Importance

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Abstract

Apparatus for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue which includes a body having a proximal portion defining a central longitudinal axis and an articulating distal portion; a fastener cartridge containing at least one surgical fastener therein and positionable in the articulating distal portion; an anvil mounted adjacent the fastener cartridge and defining a fastener forming surface against which surgical fasteners are formed when ejected from the fastener cartridge; a fastener driving mechanism operatively associated with the fastener cartridge and actuatable from the handle to eject the at least one fastener from the fastener cartridge; a link member having a distal portion offset from the body central longitudinal axis and pivotably connected to the articulating distal portion at a point spaced from the body central longitudinal axis, the link member being movable between a proximal-most position to move the distal portion to an articulated condition away from the central longitudinal axis on a first side of the body and a distal-most position to move the distal portion to an articulated condition away from the central longitudinal axis on a second side of the body; and a control lever connected to the link member and pivotable about a point located along the body central longitudinal axis between a first position corresponding to the proximal-most position of the link member and a second position corresponding to the distal-most position of the link member.

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First Claim