end actuator for use in connection with a surgical instrument and end actuator for attachment to a surgical instrument

摘要

patent summary: "end actuator for use in connection with a surgical instrument and end actuator for attachment to a surgical instrument". The present invention relates to surgical staple cartridges (900, 900 ', 940) and end actuators (990) for surgical stapling instruments (10). In various embodiments, a cartridge support member 960 is coupled to a portion of an implantable staple cartridge body. the cartridge support member (960) is configured to be removably coupled to an elongate channel portion (14) of a surgical instrument (10). when the stapling process is complete, the implantable cartridge body (902,942) remains stapled to the tissue and is separated from the cartridge support member (960) which remains affixed to the elongate channel (14) to give the surgeon an indication that There is no cartridge present in the elongated channel (14). In other embodiments, a locking locking arrangement is provided to prevent advancing of a locking element to a full firing position when no staple cartridge is present in the end actuator (990).