U.S. Patent 8083118 was awarded to Tyco Healthcare Group LP on 2011-12-27 and describes a “Surgical stapling apparatus.” This patent has been cited 263 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 stapling device particularly suited for endoscopic procedures is described. The device includes a handle assembly and an elongated body extending distally from the handle assembly. The distal end of the elongated body is adapted to engage a disposable loading unit. A control rod having a proximal end operatively connected to the handle assembly includes a distal end extending through the elongated body. A control rod locking member is provided to prevent movement of the control rod until the disposable loading unit is fully secured to the elongated body of the stapling device. Link: U.S. Patent 8083118

This patent was originally filed on 2009-06-30 which gives it a processing time of 910 days, compared to an average processing time of 1080 in the field. Tyco Healthcare Group LP has 1168 total patents. The first named inventor is Keith L. Milliman of Bethel, MN. The primary examiner was Scott A. Smith.

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