CN117137562A - Stroke control mechanism, handle assembly comprising same and anastomat - Google Patents

Abstract

The application provides a stroke control mechanism for a anastomat, which comprises the following components: a rack; a first switch; a third switch; at least two travel switches arranged in the handle assembly of the stapler, triggered by the rack, each travel switch corresponding to an execution assembly of a different travel length, the rack stopping advancing when any one travel switch is triggered, and the rack starting retracting when the first switch is released; and a fifth switch disposed in the handle assembly of the stapler, triggered by the rack, the rack stopping to retract when the fifth switch is triggered during retraction movement of the rack, when the actuating assembly is fully opened.

Description

Stroke control mechanism, handle assembly comprising same and anastomat

Technical Field

The present application relates to a stroke control mechanism for a stapler, and to a handle assembly and a stapler including the stroke control mechanism.

Background

The anastomat is a medical instrument for closing a surgical incision instead of the traditional manual suture, and is applied to cardiothoracic surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, hepatobiliary and splenic pancreatic surgery, general surgery, urinary surgery and the like. The anastomat has the advantages of convenient use, rapid suture, simple and convenient operation, reduced side effects, operation complications and the like.

The stapler generally comprises mainly: an effector assembly including an anvil portion and a cartridge portion movable relative to the anvil portion between an open position and a closed position to clamp a target tissue therebetween, thereby performing surgical procedures such as cutting, stapling (collectively, the effector assembly is fired); and a handle assembly including an elongated body or an adapter that mates with the actuation assembly, the handle assembly further including a motor, a transmission, a drive device, and the like, through which power from the motor is transferred to the drive device, the drive device being configured to drive the cartridge portion relative to the anvil portion between an open position and a clamped position.

The driving means includes a rack that can be advanced in a proximal-to-distal direction or retracted in a distal-to-proximal direction according to forward or reverse rotation of the motor. The rack can drive the execution assembly to finish corresponding functions such as clamping and firing in the advancing stroke.

In existing staplers, when different types of actuating assemblies are used, different handle assemblies are often required to be used, so that corresponding functions such as clamping, firing with different strokes and the like are completed according to the types of the actuating assemblies. Accordingly, a different handle assembly needs to be provided corresponding to the type of the actuating assembly, increasing the cost of the stapler.

Disclosure of Invention

The application aims to provide a stroke control mechanism for an execution assembly of an anastomat and the anastomat, which can use various types of execution assemblies and can automatically trigger corresponding switches in the advancing or retreating stroke according to the types of the execution assemblies, so that the execution assemblies execute functions such as firing and the like corresponding to the types of the execution assemblies, and the cost of the anastomat is reduced.

The application provides a stroke control mechanism for a anastomat, which comprises the following components: a rack comprising teeth engaged with a drive assembly of the stapler so as to be able to be driven by the drive assembly, between a home position at the most proximal side and an advanced position at the most distal side; a first switch disposed on a handle assembly of the stapler, controlled by a user, the rack starting to move toward the advanced position and an actuating assembly of the stapler starting to clamp when the first switch is pressed and held; a third switch disposed in a handle assembly of the stapler, triggered by the rack, and when triggered, the implement assembly of the stapler stops pinching during advancement of the rack from the home position to the advanced position, in which state the implement assembly on the stapler is fired as the first switch is kept pressed and the rack continues to advance, and when triggered, the implement assembly of the stapler begins to open during retraction of the rack from the advanced position to the home position; at least two travel switches arranged in the handle assembly of the stapler, triggered by the rack, each travel switch corresponding to an execution assembly of a different travel length, the rack stopping advancing when any one travel switch is triggered, and the rack starting retracting when the first switch is released; and a fifth switch disposed in the handle assembly of the stapler, triggered by the rack, the rack stopping to retract when the fifth switch is triggered during retraction movement of the rack, when the actuating assembly is fully opened.

Preferably, the at least two travel switches are photoelectric switches, triggered by the protruding shoulders of the rack, each photoelectric switch being arranged in sequence in the handle assembly according to the type of the corresponding actuation assembly, and in the use state of the stapler, the photoelectric switch corresponding to the type of the currently used actuation assembly works normally and the photoelectric switch not corresponding to the type of the currently used actuation assembly does not work.

Preferably, three photoelectric switches are included, triggered by the same shoulder of the rack, or by different shoulders of the rack.

