1. An instrument for firing a plurality of fasteners loaded therein into a surgical mesh overlying a target tissue site, the instrument comprising:
a handle assembly having a trigger mechanism;
an elongate endoscopic distal portion supported on and extending from the handle assembly, the endoscopic distal portion configured to retain the plurality of fasteners therein, the endoscopic distal portion defining a distal tip through which each fastener exits; and
a mesh securing feature projecting distally from the distal tip of the endoscopic distal portion, wherein the mesh securing feature is a crenellated tip such that the mesh securing feature increases friction between the distal tip of the endoscopic distal portion and the surgical mesh during a firing of the instrument.
2. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the instrument includes a drivertorque subassembly disposed within the endoscopic distal portion and being movable relative to the endoscopic distal portion.
3. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the endoscopic distal portion includes an outer tube.
4. The instrument according to claim 2, wherein the drivertorque sub-assembly defines two flexible tabs in a distal end of the drivetorque subassembly.
5. The instrument according to claim 3, wherein the outer tube is biased to a distally advanced position.
6. The instrument according to claim 5, further comprising a pilot disposed within the outer tube, the pilot having a tapered surface on its distal end.
7. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the endoscopic distal portion includes a fastener retainer dimensioned to receive the plurality of fasteners.
8. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the crenellated tip includes crenellations that engage the surgical mesh to limit movement of the surgical mesh while at least one of the plurality of fasteners is fired through the surgical mesh and into the target tissue site.
9. An instrument for firing a plurality of fasteners loaded therein into a surgical mesh overlying a target tissue site, the instrument comprising:
a handle assembly having a trigger mechanism;
an elongate endoscopic distal portion supported on and extending from the handle assembly, the endoscopic distal portion configured to retain the plurality of fasteners therein, the endoscopic distal portion defining a distal tip through which each fastener exits, the endoscopic distal portion including a mesh securing feature projecting distally from the distal tip thereof, wherein the mesh securing feature is a crenellated tip such that the mesh securing feature increases friction between the distal tip of the endoscopic distal portion and the surgical mesh during a firing of the instrument; and
a plurality of fasteners loaded in the endoscopic distal portion.
10. The instrument according to claim 9, wherein the instrument includes a drivertorque subassembly disposed within the endoscopic distal portion and being movable relative to the endoscopic distal portion.
11. The instrument according to claim 9, wherein the endoscopic distal portion includes an outer tube.
12. The instrument according to claim 10, wherein the drivertorque sub-assembly defines two flexible tabs in a distal end of the drivetorque subassembly.
13. The instrument according to claim 11, wherein the outer tube is biased to a distally advanced position.
14. The instrument according to claim 13, further comprising a pilot disposed within the outer tube, the pilot having a tapered surface on its distal end.
15. The instrument according to claim 9, wherein the endoscopic distal portion includes a fastener retainer dimensioned to receive the plurality of fasteners.
16. The instrument of claim 9, wherein the crenellated tip includes crenellations that engage the surgical mesh to limit movement of the surgical mesh while at least one of the plurality of fasteners is fired through the surgical mesh and into the target tissue site.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-16. (canceled)
17. An information recording medium comprising an information layer on a substrate, wherein said information layer has a metal layer, which is characterized in that:
(1) said information layer has a concavo-convex portion formed on said substrate,
(2) said metal layer essentially consists of Al, Si, and M (wherein M is at least one element selected from a group consisting of Cr and Ni),
optical property of the metal layer can be changed by irradiating said metal layer with laser beam, to form an added mark, whereby reproducible information can be recorded by laser-beam irradiation, and
an Al atom content is 20 atomic % or more and 94 atomic % or less and an Si atom content is 3 atomic % or more and 77 atomic % or less and an M atom content is 3 atomic % or more and 77 atomic % or less assuming that a total number of Al atoms, Si atoms and M atoms contained in said metal layer is 100 atomic %.
18. The information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the Al atom content is 60 atomic % or more and 94 atomic % or less and the Si atom content is 3 atomic % or more and 37 atomic % or less and the M atom content is 3 atomic % or more and 37 atomic % or less assuming that a total number of the Al atoms, the Si atoms and the M atoms contained in said metal layer is 100 atomic %.
19. The information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein, assuming that a total number of the Al atoms, the Si atoms and the M atoms contained in said metal layer is 100 atomic %, a composition of the three atoms is within a range enclosed by compositional points (Al 60, Si 3, M 37), (Al 80, Si 3, M 17), (Al 80, Si 10, M 10), (Al 78, Si 12, M 10), and (Al 60, Si 12, M 28) in a ternary composition diagram of which apexes are Al, Si and M.
20. The information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein a reflectance Ra before applying laser beam for recording information in said metal layer of said information recording medium and a reflectance Rb after applying laser beam for recording information in said metal layer, can satisfy 1.0<RbRa<1.1.
21. The information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein a thickness of said metal layer is 3 nm or more and 100 nm or less.
22. An information recording medium comprising n information layers (wherein n is an integer of 2 or more) stacked on said substrate, which is characterized in that at least one of the information layers comprises the metal layer recited in claim 17.
23. The information recording medium according to claim 17, which enables information to be recorded in said metal layer of said information layer with a laser beam having a wavelength of 350 nm or more and 500 nm or less, and enables information recorded in the said metal layer of said information layer to be reproduced with the laser beam having a wavelength of 350 nm or more and 500 nm or less.
24. The information recording medium according to claim 17, which enables information to be recorded only once in said metal layer of said information layer.
25. The information recording medium according to claim 17,
which is a read-only medium wherein concavo-convex portion gives main information that is not rewritable, and
enables sub-information to be additionally recorded in said metal layer.
26. The information recording medium according to claim 17, which is characterized in that a layer of which main component is an oxide(s) of Al, Si andor M (wherein M is at least one element selected from a group consisting of Cr and Ni) is provided on one or both sides of said metal layer.
27. The information recording medium according to claim 17, which is characterized in that a reflectance is 30% or more when being irradiated with laser beam of 405 nm.
28. The information recording medium according to claim 17, of which recording sensitivity is 5 mW or less.
29. A method for producing the information recording medium according to claim 17, comprising a step of forming a metal layer directly on a substrate, or on another layer which is formed on the substrate, which is characterized in that:
the step of forming the metal layer comprises forming the metal layer by a sputtering method, and
a sputtering target used in the step of forming the metal layer comprises Al, Si and M (wherein M is at least one element selected from a group consisting of Cr and Ni).
30. The method for producing the information recording medium according to claim 29, which is characterized in that the metal layer formed on the substrate by the sputtering method is brought into contact with oxygen at ordinary temperature and ordinary pressure, to form an oxide of which main component is one or more oxides of one or more elements selected from Al, Si and M (wherein M is at least one element selected from a group consisting of Cr and Ni), on one or both sides of the metal layer.