An apparatus for forming an anastomosis between adjacent intestinal sections of tissue includes an anastomosis device having an anvil and a tubular body portion, wherein the anvil is selectively attachable to the tubular body portion by a shaft; and a support structure for deposition between the intestinal sections of tissue. The support structure includes a body defining an aperture therein for receiving the shaft. The body has an outer terminal edge. The support structure includes at least one layer of expandable material disposed at the outer terminal edge of the body.

An apparatus includes a locking portion, a flexible pulling portion, a flexible body, and a plurality of barb features extending laterally from the body. The locking portion is configured to receive the pulling portion. The pulling portion is configured to engage and translate relative to the locking portion after the locking portion has received the pulling portion. The flexible body extends from the locking portion to the pulling portion. The flexible body is configured to form a loop when the pulling portion engages the locking portion. The loop is configured to decrease in size in response to pulling of the pulling portion relative to the locking portion. The barb features are configured to engage a tubular region of tissue and thereby form pleats in the tubular region of tissue.

An anastomotic coupler is provided. A ring can include a plurality of receiving portions. A fixation device includes a cartridge. The cartridge includes a plurality of fasteners. The ring is aligned with the cartridge such that the receiving portions are aligned with the fasteners. Upon actuation of the fixation device, the fasteners puncture the tubular structure and are received by the receiving portions such that the tubular structure is coupled with the ring.

Described herein are endoscopic plicators passed transorally into the stomach and used to plicate stomach tissue by engaging tissue from inside of the stomach and drawing it inwardly. In the disclosed embodiments, the tissue is drawn inwardly into a vacuum chamber, causing sections of serosal tissue on the exterior of the stomach to be positioned facing one another. The disclosed plicators allow the opposed sections of tissue to be moved into contact with one another, and preferably deliver sutures, staples or other means for maintaining contact between the tissue sections at least until serosal bonds form between them. Each of these steps may be performed wholly from the inside of the stomach and thus can eliminate the need for any surgical or laparoscopic intervention. After one or more plications is formed, medical devices may be coupled to the plication(s) for retention within the stomach.

Devices and methods for implantation at a native mitral valve having a non-circular annulus and leaflets. One embodiment of the device includes a valve support having a first region configured to be attached to a prosthetic valve with a plurality of prosthetic leaflets and a second region. The device can further include an anchoring member having a longitudinal dimension and including a first portion configured to contact tissue at the non-circular annulus, a second portion configured to be attached to the valve support, and a lateral portion between the first portion and the second portion. The second portion of the anchoring member is attached to the second region of the valve support while in a low-profile configuration in which the anchoring member and the valve support are configured to pass through vasculature of a human. The lateral portion is transverse to the longitudinal dimension. The anchoring member and the valve support are configured to move from the low-profile configuration to an expanded configuration in which the first portion of the anchoring member at least partially adapts to the non-circular annulus of the native mitral valve and the first region of the valve support is spaced inwardly from the first portion of the anchoring member relative to the longitudinal dimension of the anchoring member such that a shape of the first region of the valve support is at least partially independent of a shape of the first portion of the anchoring member.

The present invention relates to circular anastomosis stapler and kits comprising reinforcing buttress materials and fixation tools that are slidably installed on the anvil shaft of such staplers which provides a temporary mechanical fixation of a reinforcing buttress to the anvil surface of a circular stapler during the insertion of the anvil into the tubular tissue. When the anvil, loaded with the buttress, is in the desired location, the fixation tool is pulled back along the anvil shaft and removed. The shaft is then connected to the stapling head and the stapling is performed. The present invention also relates to methods for using the kits and devices therein.

An apparatus includes a handle portion, an end effector, an anvil, a knob, and a monolithic closure rod. The monolithic closure rod includes a proximal shank portion, a distal trocar portion, and a band portion. The proximal shank portion is located within the handle portion and is configured to linearly actuate in response to rotation of the knob. The distal trocar portion is configured to selectively couple with the anvil in order to actuate the anvil relative to the end effector. The band portion extends between the proximal shank portion and the distal trocar portion and provides a reduced cross-sectional area. The monolithic closure rod consists of a single homogenous continuum of material extending along the lengths of the proximal shank portion, the band portion, and the distal trocar portion.

An apparatus includes a body assembly, an end effector, and a firing assembly. The body includes a handle portion and a shaft portion. The end effector includes a staple driver. The firing assembly includes a driver actuator and a trigger. The driver actuator is configured to actuate the staple driver. The driver actuator is slidably housed within the shaft portion. The trigger includes a lever and an integral spring member. The lever is pivotally coupled to the handle portion via a pivot boss of the handle portion. The trigger is configured to pivot between a first position and a second position to slide the driver actuator within the shaft portion, to thereby actuate the staple driver. The integral spring member is at least partially housed within a spring channel of the handle portion and is configured to resiliently bias the trigger toward the first position.

A tool assembly includes a cartridge assembly, a shell, and an anvil assembly. The shell houses the cartridge assembly and defines a passage. The shell includes alignment splines that are disposed within the passage and define channels between adjacent alignment splines. The anvil assembly includes an anvil and a center rod that extends from the anvil. The center rod defines a longitudinal axis and includes a first spline and second splines. The first spline includes a first leading facet that is configured to engage the alignment splines to clock the anvil assembly relative to the cartridge assembly. The second splines are radially spaced apart about the longitudinal axis. Each of the second splines includes a leading end that defines a plane that is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The leading end is configured to crash with the alignments spines when the anvil assembly is misaligned with the cartridge assembly.

A surgical stapler 101 comprises a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is proximate to the user in use and the distal end is distal from the user in use and an anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 at the distal end for providing resistance to staples during the stapling operation of the surgical stapler. The anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 is configured to be actuated between a deployed state and a collapsed state. The anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 comprises a plurality of segments 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730, 830, 930 arranged end-to-end. The anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 is elongated in the collapsed state, the anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 being elongated generally in a first direction D.sub.1. When viewed along the first direction D.sub.1 the area covered by the anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 is greater in the deployed state than the collapsed state. The anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 is configured such that the segments 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730, 830, 930 rotate about a rotation axis along a second direction D.sub.2 perpendicular to the first direction D.sub.1 when the anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 is actuated between the deployed and the collapsed states. The anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 is configured such that adjacent segments 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730, 830, 930 pivot relative to each other about a pivot axis along a third direction D.sub.3 perpendicular to the second direction D.sub.2 when the anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 is actuated between the deployed and collapsed states. The stapler 101 also comprises an actuator mechanism 470, 770, 1070, configured to actuate the anvil 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 720, 820, 920, 1020, 1120, 1220, 1320 between the deployed and collapsed states, wherein the actuator mechanism 470, 770, 1070 is configured to be controlled from a location on the surgical stapler towards the proximal end.