WIRELESS CLIP COUNTER

• US 20110082474A1
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bindra, Manjit Singh, Ramlingam, Prabhu
• Granted Patent: US 8,430,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/143
• 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 2017/00407 Ratchet means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/038 during shipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used

Abstract

An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a housing, at least one handle pivotably connected to the housing, a channel assembly extending distally from the housing, a clip carrier disposed within the channel assembly and defining a channel and a plurality of windows therein, and a plurality of clips slidably disposed within the channel of the clip carrier. The apparatus also includes a counter mechanism supported in at least one of the housing and the channel assembly. The counter mechanism is configured to transmit a change in status of the apparatus upon each actuation of the at least one handle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

at least one handle pivotably connected to the housing;

a channel assembly extending distally from the housing;

a clip carrier disposed within the channel assembly and defining a channel and a plurality of windows therein;

a plurality of clips slidably disposed within the channel of the clip carrier; and

a counter mechanism supported in at least one of the housing and the channel assembly, wherein the counter mechanism is configured to transmit a change in status of the apparatus upon each actuation of the at least one handle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the counter mechanism comprises:

a switch configured to output a signal upon actuation of the at least one handle;

an encoder configured to output a bit sequence upon actuation of the switch;

a radio frequency transmitted operable to convert the bit sequence into a radio frequency signal; and

a transmitting antenna configured to transmit the radio frequency signal.

3. An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the apparatus comprising:

a handle assembly having a trigger;

a shaft assembly including a housing extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis;

a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the shaft assembly;

a jaw mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly, the jaw being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition; and

a counter mechanism supported in the handle assembly, wherein the counter mechanism provides an indication when a surgical clip has been fired upon activation of the trigger.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the counter mechanism comprises:

a switch configured to output a signal upon actuation of the trigger;

an encoder configured to output a bit sequence upon actuation of the switch;

a radio frequency transmitted operable to convert the bit sequence into a radio frequency signal; and

a transmitting antenna configured to transmit the radio frequency signal.

5. A display unit configured to receive a signal from a clip applier, the display unit comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a radio frequency signal from the clip applier;

a decoder configured to decode the radio frequency signal;

a counter configured to provide a count of a number of clips; and

a display driver operable to control a display based on the count provided by the counter.

6. The display unit according to claim 5, wherein the counter is a binary coded decimal counter that provides a binary coded signal to the display driver.

7. The display unit according to claim 5, wherein the display has at least one seven segment light emitting diode.

8. The display unit according to claim 5, further comprising a power on reset switch configured to reset the display when the count reaches a predetermined number.

9. The display unit according to claim 5, wherein the counter decrements the count of the number of clips when the receiver receives a radio frequency signal from the clip applier.

10. The display unit according to claim 5, wherein the counter increments the count of the number of clips when the receiver receives a radio frequency signal from the clip applier.

11. A system for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the system comprising:

an apparatus for applying the surgical clip, the apparatus comprising;

a housing;

at least one handle pivotably connected to the housing;

a channel assembly extending distally from the housing;

a clip carrier disposed within the channel assembly and defining a channel and a plurality of windows therein;

a plurality of clips slidably disposed within the channel of the clip carrier; and

a counter mechanism supported in at least one of the housing and the channel assembly, wherein the counter mechanism is configured to transmit a change in status of the apparatus upon each actuation of the at least one handle; and

a display unit configured receive the change in status of the apparatus upon each actuation of the at least one handle and display a count of the number of clips based on the change in status.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the display unit displays a number of clips remaining in the apparatus.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the display unit displays a number of clips applied by the apparatus.

14. A system for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the system comprising:

an apparatus for applying the surgical clip, the apparatus comprising;

a handle assembly having a trigger;

a shaft assembly including a housing extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis;

a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the shaft assembly;

a jaw mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly, the jaw being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition; and

a counter mechanism supported in the handle assembly, wherein the counter mechanism provides an indication when a surgical clip has been fired upon activation of the trigger; and

a display unit configured receive the change in status of the apparatus upon each actuation of the at least one handle and display a count of the number of clips based on the change in status.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the display unit displays a number of clips remaining in the apparatus.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the display unit displays a number of clips applied by the apparatus.