Preferably, the at least two travel switches comprise at least one photoelectric switch and at least one mechanical switch, the mechanical switch comprises a switch mechanism and a mechanical control mechanism for controlling the switch mechanism, and the firing travel of the execution assembly corresponding to the mechanical switch is larger than that of the execution assembly corresponding to the photoelectric switch.

Preferably, the at least two travel switches comprise two photoelectric switches and one mechanical switch, the photoelectric switches are triggered by the first shoulder of the rack, each photoelectric switch is sequentially arranged in the handle assembly according to the type of the corresponding execution assembly, and in the use state of the anastomat, the travel switch which does not correspond to the type of the currently used execution assembly does not work.

Preferably, the mechanical control mechanism of the mechanical switch includes an actuator rotatable in response to movement of the rack to open or close the switching mechanism of the mechanical switch.

Preferably, a second switch is also included, arranged on the handle assembly of the stapler, which is controlled by the user, the rack being movable towards the home position when the second switch is pressed and held.

Preferably, the first and second switches are provided on the handle assembly in the form of rockers.

Preferably, the third and/or fifth switch is a mechanical switch comprising an actuator rotatable in response to movement of the rack to open or close a switching mechanism of the mechanical switch.

The present application also provides a handle assembly for a stapler, comprising: an adapter at the proximal end of the handle assembly for mating with the actuating assembly; a housing defining a cavity; an inner shell secured within the cavity, the inner shell defining a longitudinally extending path through the inner shell; a drive assembly; and a control rod, characterized in that the handle assembly further comprises a travel control mechanism according to the foregoing, a rack of which is driven by the drive assembly and which moves along a longitudinally extending path defined by the inner housing, a switch of the travel control mechanism being provided on the outer housing or the inner housing, a proximal end of the control rod being coupled to a distal end of the rack.

The application also provides an anastomat, comprising: an actuation assembly comprising an anvil portion and a cartridge portion, wherein the cartridge portion is movable relative to the anvil portion between an open position and a clamped position to clamp tissue therebetween; and a handle assembly according to the foregoing.

By using the manual retraction device, the same handle assembly can be used for executing assemblies with various types, and the corresponding switch can be automatically triggered in the advancing or retracting stroke of the rack according to the type of the executing assembly, so that the executing assembly executes the functions of firing and the like corresponding to the type of the executing assembly, and the cost of the anastomat is reduced.

Drawings

The drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the application, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a stapler according to the application, in an open condition;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the handle assembly of the stapler of FIG. 1, with the housing removed to illustrate the first, second, third, and fourth switches;

fig. 3 is a view similar to fig. 2, from the opposite direction to fig. 2, showing a fifth switch;

fig. 4 shows an exploded view of the control mechanism of the fourth switch;

fig. 5 shows a perspective view of an actuator of the control mechanism of the fourth switch;

fig. 6 shows a top perspective view of a rack according to the application;

fig. 7 and 8 show an installation process of the control mechanism of the fourth switch;

fig. 9 shows the state of the control mechanism of the fourth switch in the zero position;

FIG. 10 illustrates the state of the control mechanism of the fourth switch at the end of the firing stroke of the implement assembly;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with a portion of the members further removed to show sixth and seventh switches;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the rack removed;

fig. 13 shows a view of the first shoulder of the rack reaching the sixth switch;

fig. 14 shows a view of the first shoulder of the rack reaching the seventh switch;

fig. 15 shows the rack in a zero position;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 with a portion of the members further removed to show sixth and seventh switches; and

fig. 17 shows a simplified schematic of the rack triggering the switches in the forward stroke.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that aspects of the present disclosure are merely examples of the present disclosure and may be embodied in various forms. Well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the disclosure in unnecessary detail. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. In addition, directional terms such as front, rear, upper, lower, top, bottom and the like are used to aid in understanding the description and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

In this specification, the term "proximal" is generally used to refer to the portion of the device that is closer to the user during use of the device in its customary manner, while the term "distal" is generally used to refer to the portion of the device that is farther from the user during use of the device in its customary manner.

As described above, the driving means of the stapler includes a rack that can be advanced in a proximal-to-distal direction or retracted in a distal-to-proximal direction according to the forward rotation or the reverse rotation of the motor. The rack can drive the execution assembly to finish corresponding functions of clamping, firing, opening and the like in the advancing stroke of the rack. In general, in the present application, by providing a plurality of switches in the stapler body, the rack activates each switch during its travel, causing the execution assembly to automatically perform a corresponding function, as will be described in detail below.

Referring to figures 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a stapler 1 according to the present application. The stapler 1 comprises a handle assembly 2 and an actuation assembly 6, the actuation assembly 6 comprising an elongated body or adapter 8. The travel control mechanism of the present application is provided in the handle assembly 2, and includes: a plurality of switches, and a rack 5. The plurality of switches includes a first switch 101 for initiating the clamping and firing of the stapler 1 and a second switch 102 for initiating retraction. A first switch 101 and a second switch 102 are associated with the rack 5 for advancing or retracting the rack 5, triggering the respective other switches to start and stop the clamping and firing of the actuation assembly 6, or to stop the rack 5 when the initial position is reached. The first switch 101 and the second switch 102 shown in fig. 1, 2 and 3 are provided on the handle assembly 2 in the form of a rocker 7.

The adapter 8 of the handle assembly of the stapler 1 has a proximal portion 8a and a distal portion 8b and defines a longitudinal axis "X". The proximal end portion 8a of the adapter 8 supports a knob 9 and a hinge rod 10 provided on the knob 9. The knob 9 is connected to the handle assembly 2 and supports the adapter 8 to facilitate rotation of the adapter 8 and the implement assembly 6 relative to the handle assembly 2 about the longitudinal axis "X".

The actuating assembly 6 is fixed to the distal portion 8b of the adapter 8 by a pivot member 11, the pivot member 11 defining an axis "Y" perpendicular to the longitudinal axis "X". The articulation lever 10 is operatively connected to the actuation assembly 6 by an articulation link (not shown) such that operation of the articulation lever 10 enables the actuation assembly 6 to oscillate about the axis "Y".

The actuation assembly 6 includes a cartridge portion 12 and an anvil portion 13. The cartridge portion 12 includes a channel 15 that supports the cartridge 14. In one embodiment, staple cartridge 14 is removably received in channel 15 and can be replaced after each firing of stapler 1 to facilitate reuse of stapler 1. The anvil portion 13 may be pivotally connected to the cartridge portion 12 and may be movable relative to the cartridge portion 12 between open and clamped positions.

Fig. 2 and 3 show a travel control mechanism provided in the handle assembly 2, comprising a rack 5, a first switch 101, a second switch 102, a third switch 103, a fourth switch 104, a fifth switch 105, the distal end of the rack 5 being connected to the proximal end of a control rod 16, the distal end of the control rod 16 being capable of controlling the actuating assembly 6.

The handle assembly 2 defines a longitudinally extending path or channel that extends from the proximal end of the handle assembly 2 to the distal end of the handle assembly 2 and receives and supports the rack 5 for linear movement between the rack retracted and advanced positions. The proximal end of the control rod 16 is connected to the distal end of the rack 5 and is movable between rod retracted and advanced positions in response to movement of the rack 5 between rack advanced and retracted positions. The rack 5 is connected to a drive member (not shown) of the drive assembly that drives the rack 5 between a rack retracted position and a rack advanced position to actuate the implement assembly 6 via the control lever 16, i.e., to move the implement assembly 6 between the open and closed positions and fire the stapler. The rack 5 includes teeth 5a that engage the motor/gear assembly 23 so that the motor/gear assembly 23 can drive the rack 5 between a rack retracted position and a rack advanced position within the handle assembly 2.

As described above, and as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the stapler 1 comprises one or more switches, which, when each switch is activated, actuate a motor, by control means (not shown) of the stapler 1, driving the rack to advance or retract or stop, to perform the following operations: initially, the rack is in the home or null position, and when the first switch 101 is manually actuated and held, the rack 5 begins to advance to move the actuating assembly 6 from the open position to the clamped position; subsequently, after the clamping is completed, the rack 5 activates the third switch 103 at the end of the clamping stroke of the actuating assembly 6 to stop the clamping operation of the actuating assembly 6, and in this state, since the first switch 101 is kept pressed, the rack 5 continues to advance, so that the actuating assembly 6 on the stapler is fired, i.e. ejects staples from the cartridge assembly 12 and cuts the tissue clamped between the cartridge assembly 12 and the anvil assembly 13, depending on the type of actuating assembly 6; when the rack 5 reaches the end of a firing stroke (for example 60 mm) corresponding to the type of actuating assembly 6, the fourth switch 104 is triggered, so that the actuating assembly 6 is stopped from firing, and the motor is reversed, the rack 5 automatically retracting towards the zero position; the rack 5 triggers the fifth switch 105 at the end of the retraction stroke to stop the motor, and the rack 5 stops at the zero position. In any of the above processes, when the second switch 102 is manually actuated, the rack is retracted, and when the fifth switch 105 is triggered, the rack 5 stops at the zero position.

