Pistols for setting surgical clamps

• US 5,626,586 A
• Filed: 03/24/1995
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1994
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: WiLo-Medizintechnik Lothar Wilberg GmbH
• Inventors: Pistl, Gerald, Bohme, Petra
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael Powell
• Assistant Examiner(s): RASCHE, PATRICK WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US08/410,172
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 606/142, 606/143, 606/139, 606/151, 606/157, 227/901, 227/175.1, 227/176.1
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2925 Pistol grips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 227/901 Surgical clip appliers

Abstract

A pistol for setting surgical clamps has a clamp magazine disposed at the distal end of a tubular endoscopic shaft, a feeding mechanism for the clamps, and forceps with an associated forceps closing mechanism for setting the clamps. The feeding mechanism and the forceps closing mechanism are operated using a hand grip of the pistol. The clamp magazine has a lower magazine part and an upper magazine part permanently disposed on the lower magazine part. The clamp magazine is insertable over guiding elements into the endoscopic shaft with the feeding mechanism and the clamps are contained in the clamp magazine. The forceps and the forceps closing mechanism are disposed below the clamp magazine with the forceps being exchangeable. The clamp magazine is open at an end facing the grip for introducing a push rod for a feeding slide with the feeding slide having a connecting piece into which the push rod is disposed and locked. An elastic latch locks the clamp magazine in the endoscopic shaft. The forceps closing mechanism has a leading incline engageable with a leading incline on the elastic latch to permit release of the elastic latch simultaneous with displacement of a filler piece on said forceps closing mechanism to permit release of the forceps.

Claims

1. A clamping apparatus for applying surgical clamps, comprising:

a pistol grip actuator having an operating grip movable from an intermediate position in a first direction for setting one of said surgical clamps and in a second direction for disassembly of said clamping apparatus;

a hollow shaft having a first end removably connected to said pistol grip actuator;

a removable magazine for holding said surgical clamps;

slide means for slidably receiving said removable magazine in said hollow shaft through an open second end of said hollow shaft;

said removable magazine having a channel containing said surgical clamps;

a forceps closing member slidably disposed in said hollow shaft beneath said removable magazine and responsive to movement of said operating grip;

said removable magazine having an elastic catch biased downward for engaging a catch member of said hollow shaft extending through said forceps closing member;

forceps means, slidably disposed in said forceps closing member, for receiving and compressing one of said surgical clamps by a cam action movement of said forceps closing member in response to actuation of said operating grip in said first direction;

said forceps means having a catch hook engageable with a stop member extending from said hollow shaft and through said forceps closing means to maintain said forceps means fixed relative to said hollow shaft permitting said cam action movement of said forceps closing means to compress said one of said surgical clamps;

said forceps closing means having a filler member disposed to maintain engagement of said catch hook with said stop member during said cam action movement of said forceps closing means;

said magazine having a feeding slide for advancing said surgical clamps toward said second end of said hollow shaft;

a push rod means extending from said pistol grip actuator into said hollow shaft responsive to movement of said operating grip in said first direction;

means for disengagably connecting said feeding slide with said push rod means to permit advancement of said surgical clamps in response to movement of said operating grip; and

said forceps closing means being responsive to movement of said operating grip in said second direction to effect displacement of said filler member from said catch hook to permit removal of said forceps means and displacement of said elastic latch from said catch member to allow removal of said magazine.