Closing assemblies for clamping device

• US 20060111735A1
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Crainich
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Crainich
• Inventors: Crainich, Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 7,641,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12 for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels, umbilical cord specially adapted for vas deferens or fallopian tubes A61F6/20; materials for ligaturing blood vessels A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2808 Clamp, e.g. towel clamp
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2926 Details of heads or jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2944 Translation of jaw members

Abstract

A closing assembly for a clamping device having first and second jaw members includes a closing mechanism connected between the first and second jaw members, the jaws extending distally from the closing mechanism; and a member for applying a separating force to the first and second jaw members proximally of the closing mechanism, whereby the first and second jaw members can be maintained substantially parallel during closing. The clamp has a very strong clamping force.

Claims

1. A closing assembly for a clamping device having first and second jaw members, comprising:

a closing mechanism connected between the first and second jaw members, the jaws extending distally from the closing mechanism; and

means for applying a separating force to the first and second jaw members proximally of the closing mechanism, whereby the first and second jaw members can be maintained substantially parallel during closing.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the closing mechanism comprises a rotatable member rotatably mounted relative to one jaw of the first and second jaw members, and a link member movably connected between the other jaw of the first and second jaw members and the rotatable member, whereby rotation of the rotatable member moves the first and second jaw members between an open and a closed position.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the rotatable member comprises a disk, and wherein the disk is mounted to the one jaw at a non-centric point relative to the disk, and wherein the link member is also mounted to the disk at another non-centric point relative to the disk.

4. The assembly of claim 3, further comprising a drive member for rotating the disk relative to the first and second jaw members.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the drive member comprises a flexible member passing around the disk for pulley-like rotation of the disk responsive to movement of the flexible member.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for applying a separating force comprises a spring member positioned between the first and second jaw member and exerting the separating force against the first and second jaw members.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the spring member is a coiled spring.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the spring member is a leaf spring.

9. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the means for applying a separating force comprises a proximal rotatable member rotatably mounted relative to one jaw of the first and second jaw members, and a link member movably connected between the other jaw of the first and second jaw members and the rotatable member, whereby rotation of the rotatable member applies and removes the separating force.

10. The assembly of claim 9, further comprising a link member rotatably connected to the rotatable member and the proximal rotatable member whereby rotation of one member of the rotatable member and the proximal rotatable member rotates the other member of the rotatable member and the proximal rotatable member.

11. The assembly of claim 10, further comprising a drive member for rotating one of the rotatable member and the proximal rotatable member.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second jaw members define a surgical clamp.

13. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the disk has at least one cable passage.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the disk has two substantially lateral cable passages.

15. The assembly of claim 14, further comprising a cable passing through the cable passages.

16. The assembly of claim 15, further comprising an inset central portion defined between the cable passages, and wherein the cable extends from one passage along the inset central portion to the other passage.

17. A closing assembly for a clamping device having first and second jaw members, comprising:

same as claim 1, but clamp “

means”

to “

a spring member.”

18. A closing assembly for a clamping device having first and second jaw members, comprising:

at least two spaced closing mechanisms connected between the first and second jaw members and spaced along an axis of the jaw members, wherein the closing mechanisms can be operated to close the jaw members at a desired orientation of one relative to the other.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the at least two spaced closing mechanisms are independently driven.