Endoscopic surgical clip applier including counter assembly

• US 10,639,032 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Baril, Jacob C., Dinino, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stransky, Katrina M
• Application Number:
  US15/965,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20190000449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00407 Ratchet means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/92 coded with colour

Abstract

A counter assembly includes a first housing half, a second housing half, a stationary post, a counting wheel, an actuation wheel, and an actuator. The stationary post is positioned within the first housing half and includes a plurality of locking teeth. The counting wheel includes indicia. The actuation wheel includes a plurality of actuation features and a plurality of inner fingers configured to selectively engage with the plurality of locking teeth of the stationary post. The engagement of the plurality of inner fingers and the plurality of locking teeth prohibit multidirectional rotation of the counting wheel. The actuator includes a protrusion projecting therefrom. The actuator is positioned to translate between a proximal position and a distal position. The protrusion of the actuator engages the plurality of actuation features to rotate the counting wheel to adjust the indicia thereof when the actuator transitions from the proximal position and the distal position.

Claims

1. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a handle assembly;

an elongated tubular member extending distally from the handle assembly;

a rack bar translatably supported in the handle assembly;

a counter assembly supported in the handle assembly, the counter assembly including;

a housing including a first housing half and a second housing half;

a stationary post positioned within the first housing half and including a plurality of locking teeth;

a counting wheel positioned to rotate within the housing, the counting wheel including indicia visible through the handle assembly;

an actuation wheel including a plurality of actuation features and a plurality of inner fingers configured to selectively engage with the plurality of locking teeth of the stationary post, wherein the engagement of the plurality of inner fingers of the actuation wheel and the plurality of locking teeth of the stationary post prohibit multidirectional rotation of the counting wheel; and

an actuator supported on the rack bar for translation therewith, the actuator including a protrusion projecting therefrom, the actuator positioned to translate between a proximal position and a distal position, wherein transitioning between the proximal position and the distal position, the protrusion of the actuator engages the plurality of actuation features to rotate the counting wheel to adjust the indicia of the counting wheel.

2. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the first housing half defines a linear channel and includes at least one translation pin positioned within the linear channel.

3. The surgical clip applier of claim 2, wherein the actuator is configured to translate within the linear channel of the first housing half and defines at least one channel configured to receive the at least one translation pin.

4. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the first housing half further defines a first recess and a second recess, wherein the first recess is configured to receive the actuation wheel and the counting wheel and the second recess is configured to receive a first side of the actuation wheel.

5. The surgical clip applier of claim 4, wherein the stationary post is concentrically positioned within the first housing half in relation to the first recess and the second recess.

6. The surgical clip applier of claim 4, wherein the second recess of the first housing half prevents disconnection between the plurality of inner fingers of the actuation wheel and the plurality of locking teeth of the stationary post.

7. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the second housing half defines an aperture configured to receive the counting wheel.

8. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the actuation wheel includes a plurality of protrusions and the counting wheel defines a plurality of grooves, wherein the plurality of grooves is configured to receive the plurality of protrusions such that the actuation wheel and the counting wheel are coupled together.

9. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein each inner finger of the plurality of inner fingers is resilient and flexible, and extends in a substantially tangential direction to an inner surface of the actuation wheel.

10. The surgical clip applier of claim 9, wherein the substantially tangential direction of each inner finger of the plurality of inner fingers prohibits multidirectional rotation of the counting wheel.

11. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein each actuation feature of the plurality actuation features is resilient and flexible, and extends in a substantially tangential direction to an outer surface of the actuation wheel.

12. The surgical clip applier of claim 11, wherein the plurality of actuation features is configured to flex away from the actuator when the actuator is translating from the distal position to the proximal position.

13. The surgical clip applier of claim 11, wherein the plurality of actuation features is configured to flex away from the actuator when the actuator is translating from the proximal position to the distal position.

14. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, further including a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the elongated tubular member, wherein the indicia of the counting wheel indicate a remaining number of the plurality of surgical clips.

15. The surgical clip applier of claim 14, wherein a number of actuation features of the plurality of actuation features is equal to an initial number of surgical clips of the plurality of surgical clips.

16. The surgical clip applier of claim 14, wherein the indicia include a plurality of numbers to indicate the remaining number of surgical clips of the plurality of surgical clips.

17. The surgical clip applier of claim 14, wherein the indicia include a color to indicate the remaining number of surgical clips of the plurality of surgical clips.

18. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a window therethrough which the indicia of the counting wheel are visible during the use of the surgical clip applier.