Surgical clip applicator

• US 5,030,226 A
• Filed: 12/27/1990
• Issued: 07/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: McGarry, Richard A., Green, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, WILLIAM W
• Application Number:
  US07/635,219
• Time in Patent Office: 194 Days
• Field of Search: 606/157, 606/158, 606/219, 606/142, 606/143, 606/75, 227/175-177, 227/901, 227/902
• US Class Current: 606/158
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/128 for applying or removing clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 227/901 Surgical clip appliers

Abstract

The surgical clip applicator has a pusher bar which positions the foremost clip from a clip carrier into a ready-to-fire position between the jaws prior to squeezing of the handles together. When the applicator is fired, the previously positioned surgical clip can be crimped about a vessel and when the jaws are released, a new clip is placed between the jaws for the next firing. A channel assembly moves over the jaws to close the jaws while the pusher bar is retracted into the clip carrier for delivering the foremost clip from the carrier upon release of the handles. A latch arrangement is provided for locking the channel assembly in place and the handles against movement should the clip carrier be empty.

Claims

1. A surgical clip applicator comprising

a housing;

a pair of handles pivotally connected to opposite sides of said housing;

a jaw blade assembly fixedly connected to said housing and including a pair of jaws for receiving and deforming a clip therebetween and a clip carrier for supplying a series of clips to said jaws;

a channel assembly slidably mounted in said housing and enveloping said jaw blade assembly;

first link means connected between and to said handles and said channel assembly for sliding said channel assembly in a distal direction in response to closing of said handles together to move said jaws towards each other;

a pusher bar slidably mounted in said channel assembly in overlying relation to said clip carrier, said bar having a nose at a distal end;

second link means connected between and to said handles and said pusher bar for sliding said pusher bar in a proximal direction in response to closing of said handles together; and

first spring means in said housing biasing said pusher bar in a distal direction to push a foremost clip in said clip carrier between said jaws in response to opening of said handles from each other.

2. An applicator as set forth in claim 1 which further comprises spring means between said housing and said channel assembly for biasing said channel assembly in a proximal direction to bias said handles into an opened position.

3. A surgical clip applicator comprising:

a housing;

a pair of handles pivotally connected to opposite sides of said housing;

a jaw blade assembly fixedly connected to said housing and including a pair of jaws for receiving and deforming a clip therebetween and a clip carrier for supplying a series of clips to said jaws;

a channel assembly slidably mounted in said housing and enveloping said jaw blade assembly;

first ling means connected between and to said housing, said handles and said channel assembly for sliding said channel assembly in a distal direction in response to closing said handles together to move said jaws towards each other;

a pusher bar slidably mounted in said channel assembly in overlying relation to said clip carrier, said bar having a nose at a distal end;

second link means connected between and to said handles and said pusher bar for sliding said pusher bar in a proximal direction in response to closing of said handles together; and

first spring means in said housing biasing said pusher bar in a distal direction to push a foremost clip in said clip carrier between said jaws in response to opening of said handles from each other,

wherein said clip carrier includes a retaining means for receiving and retaining said nose of said pusher bar in a locked position.

4. An applicator as set forth in claim 3 which further comprises a first latch pivotally mounted in said housing and a detent on said channel assembly for engaging said latch in said locked position of said pusher bar to prevent distal movement of said channel assembly and closing of said handles with said pusher bar nose in said locked position.

5. An applicator as set forth in claim 4 which further comprises a second latch pivotally mounted in said housing and a detent on said pusher bar for engaging said second latch with said pusher bar nose in said locked position, said pusher bar detent being movable into a blocking position with said pusher bar in a distalmost position to block said first latch from engaging with said channel assembly detent.

6. An applicator as set forth in claim 5 which further comprises a cam follower connected to said first latch and spring biased to move into contact with said detent on said pusher bar in said blocking position thereof.

7. An applicator as set forth in claim 3 wherein said retaining means is an opening in said clip carrier sized to receive said nose.

8. An applicator as set forth in claim 7 wherein said pusher bar nose is biased to slide on said carrier in the absence of clips therein to permit movement into said opening for locking of said handles.

9. In a surgical clip applicator, the combination comprising

a pair of jaws for receiving and deforming a clip therebetween;

a clip carrier having a series of clips for delivery to said jaws;

a pusher bar having a nose at a distal end;

means for sequentially moving said pusher bar from an initial distal-most position with said nose behind a delivered clip between said jaws to a proximal-most position behind a foremost clip of said series and to said distal-most position to deliver said foremost clip between said jaws;

a retaining means for receiving and retaining said pusher bar nose in a locked position between said distalmost and said proximal-most positions in the absence of a clip in said clip carrier; and

locking means responsive to said pusher bar being retained in said locked position for blocking said jaws against movement towards each other.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein said means includes a pair of handles articulated to said pusher bar, said handles being movable between an open position corresponding to said distal-most position of said nose and a closed position corresponding to said proximal-most position of said nose.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 9 which further comprises a movable channel assembly for moving distally over said jaws to close said jaws together during proximal movement of said pusher bar and wherein said locking means includes a detent on said channel assembly and a pivotally mounted latch for engaging said detent with said pusher bar in said locked position to prevent distal movement of said channel assembly.

12. In a surgical clip apparatus, the combination comprising

a pair of jaws for receiving and deforming a clip therebetween;

a clip carrier having a series of clips for delivery to said jaws;

a pusher bar having a nose at a distal end;

a channel assembly slidably mounted relative to said jaws to move said jaws towards each other with a clip therebetween; and

means for moving said pusher bar and said channel assembly relative to each other and to said jaws, said means including a pair of handles, a first link means connected to and between said handles and said channel assembly for moving said channel assembly in a distal direction in response to closing of said handles together to move said jaws towards each other, and a second link means connected to and between said handles and said pusher bar for moving said pusher bar to a proximal-most position in response to closing of said handles together for positioning behind a foremost clip in said carrier and to a distal-most position in response to opening of said handles from each other to position said foremost clip between said jaws.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said first link means moves said channel assembly in advance of said second link means moving said pusher bar.

14. The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said clip carrier includes a retaining means for receiving and retaining said pusher bar nose in a locked position between said distal-most and said proximal-most positions in the absence of a clip in said clip carrier and locking means responsive to said pusher bar being retained in said locked position for blocking said jaws against movement towards each other.

15. The combination as set forth in claim 14 said locking means includes a first detent mounted on said channel assembly and a spring biased latch means for engaging said detent to prevent distal movement of said channel assembly and movement of said handles toward each other with said pusher bar in said locked position.

16. The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein said locking means further comprises a second detent on said pusher bar for blocking movement of said latch means into engagement with said first detent with said pusher bar in said distal-most position.

17. In a surgical clip apparatus, the combination comprising

a pair of jaws for receiving and deforming a clip therebetween;

a clip carrier having a series of clips for delivery to said jaws;

a pusher bar having a nose at a distal end;

a channel assembly slidably mounted relative to said jaws to move said jaws towards each other with a clip therebetween;

means for moving said pusher bar and said channel assembly relative to each other and to said jaws, said means including a pair of handles, a first link means connected to and between said handles and said channel assembly for moving said channel assembly in a distal direction in response to closing of said handles together to move said jaws towards each other, and a second link means connected to and between said handles and said pusher bar for moving said pusher bar to a proximal-most position in response to closing of said handles together for positioning behind a foremost clip in said carrier and to a distal-most position in response to opening of said handles from each other to position said foremost clip between said jaws;

wherein said clip carrier includes a retaining means thereon with an opening to receive said pusher bar nose in response to movement of said nose thereover with an absence of clips in said carrier.

18. The combination as set forth in claim 17 wherein said nose of said pusher bar is disposed to move into said opening when stationarily positioned thereover in the absence of a clip and said retaining means is cammed to move away from said nose with an engaged clip moving over said retaining means during distal movement of said nose to position the clip between said jaws.

19. In a surgical clip apparatus, the combination comprising

a pair of jaws for receiving and deforming a clip therebetween;

a clip carrier having a series of clips for delivery to said jaws;

a pusher bar having a nose at a distal end;

a channel assembly slidably mounted relative to said jaws to move said jaws towards each other with a clip therebetween;

means for moving said pusher bar and said channel assembly relative to each other and to said jaws, said means including a pair of handles, a first link means connected to and between said handles and said channel assembly for moving said channel assembly in a distal direction in response to closing of said handles together to move said jaws towards each other, and a second link means connected to and between said handles and said pusher bar for moving said pusher bar to a proximal-most position in response to closing of said handles together for positioning behind a foremost clip in said carrier and to a distal-most position in response to opening of said handles from each other to position said foremost clip between said jaws; and

spring means for biasing said channel assembly in a proximal direction and spring means for biasing said pusher bar in a distal direction.

20. A surgical clip applicator comprising:

a housing;

a pair of handles pivotally connected to opposite sides of said housing and being substantially symmetrically disposed with respect to said housing;

said pair of handles substantially capable of moving simultaneously between an open position away from said housing to a closed position towards said housing;

a jaw blade assembly connected to said housing and including a pair of jaws for receiving and deforming a clip therebetween;

a channel assembly slidably mounted in said housing for enveloping said jaw blade assembly;

a pusher bar slidably mounted within said housing for feeding a clip to said jaws;

means for moving said pusher bar proximally upon movement of both said handles towards said closed position; and

means for moving said channel assembly distally upon movement of both said handles towards said closed position to close said jaws.

21. A surgical clip applicator as recited in claim 20, wherein said means for moving said channel assembly distally comprises a first pair of links joining said handles to said channel assembly.

22. A surgical clip applicator as recited in claim 21, wherein said means for moving said pusher bar proximally comprises second and third pairs of links connected to said handles.

23. A surgical clip applicator as recited in claim 22, wherein each link of said first pair of links has a proximal end pivotally mounted to said handle and a distal end secured to said channel assembly.

24. A surgical clip applicator as recited in claim 23, wherein each said handle has an elongated channel formed therein and said pusher bar has an elongated slot formed therein, each link of said second pair of links has a proximal end slidably mounted within said elongated channel and a distal end secured to said housing, and each link of said third pair of links has a distal end connected to said proximal end of one of said links of said second pair of links and a proximal end slidably mounted within said slot in said pusher bar.

25. A surgical clip applicator as recited in claim 24, wherein said proximal end of said links of said third pair of links are mounted to a pin disposed in said slot and moving said handles to said closed position slides said pin proximally to abut a proximal end of said pusher bar.