U.S. Patent 7735703 was awarded to Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. on 2010-06-15 and describes a “Re-loadable surgical stapling instrument.” This patent has been cited 439 times by other U.S. patents which places it in the top 500 cited patents since 2010 according to our law firm research, and makes it of the most innovative medical technology patents in the field of instruments. The abstract states:

A surgical stapler including an elongate shaft having a first end and a second end. In one various embodiment, an anvil is situated at the second end of the elongate shaft. In one embodiment, a staple cartridge, configured to removably store at least one staple, is movable relative to the anvil. In various embodiments, an actuating mechanism is operably engaged with the staple cartridge through an actuating shaft. In one embodiment, the actuating mechanism is configured to move the staple cartridge relative to the anvil. Link: U.S. Patent 7735703

This patent was originally filed on 2007-06-29 which gives it a processing time of 1082 days, compared to an average processing time of 1226 in the field. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. has 2128 total patents. The first named inventor is Christopher J. Hess of Cincinnati, OH. The primary examiner was Scott A. Smith.

Select Patents monitors top medical technology patents and instruments patents which have been allowed and granted worldwide. If you would like legal advice regarding a patent or would like to file a patent go to https://selectpatents.wpengine.com/contact/