Apparatus for applying surgical clips
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for applying a surgical clip to body tissue comprising:
- a longitudinal shaft having a distal portion including two laterally spaced, relatively fixed cam surface portions which are inclined toward one another in the distal direction;
clip carrier means for both carrying and closing a surgical clip mounted for longitudinal reciprocal motion relative to the shaft and including a proximal member and two laterally spaced cam follower members pivotally mounted adjacent the distal end of the proximal member, the cam follower members being initially located proximally of the cam surface portions and having surface portions for engaging and supporting a surgical clip in the space between the cam follower members; and
means for causing the clip carrier means to move distally relative to the shaft so that each of the cam follower members engages a respective one of the cam surface portions to force the cam follower members toward one another and close the surgical clip.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Surgical clip applying apparatus for advancing and closing clips one at a time around body tissue. The apparatus includes a cartridge with a carrier member for an array of clips. When the cartridge is moved distally relative to the apparatus, two pivotally mounted cam followers on the carrier member move toward each other and traverse a pair of jaws on the apparatus. The pivoting of the cam followers causes the distal-most clip to be closed around body tissue. The cam followers and the cartridge then return to their original positions to ready the apparatus for another cycle of operation.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. Apparatus for applying a surgical clip to body tissue comprising:
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a longitudinal shaft having a distal portion including two laterally spaced, relatively fixed cam surface portions which are inclined toward one another in the distal direction; clip carrier means for both carrying and closing a surgical clip mounted for longitudinal reciprocal motion relative to the shaft and including a proximal member and two laterally spaced cam follower members pivotally mounted adjacent the distal end of the proximal member, the cam follower members being initially located proximally of the cam surface portions and having surface portions for engaging and supporting a surgical clip in the space between the cam follower members; and means for causing the clip carrier means to move distally relative to the shaft so that each of the cam follower members engages a respective one of the cam surface portions to force the cam follower members toward one another and close the surgical clip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A replaceable cartridge for use with a surgical instrument for applying surgical clips to body tissue, the instrument including a longitudinal jaw member having proximal and distal end portions with a pair of laterally spaced, relatively fixed jaws mounted on the distal end of the jaw member, each jaw having a camming surface which converges in the distal direction toward the camming surface of the other jaw, and means for causing the cartridge to move distally relative to the instrument, the cartridge comprising:
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a carrier for both carrying and closing a linear array of clips, including a proximal member and two laterally spaced cam follower members pivotally mounted adjacent the distal end of the proximal member, the cam follower members being initially located proximally of the instrument jaw camming surfaces; first clip carrier stop surfaces for confining the distal-most clip within the clip carrier while the distal-most clip is closed; and second clip carrier stop surfaces for retarding the distal motion of the next-to-distal-most clip while the distal-most clip is closed; wherein each of the clip carrier cam follower members is reciprocally hinge pivotable and traverses one of the instrument jaw camming surfaces to force the cam follower members toward one another to close the distal-most clip when the cartridge is moved distally relative to the instrument. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A cartridge removably mountable in a surgical clip applying instrument comprising:
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a longitudinal member having proximal and distal ends for both carrying and closing a plurality of surgical clips; two laterally spaced cam follower members pivotally mounted adjacent the distal end of the longitudinal member; means for resiliently urging the cam follower members apart; a plurality of surgical clips disposed in a longitudinal array substantially parallel to the longitudinal member; and means for urging all of the clips in the distal direction relative to the longitudinal member so that the distal-most clip in the array is urged into the space between the cam follower members for closing by the cam follower members when those members are forced toward one another by the clip applying instrument. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A replaceable cartridge for use with a surgical instrument for applying a plurality of surgical clips one at a time in succession to body tissue, the cartridge comprising:
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a carrier for both carrying and closing a linear array of clips, including a proximal member and two laterally spaced cam follower members pivotally mounted adjacent the distal end of the proximal member; a plurality of clips disposed in a longitudinal array substantially parallel to the clip carrier, so that the distal-most clip is in position to be closed without preliminary distal motion of the distal-most clip relative to the clip carrier; wherein the cam follower members are reciprocally hinge pivotable and moved toward each other by the surgical instrument to close the distal-most clip. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification