Interchangeable tools for surgical instruments

Abstract

A surgical tool system. Various embodiments of the surgical tool system may comprise surgical instrument that has a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion operably coupled to the handle assembly. An elongated body protrudes from the handle assembly and operably supports a control rod therein that interfaces with the drive system. The surgical tool system further includes at least two surgical tools selected from the group of surgical tools consisting of: manipulators, nippers, scissors, endocutters, tissue thickness measurement devices, staple appliers, clip appliers, syringes for applying glue, sealant, drugs or medicaments and cauterization devices wherein each of the surgical tool within the group of surgical tools at least has a housing that is removably couplable to the elongated body and a drive assembly that is removably couplable to the control rod for receiving the drive motions therefrom.

1 . A surgical tool for use with a surgical instrument having a handle assembly that operably supports a drive system therein for generating drive motions upon actuation of a movable handle portion thereof and an elongated body operably supporting a control rod therein for transferring the drive motions, said surgical tool comprising:
 a housing removably couplable to said elongated body;   a drive assembly operably supported in said housing and removably couplable to said control rod; and   a pair of non-staple forming jaws operably coupled to said drive assembly such that upon application of a said drive motion to said drive assembly in a first direction causes said pair of non-staple forming jaws to each simultaneously move in a closing direction toward each other and upon application of another said drive motion in a second direction, said non-staple forming jaws each simultaneously move in an opening direction away from each other.   
     
     
         2 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A surgical system, comprising:
 a surgical instrument, comprising:
 a surgical instrument housing; 
 an elongate shaft operably interfacing with said surgical instrument housing, wherein said elongate shaft defines a longitudinal axis; and 
 a drive system configured to generate drive motions, and wherein said surgical system further comprises: 
   a first interchangeable surgical fastening device configured for use with said surgical instrument, wherein said first interchangeable surgical fastening device comprises:
 a first housing assembly, comprising:
 a first proximal housing portion configured to be removably coupled to said elongate shaft; and 
 a first fastener housing extending from said first proximal housing portion, wherein said first fastener housing operably supports a plurality of first surgical fasteners therein, and wherein said first interchangeable surgical fastening device further comprises: 
 
 a first fastener driver configured to receive said drive motions from said drive system when said first proximal housing portion is operably coupled to said elongate shaft and drive said first surgical fasteners out of said first fastener housing in a first direction that is parallel to said longitudinal axis, and wherein said surgical system further comprises: 
   a second interchangeable surgical fastening device configured for use with said surgical instrument, wherein said second interchangeable surgical fastening device comprises:
 a second housing assembly comprising a second proximal housing portion configured to be removably coupled to said elongate shaft; 
 a surgical fastener cartridge supported adjacent said second proximal housing portion, wherein said surgical fastener cartridge operably supports a plurality of second surgical fasteners therein; and 
 a second axial drive assembly configured to receive said drive motions from said drive system when said second proximal housing portion is coupled to said elongate shaft and drive said second surgical fasteners out of said surgical fastener cartridge in a second direction that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis. 
   
     
     
         24 . The surgical system of  claim 23 , wherein said first surgical fasteners are supported in at least one column of said first surgical fasteners within said first fastener housing. 
     
     
         25 . The surgical system of  claim 24 , wherein said first fastener driver is configured to drive said first surgical fastener one at a time out of said first fastener housing. 
     
     
         26 . The surgical system of  claim 25 , wherein said first surgical fasteners are supported in at least two columns within said first fastener housing. 
     
     
         27 . The surgical system of  claim 26 , wherein said first fastener driver is configured to drive a bottom-most one said first surgical fasteners in a distal-most one of said at least two columns of said first fasteners. 
     
     
         28 . The surgical system of  claim 27 , wherein said distal-most one of said at least two columns of said first surgical fasteners is positioned in a firing location, and wherein when a last one of said first surgical fasteners in said distal-most one of said at least two columns of said first surgical fasteners has been driven out of said first fastener housing, an adjacent one of said at least two columns of said first surgical fasteners is biased into said firing location by a first biasing member. 
     
     
         29 . The surgical system of  claim 28 , wherein said first interchangeable surgical fastening device further comprises a second biasing member to serially bias each said first surgical fastener in said distal-most column of said at least two columns of first surgical fasteners into engagement with said first fastener driver. 
     
     
         30 . The surgical system of  claim 25 , wherein said second axial drive assembly is configured to drive at least two of said second surgical fasteners out of said surgical fastener cartridge simultaneously. 
     
     
         31 . The surgical system of  claim 23 , wherein said second axial drive assembly comprises a tissue cutting feature. 
     
     
         32 . The surgical system of  claim 23 , wherein said second interchangeable surgical fastening device comprises:
 a carrier coupled to said second housing assembly, wherein said carrier is configured to operably support said surgical fastener cartridge therein; and   an anvil that is movably supported on said carrier for selective movement relative thereto between an open position and a closed position.   
     
     
         33 . The surgical system of  claim 32 , wherein said second axial drive assembly is configured to apply closure motions to said anvil. 
     
     
         34 . The surgical system of  claim 23 , wherein said first proximal housing portion comprises a first bayonet coupling configured for removable attachment to a distal end of said elongate shaft, and wherein said second proximal housing portion comprises a second bayonet coupling configuration configured for removable attachment to said distal end of said elongate shaft. 
     
     
         35 . A collection of surgical tools configured for interchangeable use with a surgical instrument including an elongate shaft that defines a longitudinal axis and a drive system configured to generate drive motions, and wherein said collection of surgical tools comprises:
 a first interchangeable surgical stapling tool, comprising:
 a first proximal housing portion configured to be removably coupled to the elongate shaft of the surgical instrument; and 
 a first stapler housing extending from said first proximal housing portion, wherein said first stapler housing operably supports a plurality of first surgical staples therein, and wherein said first interchangeable surgical stapling tool further comprises: 
 a first staple driver configured to receive the drive motions from the drive system of the surgical instrument when said first proximal housing portion is operably coupled to the elongate shaft and drive said first surgical staples out of said first stapler housing in a first direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein said collection surgical tools further comprises: 
   a disposable loading unit, comprising:
 a disposable loading unit housing comprising a second proximal housing portion configured to be removably coupled to the elongate shaft; 
 a surgical staple cartridge supported adjacent said disposable loading unit housing, wherein said surgical staple cartridge operably supports a plurality of second surgical staples therein; and 
 a disposable loading unit axial drive assembly configured to receive the drive motions from the drive system when said second proximal housing portion is coupled to the elongate shaft and drive said second surgical staples out of said surgical fastener cartridge in a second direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
   
     
     
         36 . The collection of surgical tools of  claim 35 , wherein said first surgical staples are supported in at least one column of said first surgical staples within said first stapler housing. 
     
     
         37 . The collection of surgical tools of  claim 36 , wherein said first staple driver is configured to drive said first surgical staples one at a time out of said first stapler housing. 
     
     
         38 . The collection of surgical tools of  claim 36 , wherein said first surgical staples are supported in at least two columns within said first stapler housing. 
     
     
         39 . The collection of surgical tools of  claim 38 , wherein said first staple driver is configured to drive a bottom-most one said first surgical staples in a distal-most one of said at least two columns of said first staples. 
     
     
         40 . The collection of surgical tools of  claim 39 , wherein said distal-most one of said at least two columns of said first surgical staples is positioned in a firing location, and wherein when a last one of said first surgical staples in said distal-most one of said at least two columns of said first surgical staples has been driven out of said first stapler housing, an adjacent one of said at least two columns of said first surgical staples is biased into said firing location by a first biasing member. 
     
     
         41 . The collection of surgical tools of  claim 40 , wherein said first interchangeable surgical stapling device further comprises a second biasing member configured to serially bias each said first surgical staple in said distal-most column of said at least two columns of said first surgical staples into engagement with said first staple driver. 
     
     
         42 . The collection of surgical tools of  claim 35 , wherein said disposable loading unit axial drive assembly is configured to drive at least two of said second surgical staples out of said surgical staple cartridge simultaneously. 
     
     
         43 . The collection of surgical tools of  claim 42 , wherein said disposable loading unit axial drive assembly comprises a tissue cutting feature.