#$%^&*AU2008207345B220131017.pdf#####ROTARY KNIFE CUTTING SYSTEMS ABSTRACT There are disclosed rotary cutting systems for use with circular surgical stapling devices. The rotary cutting systems (40) generally include a circular knife blade (30) and 5 a mainspring (42) for imparting rotary motion to the circular knife blade (30). A latch mechanism is provided to maintain the knife blade (30) on a linear travel path during a first predetermined distance and to release the circular knife blade (30) for rotation due to the bias of the mainspring (42) along a second predetermine distance. The circular knife blade (30) may be rotated by the mainspring (42) itself or, in an alternative embodiment, io may be driven by frictional engagement with a rotational hammer (112).