As described above, referring to fig. 1-3, the first switch 101 and the second switch 102 are provided on the handle assembly 2 in the form of a rocker 7. The third switch 103, the fourth switch 104 and the fifth switch 105 may be in the form of mechanically controlled switches, the specific structure of the control mechanism may vary depending on the position in the handle assembly 2, etc., and the mechanical control mechanism of the fourth switch 104 is taken as an example, and the specific structure of one of the mechanical control mechanisms 80 will be described with reference to fig. 4-10.

Fig. 4 shows a 3-exploded view of the control mechanism of the fourth switch 104, fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the actuator 82 of the control mechanism 80 of the fourth switch 104, fig. 6 shows a top perspective view of the rack 5 according to the application, fig. 7 and 8 show the mounting procedure of the control mechanism 80 of the fourth switch 104, fig. 9 shows the state of the control mechanism 80 of the fourth switch 104 in the zero position, fig. 10 shows the state of the control mechanism 80 of the fourth switch 104 at the end of the firing stroke of the execution assembly 6.

Fig. 4 shows a control mechanism 80 for controlling the operation of the fourth switch 104. The control mechanism 80 includes an actuator 82, a biasing member 84, and a cap member 86. In fig. 5, there is shown a perspective view of the actuator 82, the actuator 82 including a body 88 and a post 90 extending laterally from the body 88. The body 88 has an inner surface 92 and defines a transverse bore 94 leading to the inner surface 92 of the body 88 of the actuator 82. The body 88 of the actuator includes a bottom surface defining an abutment member 96. The post 90 extends inwardly from the inner surface 92 of the actuator 82 and includes two downwardly extending fingers 98a and 98b.

Fig. 6 shows a rack 5 comprising teeth 5a and defining an elongated slot 112. The elongate slot 112 has a proximal end defined by a first engagement surface 116 and a distal end defined by a second engagement surface 114. When the control mechanism 80 is connected into the housing 72, 74 inside the handle assembly 2, the elongated slot 112 receives the downwardly extending finger 98b of the actuator 82 of the control mechanism, as described in further detail below.

The actuator 82 is rotatably supported on the inner housing portion 74 about an axis defined by the post 90 that is transverse to the longitudinal axis "X" (fig. 1) of the adapter 8. The inner housing portion 74 defines a circular opening 120, the circular opening 120 having a recess 122, the recess 122 receiving the fingers 98a and 98b of the post 90 when the post is inserted through the opening 120. The inner housing portion 74 also has a flat outer surface 124 (fig. 3) that engages the inner surface 92 of the actuator 82 when the actuator 82 is mounted on the inner housing portion 74.

The fourth switch 104 is mounted on the outer surface of the inner housing portion 74 at a location below the flat outer surface 124 of the inner housing portion 74. The inner housing portion 74 includes a post 126 that is received within a hole 128 defined in the fourth switch 104 to mount the fourth switch 104 to the inner housing portion 74.

Fig. 7 and 8 show the mounting process of the control mechanism 80 of the fourth switch 104. When the control mechanism 80 is mounted on the inner housing portion 74, the post 90 of the actuator 82 is inserted through the opening 120. In order to fully insert the post 90 into the opening 120, the fingers 98a, 98b of the post 90 of the actuator 82 must be aligned with the recess 122 (fig. 4) of the opening 120 when the post 90 is inserted into the opening 120. When the post 90 is fully inserted into the opening 120, the actuator 82 is rotatably supported on the inner housing portions 72, 74 and the fingers 98a, 98b are positioned in the cavity defined between the inner housing portions 72, 74. It should be noted that when the post 90 is inserted into the opening 120 of the inner housing portions 72, 74 (fig. 8), the biasing member 84 and the cap member 86 of the control mechanism 80 are received in the transverse bore 94 of the actuator 82 such that the non-slip surface 166 of the actuator 82 faces inwardly toward the flat outer surface 124 of the inner housing 60.

