Medical clip applying device

• US 20070049950A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microline PENTAX, Inc. (Hoya Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microline PENTAX, Inc. (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Aliski, Peter, Menn, Pavel, Mazejka, Brian, Theroux, Marc, Manetakis, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US11/210,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1222 Packages or dispensers therefor clip magazines incorporated in a clip-applying instrument A61B17/128; for surgical articles A61B50/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/128 for applying or removing clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00128 related to intensity or progress of surgical action
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00464 for use with different instruments with hole for different instruments A61B2017/22072
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2919 details of linkages or pivot points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2925 Pistol grips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2933 camming or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument

Abstract

A medical clip applying device for crimping a clip. The device has a body assembly having a handle and a squeezable trigger, a barrel having a first end extending into the body assembly, a pair of jaws arranged on a second end of the barrel, the jaws actuable by squeezing action of the trigger, the second end of the barrel and the pair of jaws configured to be inserted into a body cavity, and a loading port in communication with the barrel. The barrel is configured to alternatively accept the insertion, through the loading port, of (a) a first cartridge type containing a plurality of clips of a first size or (b) a second cartridge type containing a plurality of clips of a second size, the first size being different from the second size.

Claims

1. A medical clip applying device for crimping a clip onto tissue, comprising:

a body assembly having a handle and a squeezable trigger;

a barrel having a first end extending into said body assembly;

a pair of jaws arranged on a second end of said barrel, said jaws being actuable by squeezing action of said trigger, said second end of said barrel and said pair of jaws configured to be inserted into a body cavity; and

a loading port in communication with said barrel;

wherein said barrel is configured to selectively receive, through said loading port;

a) a first cartridge type containing a plurality of clips of a first size; and

b) a second cartridge type containing a plurality of clips of a second size, the first size being different from the second size.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said pair of jaws is configured to accept a clip of the plurality of clips of the first size by opening to a first jaw gap, and wherein said pair of jaws is further configured to accept a clip of the plurality of clips of the second size by opening to a second jaw gap.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a displaceable cinch actuable by said trigger and arranged to slide, in a generally longitudinal axial direction in relation to said barrel, onto and back from said pair of jaws to squeeze said jaws closed and open said jaws, respectively; and

a displaceable feeder actuable by said trigger and arranged to slide in the axial direction, to retrieve the clip of the first size or a clip of the second size respectively from the first cartridge type or the second cartridge type, and to insert the clip of the first size or the clip of the second size into said pair of jaws.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein:

said barrel further comprises;

a first bearing rigidly connected to said feeder; and

a second bearing rigidly connected to said cinch, and

said trigger is operatively connected to said first and said second bearings to respectively actuate said feeder and said cinch.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein:

a first distance between the first bearing and the second bearing in the axial direction when said trigger is at an unsqueezed position is determined by insertion of the first cartridge type in said barrel; and

a second distance between the first bearing and the second bearing in the axial direction when said trigger is at an unsqueezed position is determined by insertion of the second cartridge type in said barrel, the first distance and the second distance being different from each other.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein:

said barrel further comprises a stop key configured to stop movement in the axial direction of at least one of the first bearing or the second bearing by contacting the at least one of the first bearing of the second bearing, when said trigger is at the unsqueezed position;

said stop key is configured to enter a stop keyhole one of the first cartridge type or the second cartridge type when the one of the first cartridge type or the second cartridge type is inserted into said barrel; and

said stop key is blocked from entering the other of the first cartridge type or the second cartridge type when the other of the first cartridge type or the second cartridge type is inserted into said barrel.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said stop key is located between said first bearing and said second bearing.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein said stop key is configured to pivotably enter the stop keyhole one of the first cartridge type or the second cartridge type when the one of the first cartridge type or the second cartridge type is inserted into said barrel.

9. The device according to claim 3, wherein the position in the axial direction of at least one of said cinch or said feeder is determined by the presence of one of said first cartridge type or said second cartridge type, when said trigger is at an unsqueezed position.

10. The device according to claim 4, wherein said loading port is located at a distal end of said body assembly.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first cartridge type has a first width and the second cartridge type has a second width, the first width being different from the second width.

12. A cartridge for insertion into a clip applier, the clip applier having a displaceable cinch actuable by a clip applier trigger and arranged to slide, in a generally axial direction in relation to a longitudinal axis of the clip applier, onto and back from a pair of jaws to squeeze the jaws closed and open the jaws, respectively, the clip applier further having a displaceable feeder actuable by the trigger and arranged to slide in the axial direction, to retrieve a clip from the cartridge and insert the clip into the pair of jaws, the cartridge comprising a stop keyhole configured to accept a stop key therein when the cartridge is inserted into the clip applier, wherein a position in the axial direction of at least one of the cinch or the feeder is determined by the presence of the stop keyhole, when the trigger is at an unsqueezed position.

13. The cartridge according to claim 12, further comprising a safety keyhole configured to accept a safety key therein when the cartridge is inserted into the clip applier, wherein removal of the cartridge from the clip applier is prevented by the engagement of the safety key with the safety keyhole unless the trigger is at a generally squeezed position.

14. A cartridge for use with a medical clip applying device, the device having a body assembly having a handle and a squeezable trigger, a barrel having a first end extending into the body assembly, a pair of jaws arranged on a second end of the barrel and configured to crimp a clip, the jaws being actuable by squeezing action of the trigger, and a loading port in communication with the barrel, the cartridge comprising:

a first end configured to be inserted into the loading port;

a channel configured to house a plurality of the clips therein;

a stop keyhole configured to accept the insertion therein of a stop key to determine a gap between the pair of jaws when the handle is at an unsqueezed position.

15. A method of inserting a cartridge into a clip applier, the clip applier having a rod actuable by a clip applier trigger and arranged to slide, in a generally axial direction in relation to a longitudinal axis of the clip applier, the method comprising:

inserting the cartridge into the clip applier; and

adjusting a position in the axial direction of the rod when the trigger is at an unsqueezed position.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the rod is operably connected to at least one of:

a displaceable cinch arranged to slide, in the axial direction, onto and back from a pair of jaws to squeeze the jaws closed and to open the jaws, respectively;

or

a displaceable feeder actuable by the trigger and arranged to slide in the axial direction, to retrieve a clip from the cartridge and insert the clip into the pair of jaws.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising squeezing the trigger before said inserting the cartridge.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein:

the cartridge is one of a first cartridge containing a plurality of clips of a first size or a second cartridge type containing a plurality of clips of a second size, the first size being different from the second size;

inserting of the first cartridge into the clip applier results in the position in the axial direction of at least one of the cinch or the feeder being at a first location, when the trigger is at the unsqueezed position;

inserting of the second cartridge into the clip applier results in the position in the axial direction of at least one of the cinch or the feeder being at a second location, when the trigger is at the unsqueezed position, the first location being different from the second location.