Apparatus for applying surgical clips
First Claim
1. Apparatus for applying surgical clips one at a time to body tissue, each clip having two legs joined together at a crown, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a proximal portion;
(b) a distal portion having stationary camming surfaces;
(c) means for holding an array of surgical clips, the array having a distal end and a proximal end;
(d) clip closing means for moving between distal and proximal positions and having at the distal end jaw means for (i) receiving the distal-most clip in the array and (ii) then moving towards the distal portion of the apparatus so that the jaw means contact the camming surfaces and close the clip around the body tissue; and
(e) escapement means for (i) placing the distal-most clip of the array in the jaw means when the clip closing means has moved to the proximal position, which is towards the proximal portion of the apparatus, and (ii) preventing any of the other clips in the array from being placed in the jaw means at the same time, wherein the escapement means comprises three pairs of opposing projecting surfaces, which pairs point towards the plane of motion of the clip closing means and are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction along the apparatus, the proximal-most pair of projecting surfaces extending beyond the middle pair of projecting surfaces in both the lateral and longitudinal directions, the escapement means being held stationary at its proximal end, the rest of the escapement means being able to move toward and away from the plane of motion of the clip closing means and being biased towards the plane, and the proximal-most pair of projecting surfaces resting against the clip closing means when those means are in the proximal position so that the middle and distal-most pair of projecting surfaces are out of the plane of motion of the clip closing means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Surgical clip applying apparatus in which clips are delivered to a pair of jaws one at a time for closure around body tissue. The squeezing together of a pair of ring handles causes the jaws to move distally relative to the apparatus. The jaws contact a pair of inclined surfaces on the shaft of the apparatus and are thereby forced together, causing the distal-most clip in a linear array to be closed around body tissue. Release of the handles returns the jaws to the original positions so that another clip closing cycle can be initiated. An escapement mechanism interacts with the jaws to ensure that only one clip at a time from the linear array is delivered to the jaws. A clutch assembly ensures that each step in the clip closing and return cycle is completed in the proper sequence.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for applying surgical clips one at a time to body tissue, each clip having two legs joined together at a crown, said apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a proximal portion; (b) a distal portion having stationary camming surfaces; (c) means for holding an array of surgical clips, the array having a distal end and a proximal end; (d) clip closing means for moving between distal and proximal positions and having at the distal end jaw means for (i) receiving the distal-most clip in the array and (ii) then moving towards the distal portion of the apparatus so that the jaw means contact the camming surfaces and close the clip around the body tissue; and (e) escapement means for (i) placing the distal-most clip of the array in the jaw means when the clip closing means has moved to the proximal position, which is towards the proximal portion of the apparatus, and (ii) preventing any of the other clips in the array from being placed in the jaw means at the same time, wherein the escapement means comprises three pairs of opposing projecting surfaces, which pairs point towards the plane of motion of the clip closing means and are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction along the apparatus, the proximal-most pair of projecting surfaces extending beyond the middle pair of projecting surfaces in both the lateral and longitudinal directions, the escapement means being held stationary at its proximal end, the rest of the escapement means being able to move toward and away from the plane of motion of the clip closing means and being biased towards the plane, and the proximal-most pair of projecting surfaces resting against the clip closing means when those means are in the proximal position so that the middle and distal-most pair of projecting surfaces are out of the plane of motion of the clip closing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification