ENDOSCOPIC SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER

• US 20180221028A1
• Filed: 01/09/2018
• Published: 08/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Williams, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 10,758,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• 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 17/282 Jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00407 Ratchet means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/294 Connection of actuating rod to jaw, e.g. releasable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means

Abstract

An endoscopic surgical clip applier includes an endoscopic assembly and a handle assembly. The endoscopic assembly includes a shaft assembly and a pair of jaw members. The handle assembly includes a housing, a fixed handle, a trigger, a drive bar, and a ratchet assembly. The ratchet assembly includes a first rack operatively coupled to the drive bar, the first rack defining a plurality of first rack teeth, wherein the first rack includes a first length between a distal end and a proximal end thereof, and a second rack operatively coupled to the drive bar, spaced apart from the first rack, the second rack defining a plurality of second rack teeth, wherein the second rack includes a second length between a distal end and a proximal end thereof, the second length of the second rack being less than the first length of the first rack.

Claims

1. An endoscopic surgical clip applier, comprising:

an endoscopic assembly including;

a shaft assembly; and

a pair of jaw members operatively coupled to, and extending from the shaft assembly; and

a handle assembly including;

a housing selectively connectable to the endoscopic assembly;

a fixed handle extending from the housing;

a trigger pivotally connected to the fixed handle;

a drive bar disposed within the housing of the handle assembly and operatively coupled to the trigger and the pair of jaw members to move the pair of jaw members between a spaced apart configuration and an approximated configuration upon actuation of the trigger;

a ratchet assembly disposed within the housing of the handle assembly, the ratchet assembly including;

a first rack operatively coupled to the drive bar, the first rack defining a plurality of first rack teeth and having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the first rack includes a first length between the distal end and the proximal end thereof; and

a second rack operatively coupled to the drive bar, spaced apart from the first rack, the second rack defining a plurality of second rack teeth and having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the second rack includes a second length between the distal end and the proximal end thereof, the second length of the second rack being less than the first length of the first rack.

2. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a first pawl mounted within the housing of the handle assembly, the first pawl being selectively engagable with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack in a first position thereof.

3. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 2, wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a second pawl mounted within the housing of the handle assembly, the second pawl being selectively engageable with the plurality of second rack teeth of the second rack in a first position thereof.

4. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 3, wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a distal well disposed adjacent the distal end of the first rack, wherein the first pawl is located in the distal well in an un-actuated position of the trigger.

5. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 4, wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a proximal well disposed between the proximal end of the first rack and the distal end of the second rack, wherein the second pawl is located in the proximal well in the un-actuated position of the trigger.

6. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 5, wherein the first rack is disposed in a position distal of the second rack.

7. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 2, wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a release switch at least partially supported within the housing of the handle assembly and operatively associated with the first pawl, the release switch selectively actuatable to move the first pawl from the first position, wherein the first pawl is in registration with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack to a second position, wherein the first pawl is out of registration with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack.

8. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 7, wherein when the release switch is actuated, the second pawl maintains registration with the plurality of second rack teeth of the second rack, in the first position thereof, until the second pawl is disposed in the proximal well or until the second pawl is disposed proximally beyond the proximal end of the second rack.

9. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 8, wherein the drive bar is longitudinally movable upon actuation of the trigger, wherein as the drive bar is moved longitudinally in a first direction, and the release switch is not actuated, the first pawl and the second pawl are moved over the plurality of first rack teeth and the plurality of second rack teeth of the first and the second racks, respectively, such that longitudinal movement of the drive bar in a second, opposite, direction is prevented until the first pawl is disposed in the distal well and the second pawl is disposed in the proximal well or until the first pawl is disposed at the proximal end of the first rack and the second pawl is disposed proximally beyond the proximal end of the second rack.

10. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 8, wherein the drive bar is longitudinally movable upon actuation of the trigger, wherein as the drive bar is moved longitudinally in a first direction, and the release switch is actuated to move the first pawl out of registration with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack, longitudinal movement of the drive bar in a second, opposite, direction is prevented until the second pawl is disposed in the proximal well or until the second pawl is disposed proximally beyond the proximal end of the second rack.

11. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 10, wherein as the drive bar is moved longitudinally in the first direction, and the release switch is actuated to move the first pawl out of registration with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack, the second pawl is disposed beyond the proximal end of the second rack as the trigger reaches a partially actuated position, wherein the drive bar is longitudinally movable in the second, opposite, direction, as the trigger reaches a fully un-actuated position from the partially actuated position.

12. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 11, wherein the endoscopic assembly further comprises a plurality of surgical clips slidably disposed within the shaft assembly and selectively formable between the pair of jaw members, wherein when the first pawl is in the first position, the first pawl is in registration with the first rack disposed on the drive bar such that upon actuation of the trigger, the trigger is prevented from reversing the direction of movement thereof until the trigger is moved to a fully actuated position and a distal most surgical clip of the plurality of surgical clips is fully formed between the pair of jaw members.

13. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 12, wherein when the first pawl housing is in the second position, the first pawl is out of registration with the first rack disposed on the drive bar such that when the second pawl is disposed beyond the proximal end of the second rack and the trigger is moved to the partially actuated position, the trigger is capable of reversing the direction of movement thereof such that the distal most surgical clip of the plurality of surgical clips is partially formed between the pair of jaw members.

14. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 3, wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a first pawl spring and a second pawl spring supported within the housing of the handle assembly, the first pawl spring being configured to bias the first pawl into engagement with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack and the second pawl spring being configured to bias the second pawl into engagement with the plurality of second rack teeth of the second rack.

15. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 11, wherein the first pawl includes a lockout member extending therefrom, the lockout member provided to selectively engage the release switch, as the trigger moves to the fully un-actuated position, to prevent the release switch from moving the first pawl out of registration with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack, to the second position thereof.

16. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 7, wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a release spring supported in the handle assembly, the release spring operatively associated with the release switch and biased to return the release switch to a home position such that the release switch is disengaged from the first pawl.

17. An endoscopic surgical clip applier, comprising:

an endoscopic assembly including;

a shaft assembly; and

a pair of jaw members operatively coupled to, and extending from the shaft assembly; and

a handle assembly including;

a housing selectively connectable to the endoscopic assembly;

a fixed handle extending from the housing;

a trigger pivotally connected to the fixed handle;

a drive bar disposed within the housing of the handle assembly and operatively coupled to the trigger and the pair of jaw members to move the pair of jaw members between a spaced apart configuration and an approximated configuration upon actuation of the trigger; and

a ratchet assembly disposed within the housing of the handle assembly, the ratchet assembly including;

a first rack defined on a top portion of the drive bar, the first rack including a plurality of first rack teeth and having a distal end and a proximal end;

a second rack defined on the top portion of the drive bar, the second rack including a plurality of second rack teeth and having a distal end and a proximal end;

a first pawl movably mounted within the handle assembly and being selectively engageable with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack; and

a second pawl movably mounted within the handle assembly and being selectively engageable with the plurality of second rack teeth of the second rack, wherein upon movement of the trigger, a reversal of a direction of movement of the trigger is prohibited until the second pawl is disposed distally beyond the distal end of the second rack or proximally beyond the proximal end of the second rack.

18. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 17, wherein the first rack includes a first length between the distal end and the proximal end thereof, and wherein the second rack includes a second length between the distal end and the proximal end thereof, the second length of the second rack being less than the first length of the first rack.

19. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 17, wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a release switch at least partially supported within the housing of the handle assembly and operatively associated with the first pawl, the release switch selectively actuatable to move the first pawl from a first position, wherein the first pawl is in registration with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack, to a second position, wherein the first pawl is out of registration with the plurality of first rack teeth of the first rack.

20. The endoscopic surgical clip applier according to claim 19, wherein when the release switch is disengaged from the first pawl such that the first pawl remains in the first position, upon movement of the trigger, the reversal of the direction of movement of the trigger is prohibited until the first pawl is disposed distally beyond the distal end of the first rack or disposed at the proximal end of the first rack.