Once the post 90 is fully inserted into the opening 120 of the inner housing 60, the actuator 82 may be rotated in the direction of arrow "A" in FIGS. 7 and 8 to position the non-slip surface 166 of the actuator 82 into engagement with the flat outer surface 124 of the inner housing portion 74. When the actuator 82 is rotated in the direction of arrow "a", the proximal end of the body 88 is received within a channel 140 (fig. 8) defined in the inner housing portion 74. The channel 140 is defined in part by a tab 142, the tab 142 preventing outward movement of the actuator 82 relative to the inner housing portion 74 when the proximal end of the body 88 is received within the channel 140. When the actuator 82 is rotated into the channel 140, the finger 98a of the actuator 82 moves to a position between the rack 5 and the inner housing portion 74 and the finger 98b moves into the slot 112 of the rack 5 (fig. 15, 16). In this position, the tab 142 (fig. 8) of the inner housing portion 74 prevents the post 90 of the actuator 82 of the control mechanism 80 from being removed from the opening 120 of the tab 142. In addition, the biasing member 84 of the control mechanism 80 pushes the cap member 86 from the transverse bore 94 defined in the actuator 82 onto the flat outer surface 124 of the inner housing portion 74 to prevent the actuator 82 from rotating in the direction opposite to arrow "A". More specifically, the protrusion 108 of the cap member 86 is biased into engagement with the flat outer surface 124 of the inner housing 60 to create friction between the control mechanism 80 and the flat outer surface 124 of the inner housing portion 74 to maintain the position of the actuator 82 relative to the inner housing portion 74 during movement of the rack 5. Note that the control mechanism 80 will function without the cap member 86. More specifically, the cap member 86 may be removed such that the biasing member 84 of the control mechanism 80 is in direct contact with the flat outer surface 124 of the inner housing portion 74 to maintain the position of the actuator 82 relative to the inner housing portion 74 during movement of the rack 5. The biasing member 84 may be in the form of a coil spring that includes a flat surface 84a (fig. 4) at one end of the biasing member 84, the flat surface 84a engaging the inner housing portion 74. In the assembled state, the abutment member 96 of the actuator 82 is located above the switch button 146 such that the fourth switch 104 is in the open position.

Fig. 9 shows the control mechanism 80 and the rack 5, wherein the rack 5 is in a proximal-most position, i.e. a zero position, which is the position in which the control mechanism 80 and the rack 5 are in when the actuator assembly 6 of the stapler 1 is in the open position as shown in fig. 1. When the rack 5 is in the zero position, the finger 98b extending from the post 90 is located distally of the elongate slot 112 of the rack 5, with the first side 98b' of the finger 98b abutting the second engagement surface 114 of the rack 5. In this position, as shown in fig. 9, the abutment member 96 of the actuator 82 of the control mechanism 80 is remote from the switch button 146 of the fourth switch 104, so that the fourth switch 104 is not triggered.

Fig. 10 shows the state of the control mechanism 80 when the rack 5 is moved in the direction of arrow "B" from the zero position shown in fig. 9 to the most distal position. During movement of the rack 5 from the zero position of fig. 9, the finger 98b will longitudinally pass through the elongate slot 112 of the rack 5 until the rack 5 reaches the position of fig. 10, the second side 98b "of the finger 98b engages the first engagement surface 116 at the proximal end of the rack 5. At this point, continued distal movement of the rack 5 will rotate the actuator 82 of the control mechanism 80 in the direction of arrow "C" in fig. 10, such that the abutment member 96 of the actuator 82 engages the switch button 146 of the fourth switch 104, thereby triggering the fourth switch 104, and thus the motor of the motor/gear assembly 23 will reverse, such that the rack 5 is retracted in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow "B" in fig. 10. And when the rack 5 is retracted to the zero position shown in fig. 9, the second engagement surface 114 of the rack 5 engages the first side 98b' of the finger 98b of the actuator 82, causing the fourth switch 104 to reset.

