INTEGRATED TISSUE POSITIONING AND JAW ALIGNMENT FEATURES FOR SURGICAL STAPLER

FIELD: medicine.SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to medical equipment, specifically to integrated tissue positioning and jaw alignment features for a surgical stapler. Apparatus for cutting and stapling tissue comprises a body, a shaft in communication with the body, and an end effector. End effector is in communication with the shaft. End effector is operable to drive series-arranged staples through tissue and comprises an anvil, a cartridge and a pair of protrusions. Anvil is operable to rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the cartridge. Cartridge is positioned to drive staples upwardly toward the anvil. Pair of protrusions is a first protrusion and a second protrusion and is configured to prevent lateral swing of the anvil when the anvil is rotated relative to the cartridge. Pair of protrusions is directed either towards the anvil or the cartridge and located in the distal region of the end effector. First protrusion is located at a first longitudinal distance from the axis of rotation, and the second protrusion is located at a second longitudinal distance from the axis of rotation. First longitudinal distance is equal to the second longitudinal distance. In the second embodiment, the device for cutting and stapling tissue comprises a body, an end effector and a lateral stabilising element. End effector is in communication with the body and comprises an anvil and a cartridge. Anvil is configured to rotate towards and away from the cartridge, and the anvil and the cartridge are configured to clamp tissue. Lateral stabilising element comprises a first contact element and a second contact element that are laterally spaced apart from each other. First contact element and second contact element are located generally in the longitudinal direction of the end effector. Lateral stabilising element is located between the anvil and the cartridge and is configured to maintain parallel alignment between the centre plane of the anvil and the centre plane of the cartridge when the anvil rotates towards the cartridge, wherein at least part of the lateral stabilising element is located at the distal end of the end effector. In the third embodiment, the apparatus for cutting and stapling tissue includes a body, an end effector and an alignment element. End effector is in communication with the body and comprises an anvil and a cartridge. Anvil is configured to rotate towards and away from the cartridge, and the cartridge comprises lateral protrusions, conf