Surgical clamps

• US 20060129170A1
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Research Surgical Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Research Surgical Pty Limited
• Inventors: Berry, David, Kerr, Michael, Hamilton, Brett, Royce, Alistair
• Granted Patent: US 7,329,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206

Abstract

An arterial clamp has opposed clamping posts arranged to lie at opposite sides of an artery to clamp the artery between opposed clamping faces of the posts. The posts are carried by a pair of arms pivotally movable one relative to the other to move the posts into clamping relationship with the artery. A ratchet device releasably locks the arms in a selected clamping position. The clamp including posts, arms, and ratchet device is formed as a one-piece plastics moulding.

Claims

1. A clamp for surgical use comprising opposed clamping members pivotally movable one relative to the other between an open condition and a closed clamping condition, and a ratchet device operative during closing movement to retain the clamping members in a selected, closed, clamping condition.

2. A clamp according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet device comprises a series of ratchet teeth in an arcuate array centred on the axis of pivotal movement of the clamping members, and a ratchet tooth movable with one of said clamping members uponpivotal movement of that clamping member relative to the other clamping member to move along the array of ratchet teeth to be retained thereby in a selected clamping position.

3. A clamp according to claim 2, having a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at adjacent ends for pivotal movement between an open configuration in which the arms define a V-shaped configuration and a closed configuration in which the arms are approximately parallel, one of the arms having at its end remote from the pivot the ratchet tooth and the other arm having on its end remote from the pivot a limb formed with said array of ratchet teeth with which the ratchet tooth engages upon closure of the two arms, each of the clamping members being carried by a respective one of the two arms.

4. A clamp according to claim 3, wherein the clamping members are of post-like form extending in a plane directed transversely to a plane containing the arms of the clamp.

5. A clamp according to claim 4, wherein clamping faces of the opposed clamping members are inclined one relative to the other so as to converge in a direction towards tip portions of the clamping members.

6. A clamp according to claim 5, wherein the clamping faces are each inclined to the perpendicular by an angle of approximately 4°

to 6°

so as to converge at an included angle of approximately 8°

to 12°

.

7. A clamp according to claim 1, wherein the clamp is formed as a one-piece plastics moulding with the pivot being formed by a hinge consisting of a flexible web of plastics material interconnecting the adjacent ends of the two arms.

8. An arterial clamp comprising opposed clamping posts arranged to lie at opposite sides of an artery to clamp the artery between opposed clamping faces of the posts, the posts being movable into clamping relationship with the artery by arcuate movement of one post relative to the other about a hinge zone, and a device for releasably locking the clamping posts in a selected clamping position, the clamp being formed as a one-piece plastics moulding.

9. A clamp according to claim 8, wherein the clamping faces of the clamping posts converge in a direction towards distal ends of the posts.

10. A clamp according to claim 8, wherein the clamping faces are of substantially planar form.

11. A clamp according to claim 8, wherein the clamping posts are each of a tapered shape, narrowing towards its distal end.

12. A clamp according to claim 8 having a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at the hinge zone, with each of said arms carrying a respective one of the posts.

13. A clamp according to claim 12, wherein the device for retaining the clamping posts in the selected clamping position is a ratchet device having interengagable ratchet teeth formed on the respective arms, the teeth being disengagable to release the clamp by flexing movement permitted by the inherent flexibility of the plastics material from which the clamp is formed.

14. A clamp according to claim 12, wherein the arms are formed with projections to facilitate retention by forceps.

15. A clamp according to claim 12, wherein the arms are provided with holes to receive the tips of forceps.

16. An arterial clamp comprising opposed clamping posts arranged to lie at opposite sides of an artery to clamp the artery between opposed clamping faces of the posts, the posts being carried by a pair of arms pivotally movable one relative to the other to move the posts into clamping relationship with the artery, and a ratchet device for releasably locking the arms in a selected clamping position, the clamp including posts, arms, and ratchet device being formed as a plastics moulding.