Instrument for placing surgical clips

• US 20020099388A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aesculap AG (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Aesculap AG (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Mayenberger, Rupert
• Granted Patent: US 6,837,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery

Abstract

An instrument for placing U-shaped surgical clips comprising a magazine that has a distal and a proximal end in which several clips are arranged one behind the other in a guide that can be pushed in longitudinal direction. On the lower side of the magazine, a feeding plate which by means of flexible lugs is in contact with the back sides of the clips and can be pushed forwards and backwards by means of a pushing device over at least a distance between one clip and the next clip parallel to the guide of the magazine is provided. The movement of pushing forward shifts all the clips in the direction of the distal end of the magazine. When the feeding plate is pushed forwards, the pushing device contacts said feeding plate at a point which is at a distance of at least half a length of the feeding plate away from the proximal end of the feeding plate.

Claims

1. Instrument for placing U-shaped surgical clips comprising a magazine that has a distal and a proximal end in which several clips are arranged one behind the other in a guide and that can be pushed in longitudinal direction, and, on the lower side of the magazine, a feeding plate which by means of flexible lugs is in contact with the back sides of the clips and can be pushed forwards and backwards by means of a pushing device over at least a distance between one clip and the next parallel to the guiding groove of the magazine and thereby by this movement of pushing forwards shifts all the clips in the direction of the distal end of the magazine, the pushing device when pushed forwards thereby contacting the feeding plate at a point which is at a distance of at least half a length of the feeding plate away from the proximal end of the feeding plate, wherein the feeding plate in its region that is arranged distally to the contact point of the pushing device has a middle section standing out downwards which runs along at a distance to the clips guided in the magazine, and wherein the feeding plate in its region arranged proximally to the contact point of the pushing device has a middle section standing upwards which is positioned close to the clips guided in the magazine.

2. Placing instrument according to claim 1 wherein the pushing device is a bar that is arranged under the feeding plate and that can be pushed forwards and pulled backwards, said bar having a side projection which when said bar is pushed forwards, comes into contact with an edge of the feeding plate standing out downwards out of the plane of the feeding plate.

3. Placing instrument according to claim 2 wherein the edge is formed by the middle section of the feeding plate, said middle section standing out downwards.

4. Placing instrument according to claim 2 wherein the bar is arranged proximally to the side projection close to the middle section of the feeding plate, and has recesses that form receptive chambers for the flexible lugs of the feeding plate when the bar is pulled back.

5. Placing instrument according to claim 2 wherein the bar has a circular cross section and wherein the side projection and the recesses are formed by ring collars or ring grooves respectively.

6. Placing instrument according to claim 1 wherein the pushing device, when pulled back, contacts a flexible lug of the feeding plate with a side projection.

7. Placing instrument according to claim 6 wherein the flexible lug is arranged at the proximal end of the feeding plate.

8. Placing instrument according to claim 6 wherein side projections on the pushing device are at a shorter distance to one another than corresponding contact points on the feeding plate.

9. Placing instrument according to claim 1 wherein the feeding plate runs parallel to the guiding groove of the clips and can be pushed in longitudinal direction in the magazine.

10. Placing instrument according to claim 1 wherein the clips are held in a detachable frictional connection in the guiding groove of the magazine. Placing instrument according to claim 3 wherein the bar is arranged proximally to the side projection close to the middle section of the feeding plate, and has recesses that form receptive chambers for the flexible lugs of the feeding plate when the bar is pulled back.

11. Placing instrument according to claim 3 wherein the bar has a circular cross section and wherein the side projection and the recesses are formed by ring collars or ring grooves respectively.

12. Placing instrument according to claim 4 wherein the pushing device, when pulled back, contacts a flexible lug of the feeding plate with a side projection.

13. Placing instrument according to claim 2 wherein the feeding plate runs parallel to the guiding groove of the clips and can be pushed in longitudinal direction in the magazine.

14. Placing instrument according to claim 3 wherein the feeding plate runs parallel to the guiding groove of the clips and can be pushed in longitudinal direction in the magazine.

15. Placing instrument according to claim 4 wherein the feeding plate runs parallel to the guiding groove of the clips and can be pushed in longitudinal direction in the magazine.

16. Placing instrument according to claim 6 wherein the feeding plate runs parallel to the guiding groove of the clips and can be pushed in longitudinal direction in the magazine.