Surgical clip applying apparatus, and clips and clip train for use therein
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Surgical clips for use in a device for applying a succession of surgical clips to body tissue, each surgical clip comprising:
- a base;
two arms, each arm being connected adjacent one of its ends to a respective end of the base, and the other ends of the arms being initially free and laterally spaced from one another, the longitudinal axes of the base and arms defining the plane of the clip, each arm having an inner surface which is opposite the inner surface of the other arm and an outer surface which is opposite the inner surface of the arm;
first coupling means comprising a member unitary with the clip and projecting from the outer surface of each arm remote from the initially free end of the arm, each projecting member having a longitudinal axis which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the associated arm and parallel to the plane of the clip; and
second coupling means comprising a slot in the inner surface of each arm remote from the base for removably receiving an associated one of the projecting members of an adjacent clip so that a plurality of said clips can be intercoupled in a linear array in which each clip is pulled along by the preceding clip in the array when the preceding clip moves in a direction away from the clip.
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Abstract
Surgical clip applying apparatus operable entirely by one hand for advancing clips one at a time into a pair of jaws which close the clip on body tissue. The clips are fed to the jaws in a line. The clips releasably intercouple with one another to form a train which is advanced by a clip pusher acting on the distal-most clip in the train. As the distal-most clip enters the jaws, it is uncoupled from the clip train, and the jaws then close the clip. The pusher is then retracted behind the next clip in the train to ready the apparatus for another cycle of operation.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. Surgical clips for use in a device for applying a succession of surgical clips to body tissue, each surgical clip comprising:
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a base; two arms, each arm being connected adjacent one of its ends to a respective end of the base, and the other ends of the arms being initially free and laterally spaced from one another, the longitudinal axes of the base and arms defining the plane of the clip, each arm having an inner surface which is opposite the inner surface of the other arm and an outer surface which is opposite the inner surface of the arm; first coupling means comprising a member unitary with the clip and projecting from the outer surface of each arm remote from the initially free end of the arm, each projecting member having a longitudinal axis which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the associated arm and parallel to the plane of the clip; and second coupling means comprising a slot in the inner surface of each arm remote from the base for removably receiving an associated one of the projecting members of an adjacent clip so that a plurality of said clips can be intercoupled in a linear array in which each clip is pulled along by the preceding clip in the array when the preceding clip moves in a direction away from the clip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for applying a plurality of surgical clips to body tissue one at a time in succession comprising:
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a plurality of surgical clips in a linear array, each clip including (1) a base adjacent the succeeding clip, (2) two arms attached to opposite ends of the base and extending in the direction of the preceding clip, the ends of the arms remote from the base being resiliently biased apart, (3) first coupling means disposed on the inner surface of the arms, and (4) second coupling means disposed on the outer surface of the clip for releasably coupling the clip to the first coupling means of the succeeding clip in the array so that each clip pulls along the succeeding clip when advanced in the direction away from the succeeding clip; third means disposed adjacent to, but just beyond, the forwardmost clip in the array for closing a clip pushed into the third means; and fourth means for sequentially engaging the forwardmost clip, pushing the forwardmost clip toward the third means, and deflecting the arms of the forwardmost clip toward one another to uncouple the forwardmost clip from the succeeding clip as the forwardmost clip enters the third means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification