mm to 1.2mm; or alternatively

Further preferably, the stapler body (10) comprises a movable member movable relative to the sleeve (10) outside the sleeve (10), a main part of the transmission circuit (200) being arranged between the movable member and the sleeve (100); or alternatively

Further preferably, the movable member is a locking member (120) for releasably locking the actuating assembly (20) to the stapler body (10), the locking member (120) comprising a flat surface (122) facing the sleeve (100), the sleeve (100) comprising a flat surface (101) opposite to the flat surface (122) of the locking member, the guide groove (103) being provided in the flat surface (101) of the sleeve; or alternatively

Further preferably, the depth of the guide groove (103) is designed so that a movable member that moves relative to the sleeve (100) does not interfere with the transmission circuit (200) housed in the guide groove (103); or alternatively

Further preferably, the transmission circuit (200) is a flexible circuit board.

5. The cutting stapler according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the handling aid mechanism (400) is further provided with a force transmission member (420) operatively interposed between the elastic member (410) and the actuating assembly (20) to transmit force between the actuating assembly (20) and the elastic member (410); or

Further preferably, the force transmission member (420) comprises a force transmission cylinder (421) in operable contact with the elastic member (410) for transmitting force between the elastic member (410) and the actuating assembly (20), the force transmission cylinder (421) being inserted onto a central shaft (110) extending longitudinally within the stapler body (10) and being movable along the central shaft (110); or

Further preferably, the force transfer member (420) further comprises a force transfer plate (425) operatively connected to the force transfer cylinder (421) for transferring force between the force transfer cylinder (421) and the actuation assembly (20); or alternatively

Further preferably, one of the force transmission cylinder (421) and the force transmission plate (425) is provided with a through hole (426), and the other of the force transmission cylinder (421) and the force transmission plate (425) is provided with a boss (424) insertable into the through hole (426) to connect the force transmission sleeve (421) and the force transmission plate (425); or alternatively

Further preferably, the elastic member (410) is a spring.

6. The cutting stapler according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the stapler body (10) is provided at a distal end with an identification device (12) for identifying the type of actuating assembly (20), the signal transmitted by the transmission circuit (200) being a signal relating to the type of actuating assembly (20) generated by the identification device (12); or

Further preferably, the handling aid (400) is located proximal to the identification device (12); or

Further preferably, the handling aid (400) is arranged near the distal end of the stapler body (10); or alternatively

Further preferably, the rotary electrical connector (300) is arranged in proximity of a proximal end of the stapler body (10).

7. The cutting stapler according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the loading and unloading aid (400) is located in a plane at an angle of about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees with respect to a plane in which the guide slot (103) for routing the transmission circuit (200) is located.

8. The cutting stapler according to claim 7, wherein the loading and unloading aid (400) is located in a plane which is at an angle of about 90 degrees to the plane of the guide slot (103) for routing the transmission circuit (200).

9. The cutting stapler according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the stapler body (10) comprises an elongated sleeve (100), the main part of the transmission circuit (200) and the handling aid (400) being arranged in the sleeve (100).

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