ENDOSCOPIC SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER WITH WEDGE PLATE
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a handle assembly; 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 pusher bar reciprocally disposed within the housing of the shaft assembly and being detachably connectable to the housing of the shaft assembly, the pusher bar being configured to load a distal-most surgical clip into the jaws during distal movement and remain connected to the housing of the shaft assembly and in a distally advanced position during an approximation of the jaws.
88 Citations
21 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. A shaft assembly for an apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the shaft assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a stationary ledge formed therein; a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the housing; a pair of jaws mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the housing, the pair of jaws being movable between an open spaced apart condition and a closed approximated condition; a wedge plate reciprocally disposed within the housing, the wedge plate being movable between a distal position where a distal end thereof is disposed between the pair of jaws causing the pair of jaws to splay outwardly and a proximal position where the distal end thereof is free from between the pair of jaws such that the pair of jaws are free to close; and a wedge plate lock disposed within the housing, the wedge plate lock being slidably supported for movement in an axial direction within the housing, together with the wedge plate, such that the wedge plate lock is moved distally by the wedge plate, against a bias, upon a movement of the wedge plate from the proximal position to the distal position, and such that the wedge plate lock engages the ledge of the housing to hold the wedge plate in the distal position. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A wedge plate lock for an apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the wedge plate lock comprising:
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a body portion extending between a proximal portion and a distal portion defining a longitudinal axis, the proximal and distal portions defining an upper surface and a lower surface; a rod disposed on a distal portion of the body portion and extending distally therefrom; a tail disposed on a proximal portion of the body portion and extending proximally therefrom; a pocket formed through the upper and lower surfaces of the body portion; and a stem disposed on a proximal portion of the tail and extending transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the tail is formed from a resilient material. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 21)
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20. A method of locking a wedge plate in a distal position, comprising:
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urging a wedge plate in a distal direction, together with a wedge plate lock, the wedge plate reciprocally disposed within a housing of a shaft assembly and movable between a distal position and a proximal position, the wedge plate lock slidably supported within the housing for movement in an axial direction therein; and continuing to urge the wedge plate in a distal direction, together with the wedge plate lock, against a bias, until the wedge plate lock engages a stationary ledge formed within the housing to hold the wedge plate in the distal position.
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Specification