It should be noted that the control mechanism 80 of the fourth switch 104 of the present application is not limited to the above embodiment, and other embodiments of the control mechanism may refer to, for example, patent application PCT/CN2022/103271, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In practice, the implement assembly 6 is typically of different types or models, with the firing strokes (i.e., the lengths of the implement assembly to cut and staple tissue) of the different types of implement assemblies 6 being different. For example, the firing strokes of the common implement assembly 6 are of three types, 30mm, 45mm and 60 mm. When using the stapler 1 as described above, when using different types of actuating assemblies 6, it is necessary to provide the fourth switch 104 and its control mechanism 80 in the handle assembly 2 of the stapler 1 at a suitable position according to the firing stroke of the particular actuating assembly 6, so that the handle assemblies 2 used for the different types of actuating assemblies 6 are different, and three types of actuating assemblies 6 are used, and three types of handle assemblies 2 are required.

In order to allow the same handle assembly 2 to be used with different types of actuating assemblies 6, the present application provides at least one additional switch, such as a sixth switch 106 and a seventh switch 107 as shown in fig. 11 and 12, as will be described in more detail below.

When the same handle assembly 2 can be used with different types of actuating assemblies 6, it is necessary to first identify the type of actuating assembly 6 and then to transmit an identification signal to a controller (not shown) in the handle assembly 2 of the stapler 1, which selects the corresponding driving mode according to the type of actuating assembly, so as to operate the actuating assembly 6 correctly. As known to those skilled in the art, a variety of methods and means may be employed to identify the type of implement assembly 6 that mates with the adapter 8 of the handle assembly 2, such as with a hall sensor, reference may be made to the patent (ZL 202220746360.6), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Referring to fig. 11 and 12, the installation positions of the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107 are shown, wherein the rack 5 is omitted in fig. 12 to better illustrate the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107. As shown in fig. 11 and 12, the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107 are disposed at different positions along the movement path of the rack 5, wherein the sixth switch 106 is located on the near side of the seventh switch 107. For example, the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107 may be photoelectric switches. The firing strokes of the actuating assemblies 6 corresponding to the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107 are different from the firing strokes corresponding to the fourth switch 104 described above. For example, the fourth switch 104 corresponds to an implement assembly having a firing stroke of 60mm, the sixth switch 106 located proximal to the seventh switch 107 corresponds to an implement assembly having a firing stroke of 30mm, and the seventh switch 107 located distal to the sixth switch 106 corresponds to an implement assembly having a stroke of 45 mm.

When the type of the executing component 6 cooperating with the adapter 8 is identified as described above, the identification signal is transmitted to the controller, which will deactivate or activate the sixth or seventh switch depending on the identification signal. For example, if the type of implement assembly 6 mated to the adapter 8 is identified as 30mm firing stroke, the seventh switch 107 corresponding to the 45mm firing stroke is not operated, while the sixth switch 106 corresponding to the 30mm firing stroke is operated normally. How the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107 are triggered will be described below.

Referring to fig. 6, a rack 5 is shown. One side of the rack 5 comprises a first shoulder 3, which first shoulder 3 is adapted to interact with the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107 in the form of a photo switch, thereby triggering either the sixth switch 106 or the seventh switch 107.

Fig. 13 shows a view of the first shoulder 3 of the rack 5 reaching the sixth switch 106, and fig. 14 shows a view of the first shoulder 3 of the rack reaching the seventh switch 107. As described above, when the type of implement assembly 6 mated with the adapter 8 is identified as a 30mm firing stroke, the controller deactivates the seventh switch 107 corresponding to the 45mm firing stroke and the sixth switch 106 corresponding to the 30mm firing stroke operates normally. During the advancement of the rack 5 from the proximal side to the distal side, when the first shoulder 3 reaches the position of the sixth switch 106 (fig. 13), since the sixth switch 106 is operating normally, the sixth switch 106 is triggered, the sixth switch 106 sends a signal to the controller, so that the motor starts to reverse with the first switch 101 released, and the rack 5 is retracted towards its zero position. When the type of implement assembly 6 mated with the adapter 8 is identified as a 45mm firing stroke, the controller deactivates the sixth switch 106 corresponding to the 30mm firing stroke and the seventh switch 107 corresponding to the 45mm firing stroke operates normally. Thus, during the proximal-to-distal advancement of the rack 5, the sixth switch 106 located proximally is first passed, and since it is inactive, the sixth switch 106 is not triggered by the first shoulder 3, and the rack 5 continues to move distally. When the first shoulder 3 reaches the position of the distal seventh switch 107 (fig. 14), the seventh switch 107 is triggered and the seventh switch 107 sends a signal to the controller so that the motor starts to reverse with the first switch 101 released, so that the rack 5 is retracted towards its zero position.

