SURGICAL CLAMP AND SURGICAL CLAMP INSTALLATION TOOL

• US 20110190791A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bariatric Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bariatric Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Armenteros, Jesus R., Barker, Garrett, French, C. Kenneth, Jacobs, Moises
• Granted Patent: US 8,529,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00473 Distal part, e.g. tip or head A61B2017/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00818 Treatment of the gastro-intestinal system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic

Abstract

A surgical clamp in certain embodiments may be configured to operate with a surgical installation tool. The clamp may have two elongated members with a bight portion that joins the two elongated members at a proximal end of the clamp and that may bias the two elongated members in an open position at a distal end. The bight portion may have one or more engagement features, such as a slotted aperture or other engagement or coupling feature. A clasp mechanism at the distal end of the clamp may have a male or first component disposed on or adjacent one of the two elongated members and a female or second component disposed on or adjacent the other of the two elongated members at the distal end of the clamp. The installation tool may include an elongated member with a proximal end and a distal end that has an engagement feature to engage the clamp, such as at the bight portion. A handle in one embodiment may be provided at the proximal end of the installation tool, while a head at the distal end may be configured to receive and/or engage the proximal end of the clamp and may also be operable to articulate in at least one plane.

Claims

1. A surgical clamp comprising:

at least two elongated members each having an elongated length, wherein at least one surface of the at least two elongated members has a padding material positioned adjacent at least a portion of the surface;

a bight portion joining said two elongated members at a proximal end of the surgical clamp and biasing said two elongated members in an open position at a distal end of the surgical clamp, wherein said bight portion has at least one engagement feature provided therein; and

a clasp mechanism having a male component disposed on one of the two elongated members at the distal end of the surgical clamp and a female component disposed on the other of the two elongated members at the distal end of the surgical clamp.

2. The surgical clamp of claim 1, wherein the at least two elongated members are attached to elongated members of a spring component that serves as the bight portion.

3. The surgical clamp of claim 2, wherein the spring component includes steel.

4. The surgical clamp of claim 2, wherein the at least two elongated members of the surgical clamp are attached to interior surfaces of the elongated members of the spring component by welding.

5. The surgical clamp of claim 2, wherein the elongated members are comprised of titanium, and a surface of the at least two elongated members of the surgical clamp is curved and contacts at least one of the elongated members of the spring component.

6. The surgical clamp of claim 1, wherein spacing between the interior surfaces of said at least two elongated members includes a partition forming section located nearer the distal end of the surgical clamp than the proximal end of the surgical clamp, and a passage forming section located nearer the proximal end of the surgical clamp than the distal end of the surgical clamp.

7. The surgical clamp of claim 6, wherein the bight portion includes a spring portion that serves at least partially as the passage forming section.

8. The surgical clamp of claim 7, wherein said padding material is connected to at least one of the two elongated members at least at a location on the surface corresponding to at least part of the partition forming section.

9. The surgical clamp of claim 8, wherein the padding material is comprised predominantly of silicone.

10. The surgical clamp of claim 1, wherein the engagement feature comprises a slotted aperture having a width and a length greater than the width.

11. The surgical clamp of claim 10, wherein the length of the slotted aperture is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the surgical clamp.

12. The surgical clamp of claim 1, wherein the male component of the clasp mechanism corresponds to an end of the elongated member that flares away from a longitudinal axis of the surgical clamp when the surgical clamp is placed in a closed position.

13. The surgical clamp of claim 12, wherein the female component of the clasp mechanism corresponds to a loop disposed to engage the end of the elongated member when the surgical clamp is placed in the closed position, and a hinge formation engaging the loop has a detent distally positioned to retain the loop in a plane parallel to a plane in which a longitudinal axis of the clamp predominately lies when the clamp is closed.

14. A surgical clamp installation tool comprising:

an elongated member having a proximal end, and a distal end having an engagement feature;

a handle adjacent the proximal end of the elongated member; and

a head having an aperture through which the engagement feature of the elongated member exits between at least two, spaced apart guide members.

15. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 14, wherein said head is an articulating head that may be moved in at least one plane.

16. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 15, wherein said elongated member is at least partially semi-rigid.

17. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 16, further comprising an elongated sleeve positioned between said handle and said articulating head, wherein said elongated member extends at least partially through said elongated, rigid sleeve.

18. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 17, further comprising one or more guide lines interfaced with said articulating head and a lever disposed adjacent said handle.

19. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 18, wherein said guide lines extend at least partially through said elongated sleeve.

20. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 19, wherein the lever is disposed at least partially inside said handle and exits said handle through an aperture.

21. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 15, wherein said articulating head is configured to articulate in a plane predominantly orthogonal to a gravity vector.

22. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 14, wherein the proximal end of the elongated member is axially engaged with a lever disposed at least one of inside or on said handle.

23. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 22, wherein the lever is disposed at least partially inside said handle and exits said handle though an aperture.

24. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 14, wherein the proximal end of the elongated member is at least one of radially engaged with a lever or latchable upon retraction thereof.

25. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 24, wherein the lever is disposed at least partially inside said handle and exits said handle though an aperture.

26. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 14, wherein said engagement feature includes a t-bar.

27. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 14, wherein said engagement feature is configured to pass through an aperture provided at the end of a surgical clamp, and the engagement feature may be rotated to engage the engagement feature with the surgical clamp.

28. The surgical clamp installation tool of claim 14, wherein said guide members have one or more protrusions aligned with the engagement feature.

29. A surgical clamping system, comprising:

a surgical clamp having two elongated members, a bight portion joining the two elongated members at a proximal end of the surgical clamp and biasing the two elongated members in an open position at a distal end of the surgical clamp, wherein the bight portion has at least one engagement feature formed therein, and a clasp mechanism having a male component disposed on one of the two elongated members adjacent the distal end of the clamp and a female component disposed on the other of the two elongated members adjacent the distal end of the clamp; and

a surgical clamp installation tool having an elongated member with a proximal end and a distal end having an engagement feature adjacent said distal end, a handle positioned adjacent to the proximal end, and a head having an aperture through which the distal end of the elongated member may exit between at least two guide members.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the engagement feature of the surgical clamp is a shaped aperture, and the engagement feature of the surgical clamp installation tool is a corresponding shaped member operable to enter through the shaped aperture, rotate, and retract to engage the bight portion of the clamp between the at least two guide members of the head.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the elongated members of the surgical clamp are at least partially sheathed in silicone.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the two elongated members of the surgical clamp are composed of hardened titanium and attached to interior surfaces of a spring member made of steel that serves as said bight portion.

33. A method for clamping an internal organ, the method comprising:

inserting a surgical clamp through an opening in a body of a living organism,

wherein the surgical clamp includes;

two elongated members having padding material along a majority of their length;

a bight portion joining said two elongated members at a proximal end of the surgical clamp and biasing said two elongated members in an open position at a distal end of the surgical clamp, wherein said bight portion has at least one engagement feature formed therein; and

a clasp mechanism having a male component disposed on one of the two elongated members adjacent the distal end of the clamp and a female component disposed on the other of the two elongated members adjacent the distal end of the clamp;

positioning the two elongated members of the surgical clamp on opposite sides of an internal organ of the living organism; and

closing and latching the surgical clamp to at least partially partition a cavity inside the internal organ, including clamping at least a portion of the exterior of the internal organ with the two elongated members of the surgical clamp.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the internal organ is a human stomach, and closing and latching the clamp includes the following:

installing the clamp in a substantially vertical position to partition the stomach to create at least a partial, vertical stomach pouch to receive food and an excluded portion of the stomach, and wherein the passage forming section of the clamp located towards a bottom of the stomach allows gastric juices from the excluded portion of the stomach to flow into the vertical stomach pouch.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising reversing the surgery by removing the surgical clamp from the stomach.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein inserting the surgical clamp includes performing at least one of the group that includes:

a laparoscopic surgery;

a open conventional surgery;

a single site surgery;

a natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES);

or

a combination of NOTES and an assistant trochar placed into an abdominal cavity.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the combination of NOTES and an assistant trochar includes two or more of a conventional, laparoscopic, NOTES, and one port technique.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the NOTES technique includes at least one of transgastric, transvaginal, transrectal, transcolonic, or combinations thereof.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the one port technique is used for the introduction of several instruments, and encompasses at least one of a one port abdominal, umbilical, perineal, retroperitoneal approaches, or combinations thereof.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the padding material is silicone.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the two elongated members are composed of hardened titanium and attached by welding to interior surfaces of a spring member made of steel, wherein said spring member comprises said bight portion.

42. A method for clamping an internal organ, comprising:

engaging a surgical clamp to a head of a surgical clamp installation tool;

employing the surgical clamp installation tool to insert the surgical clamp through an opening in a body cavity of a living organism;

employing the surgical clamp installation tool to position elongated members of the surgical clamp on opposite sides of an internal organ within the body cavity;

disengaging the surgical clamp from the head of the surgical clamp installation tool;

retracting the surgical clamp installation tool from the body cavity;

closing the surgical clamp upon the internal organ, thereby partitioning at least a partial cavity inside the internal organ; and

latching the surgical clamp to fix it in position to partition the internal organ and the at least partial cavity inside the internal organ.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising employing padding material on surfaces of the elongated members of the surgical clamp to reduce damage to one or more internal organs.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein engaging the surgical clamp to the head of the surgical clamp installation tool includes passing a T-bar adjacent the end of a pull rod of the installation tool through a slotted aperture formed in a bight portion of the clamp, and rotating at least one of the T-bar, the clamp, or the surgical installation tool.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein engaging the surgical clamp to the head of the surgical clamp installation tool includes passing a shaped end of a pull rod of the installation tool through a correspondingly shaped aperture formed in a bight portion of the clamp, and rotating at least one of the T-bar, the clamp, or the surgical installation tool.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising applying sutures through suture holes formed in at least one elongated member of the surgical clamp to suture the surgical clamp to the internal organ.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein employing the surgical clamp installation tool to position the elongated members of the surgical clamp includes manipulating a dial adjacent a handle of the installation tool to articulate the head from side to side.