REPLACEABLE CLIP CARTRIDGE FOR A CLIP APPLIER

• US 20140005694A1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Shelton, Frederick E. IV, Baxter, Chester O. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,649,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/083 Clips, e.g. resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0688 Packages or dispensers for surgical staplers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/081 Tissue approximator A61B2017/1103, A61B17/8866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots

Abstract

A surgical device for clipping tissue can include a replaceable cartridge comprising a stack of clips contained therein and a firing drive configured to reciprocatingly eject, or deploy, the clips from the cartridge. The cartridge and/or the surgical device can include a firing chamber wherein the clips can be sequentially pushed into the firing chamber along a supply axis. The firing drive can include a firing member which is moved along a firing axis to deploy a clip positioned in the firing chamber wherein the supply axis can be transverse to the firing axis.

Claims

1. A clip applier for clipping tissue, comprising:

a shaft, comprising;

a distal portion;

a distal opening defined in said distal portion; and

a magazine opening;

a magazine assembly removably positionable in said magazine opening, wherein said magazine assembly comprises;

a housing;

a storage chamber defined in said housing;

a firing platform;

a plurality of clips removably positioned within said storage chamber; and

a biasing member configured to bias said clips toward said firing platform; and

a firing drive configured to advance a clip from said magazine through said distal opening.

2. The clip applier of claim 1, wherein said shaft further comprises:

a proximal portion; and

an articulation joint rotatably connecting said proximal portion and said distal portion of said shaft.

3. The clip applier of claim 1, wherein said magazine assembly further comprises a pusher plate positioned intermediate said biasing member and said plurality of clips.

4. The clip applier of claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a proximal opening configured to receive said firing drive.

5. The clip applier of claim 4, further comprising a lockout plate positioned intermediate said biasing member and said plurality of clips, wherein said biasing member is configured to bias said lockout plate into alignment with said proximal opening to block said firing drive from entering into said storage chamber after said clips have been ejected from said magazine assembly.

6. The clip applier of claim 5, wherein said lockout plate comprises a plurality of guides, and wherein said housing comprises a plurality of co-operating guides configured to co-operate with said guides to define the movement of said lockout plate along a predetermined path.

7. The clip applier of claim 5, wherein said firing platform comprises a shelf, wherein said biasing member is configured to bias a said clip against said shelf, and wherein said shelf is aligned with said distal opening.

8. The clip applier of claim 1, further comprising a first jaw and a second jaw positioned relative to said distal opening, wherein said first jaw is movable toward said second jaw to deform a clip positioned intermediate said first jaw and said second jaw.

9. The clip applier of claim 8, further comprising a crimping drive configured to move said first jaw toward said second jaw, wherein said crimping drive is configured to be actuated in sequence with said firing drive.

10. The clip applier of claim 1, further comprising means for blocking said firing drive after said clips have been ejected from said magazine assembly.

11. The clip applier of claim 1, wherein said firing member is configured to enter into said housing along a firing axis, wherein said biasing member is configured to bias a said clip into a firing position along a supply axis, and wherein said supply axis is transverse to said firing axis.

12. The clip applier of claim 11, wherein said supply axis is perpendicular to said firing axis.

13. The clip applier of claim 1, further comprising a cartridge lock configured to releasably hold said magazine assembly in said magazine aperture.

14. A clip applier surgical instrument, comprising:

a shaft, comprising;

a distal portion; and

a cartridge receptacle;

a cartridge assembly removably positionable in said cartridge receptacle, wherein said cartridge assembly comprises;

a housing;

a storage chamber defined in said housing;

a discharge opening;

a stack of clips removably positioned within said storage chamber, wherein said stack of clips comprises a plurality of clips stacked on top of one another; and

a biasing member configured to align a said clip with said discharge opening; and

a firing drive configured to advance a said clip from said magazine through said discharge opening.

15. The clip applier surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein said shaft further comprises:

a proximal portion; and

an articulation joint rotatably connecting said proximal portion and said distal portion of said shaft.

16. The clip applier surgical instrument of claim 14, further comprising a lockout plate positioned intermediate said biasing member and said stack of clips, wherein said housing further comprises a proximal opening configured to receive said firing drive, and wherein said biasing member is configured to bias said lockout plate into alignment with said proximal opening to block said firing drive from entering into said storage chamber after said clips have been ejected from said cartridge assembly.

17. The clip applier surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein said lockout plate comprises a plurality of guides, and wherein said housing comprises a plurality of co-operating guides configured to co-operate with said guides to define the movement of said lockout plate along a predetermined path.

18. The clip applier surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein said housing comprises a shelf, wherein said biasing member is configured to bias a said clip against said shelf, and wherein said shelf is aligned with said discharge opening.

19. The clip applier surgical instrument of claim 14, wherein said firing member is configured to enter into said housing along a firing axis, wherein said biasing member is configured to bias a said clip into a firing position along a supply axis, and wherein said supply axis is transverse to said firing axis.

20. A surgical device for applying clips, comprising:

a shaft, comprising;

a distal portion;

a loading port defined in said distal portion; and

a discharge opening;

a clip cartridge removably positionable in said loading port, wherein said clip cartridge comprises a stack of clips;

a biasing member configured to align a said clip with said discharge opening; and

a firing drive configured to advance a said clip from said clip cartridge through said discharge opening.

21. A surgical device for applying clips, comprising:

a shaft;

supply means for supplying a plurality of clips along a supply axis; and

firing means for advancing a said clip from a pre-fired position to a fired position along a firing axis, wherein said supply axis is transverse to said firing axis.