Still referring to fig. 6, the rack 5 further comprises a second shoulder 4, said second shoulder 4 cooperating with said fifth switch 105, said second shoulder 4 being able to trigger the fifth switch 105 when the rack 5 is retracted to its zero position, so that the motor stops rotating, said rack 5 stops in the zero position, said actuating assembly 6 is fully opened. The rack 5 further comprises a third shoulder 25, said third shoulder 25 cooperating with said third switch 103, said third shoulder 25 being able to trigger the third switch 103 to change its state (e.g. switch from a normally open state to a normally closed state) during said rack advancement, whereby said actuating assembly 6 stops clamping and the actuating assembly starts firing while the first switch 101 remains in the pressed state, and said third shoulder 25 being able to trigger the third switch 103 to change its state (e.g. switch from a normally closed state to a normally open state) during said rack retraction, said actuating assembly 6 starts opening. The specific structure of the third switch 103 and the fifth switch 105 and the control mechanism thereof can be referred to the fourth switch 104 and the control mechanism 80 thereof described above, and will not be described in detail herein.

Fig. 15 shows the rack 5 in a zero position, and fig. 16 is a view similar to fig. 15 with parts further removed to show the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107. The state of fig. 15, 16 corresponds to the state shown in fig. 9, the rack 5 being in the zero position. In this position, as shown in fig. 16, the first shoulder 3 is located proximally away from the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107, the second shoulder 4 abutting against a control mechanism (not identified) of the fifth switch 105.

Fig. 17 shows a simplified schematic view of the rack 5 triggering the switches in the forward stroke, and the operation of the stroke control mechanism of the present application will be described below with reference to fig. 17.

The transverse line 24 in fig. 17 indicates the movement of the rack 5 in the proximal-to-distal advancement direction. When the actuating assembly 6 of the stapler 1 is mated with the adapter 8 of the handle assembly 2, the type of the actuating assembly 6 is identified, either the sixth switch 106 is inactive (e.g. when the actuating assembly 6 is identified as being of the type with a firing stroke of 30 mm) or the seventh switch 107 is inactive (e.g. when the actuating assembly 6 is identified as being of the type with a firing stroke of 45 mm), or both the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107 are inactive (e.g. when the actuating assembly 6 is identified as being of the type with a firing stroke of 60 mm), depending on the identification signal. 18 indicates the zero position of the rack 5, when the user presses and holds the first switch 101, the rack 5 starts to move, while the actuator assembly 6 starts to clamp. The rack 5 first reaches the position indicated by 19, at which position 19 the third switch 103 is triggered, so that the actuating assembly 6 stops clamping, in which state the actuating assembly 6 on the stapler is fired, since the rack 5 continues to advance, as the first switch 101 is kept pressed. Depending on the type of implement assembly 6 identified, the rack 5 continues to advance to one of the positions 20, 21, 22 (e.g., corresponding to 30mm, 45mm, 60mm firing strokes, respectively), triggering a corresponding one of the sixth switch 106 (corresponding to position 20), the seventh switch 107 (corresponding to position 21), the fourth switch 104 (corresponding to position 22), the controller issuing a command such that the motor reverses with the first switch 101 released and the rack 5 retreats. During retraction of the rack 5, the actuator assembly 6 begins to open when the third shoulder 25 of the rack 5 reaches the position of the third switch 103. When the rack 5 is retracted to position 18, the fifth switch 105 is triggered and the controller issues a command to stop the motor, the rack stopping at zero, at which point the actuator assembly 6 is fully opened. At any position where the rack 5 advances, if the second switch 102 is triggered by the user, the motor is reversed, the rack 5 is retracted, and when the position 18 is reached, the fifth switch 105 is triggered, the motor is stopped, and the rack stops at zero.

In the above embodiment, the sixth switch 106 and the seventh switch 107 are in the form of photoelectric switches, and the fourth switch 104 is in the form of a switch controlled by the mechanical control mechanism 80, and the present application is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the fourth switch may also take the form of a photoelectric switch, also triggered by said first shoulder 3, and arranged distally of the seventh switch 107. Referring to fig. 6, there is shown a fourth shoulder 17, which fourth shoulder 17 may cooperate with any of the sixth, seventh, and fourth switches. For example, the fourth shoulder 17 cooperates with a fourth switch 104 in the form of a photoelectric switch, the sixth and seventh switches still cooperating with the first shoulder 3.

From the description provided of the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations may be made without thereby departing from the scope of the application as defined by the following claims.

Claims (11)

1. A stroke control mechanism for a stapler, comprising:

a rack comprising teeth engaged with a drive assembly of the stapler so as to be able to be driven by the drive assembly, between a home position at the most proximal side and an advanced position at the most distal side;

a first switch disposed on a handle assembly of the stapler, controlled by a user, the rack starting to move toward the advanced position and an actuating assembly of the stapler starting to clamp when the first switch is pressed and held;

a third switch disposed in a handle assembly of the stapler, triggered by the rack, and when triggered, the implement assembly of the stapler stops pinching during advancement of the rack from the home position to the advanced position, in which state the implement assembly on the stapler is fired as the first switch is kept pressed and the rack continues to advance, and when triggered, the implement assembly of the stapler begins to open during retraction of the rack from the advanced position to the home position;

at least two travel switches arranged in the handle assembly of the stapler, triggered by the rack, each travel switch corresponding to an execution assembly of a different travel length, the rack stopping advancing when any one travel switch is triggered, and the rack starting retracting when the first switch is released; and

a fifth switch disposed in the handle assembly of the stapler, triggered by the rack, which stops retracting when triggered during the retracting movement of the rack, when the actuating assembly is fully opened.

2. The stroke control mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least two stroke switches are opto-electronic switches, triggered by the protruding shoulder of the rack, each opto-electronic switch being sequentially arranged in the handle assembly according to the type of the corresponding actuation assembly, and wherein in the use state of the stapler the opto-electronic switch corresponding to the type of the currently used actuation assembly is normally operational and the opto-electronic switch not corresponding to the type of the currently used actuation assembly is not operational.

3. The travel control mechanism of claim 2, comprising three photoelectric switches, triggered by the same shoulder of the rack, or by different shoulders of the rack.

4. The travel control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least two travel switches comprise at least one photoelectric switch and at least one mechanical switch, the mechanical switch comprises a switch mechanism and a mechanical control mechanism for controlling the switch mechanism, and a firing travel of an execution assembly corresponding to the mechanical switch is greater than a firing travel of an execution assembly corresponding to the photoelectric switch.

5. The travel control mechanism of claim 4, wherein the at least two travel switches include two photoelectric switches and one mechanical switch, the photoelectric switches being triggered by the first shoulder of the rack, each photoelectric switch being sequentially disposed in the handle assembly according to a type of the corresponding implement assembly, and wherein in a use state of the stapler, the travel switch that does not correspond to a type of the currently used implement assembly is inactive.

6. The travel control mechanism of claim 5, wherein the mechanical control mechanism of the mechanical switch includes an actuator that is rotatable in response to movement of the rack to open or close a switching mechanism of the mechanical switch.

7. The stroke control mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a second switch disposed on a handle assembly of the stapler, the rack being movable toward the home position when the second switch is depressed and held by a user.

8. The travel control mechanism of claim 7, wherein the first and second switches are provided on the handle assembly in the form of rockers.

9. The travel control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the third and/or fifth switch is a mechanical switch comprising an actuator rotatable in response to movement of the rack to turn on or off a switching mechanism of the mechanical switch.

10. A handle assembly for a stapler, comprising:

an adapter at the proximal end of the handle assembly for mating with the actuating assembly;

a housing defining a cavity;

an inner shell secured within the cavity, the inner shell defining a longitudinally extending path through the inner shell;

a drive assembly; and

the control rod is arranged on the side of the control rod,

the handle assembly further comprising a travel control mechanism according to any one of claims 1-9, a rack of the travel control mechanism being driven by the drive assembly and the rack moving along a longitudinally extending path defined by the inner housing, a switch of the travel control mechanism being disposed on the outer housing or the inner housing, a proximal end of the control rod being coupled to a distal end of the rack.

11. A stapler, comprising:

an actuation assembly comprising an anvil portion and a cartridge portion, wherein the cartridge portion is movable relative to the anvil portion between an open position and a clamped position to clamp tissue therebetween; and

the handle assembly of claim 10.