Laparoscopic surgical clamp

• US 5,776,147 A
• Filed: 10/08/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Medical Resources Corporation (Applied Medical Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Applied Medical Resources Corporation (Applied Medical Corporation)
• Inventors: Dolendo, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/727,773
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 606/142, 606/143, 606/157, 606/158, 606/139, 606/125, 606/151
• US Class Current: 606/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2837 with a locking ratchet

Abstract

A surgical clamp includes a first jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, and a pawl secured to the first jaw near the proximal end. The pawl is biased in a proximal direction via a leaf spring. The surgical clamp further includes a second jaw having a proximal end and a distal end. The second jaw is adapted for being pivotally secured to the first jaw, and includes a ratchet disposed proximally relative to the pawl and in mesh with the pawl when the second jaw is secured to the first jaw. The surgical clamp further includes a movable member secured to the first jaw, which is adapted for contacting and moving the pawl in a distal direction against the bias of a leaf spring to thereby move the pawl out of mesh with the ratchet. The first jaw and the second jaw are movable from a closed state to an open state when the pawl is moved in the distal direction by the movable member. The pawl is adapted to be biased back into mesh with the ratchet when the movable member is removed from contact with the pawl.

Claims

1. A surgical clamp, comprising:

a first jaw having a proximal end and a distal end;

a movable set of teeth disposed near the proximal end of the first jaw and having a movable relationship with the first jaw;

a second jaw having a proximal end and a distal end and a pivotal relationship with the first jaw;

a fixed set of teeth disposed near the proximal end of the second jaw and having a fixed relationship with the second jaw; and

a movable member disposed in proximity to the first jaw and configured for contacting and moving the movable set of teeth in and out of mesh with the fixed set of teeth, the movable member having properties for moving the first jaw and the second jaw between an open state wherein the distal end of the first jaw is spaced from the distal end of the second jaw to accept a body conduit, and a closed state wherein the distal end of the first jaw and the distal end of the second jaw are proximate to at least partially occlude the body conduit.

2. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 1, the movable member comprising a contacting protrusion configured for contacting a receptor protrusion of the movable set of teeth, upon reception of a force from an external device.

3. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 2, the first jaw and the second jaw being rotationally secured together near the movable set of teeth and the fixed set of teeth, and the movable member being pivotally secured to the first jaw.

4. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 3, the movable member and the first jaw together forming a slot near the proximal end of the first jaw;

and

the external device comprising a pin configured to fitting within the slot, wherein application of a force within the slot by the pin in a first direction moves the first jaw and the second jaw to the open state, and

wherein application of a force within the slot by the pin in a second direction moves the first jaw and the second jaw to the closed state.

5. The surgical clamp combination as recited in claim 4, the slot comprising two ramps disposed on opposing sides of the slot.

6. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 4, the first jaw comprising a first member that is integrally formed with the first jaw,

the movable set of teeth being pivotally disposed on the first member, and

the movable member being configured for moving the movable set of teeth in and out of mesh with the fixed set of teeth by contacting the receptor protrusion of the movable set of teeth.

7. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 6, the pin being configured for applying a force on the movable member to thereby move the movable set of teeth out of mesh with the fixed set of teeth, and, subsequently, to move the first jaw and the second jaw to the open state.

8. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 7, the movable set of teeth being pivotally disposed on the first jaw via a leaf spring.

9. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 1, the movable set of teeth comprising a pawl, and

the fixed set of teeth comprising a ratchet.

10. A surgical clamp, comprising:

two jaws movable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position;

a ratchet and pawl assembly connected to the two jaws and adapted for allowing relative rotational movement of the two jaws when the jaws are moved relative to each other in a first direction and preventing relative rotational movement of the two jaws when the jaws are moved relative to each other in a second direction; and

a movable member disposed in proximity to the jaws and having properties for contacting the pawl to disengage the pawl from the ratchet in order to permit relative rotational movement of the two jaws in the second direction.

11. A surgical clamp combination, comprising:

a pair of jaws forming a surgical clamp, the jaws being movable between an open position and a closed position;

a ratchet and pawl assembly connected to the surgical clamp, the pawl being biased into a mesh relationship with the ratchet, the ratchet and pawl assembly being adapted for permitting relative movement of the pair of jaws in a first rotational direction and for preventing relative movement of the pair of jaws in a second rotational direction;

a pawl-removing member disposed in proximity to the jaws and having properties for contacting and removing the pawl from the mesh relationship with the ratchet, to thereby allow for relative movement of the pair of jaws in the second rotational direction;

a clamp applier having a longitudinal axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end;

a tube disposed at the distal end of the clamp applier;

engaging means disposed within the tube for engaging the surgical clamp; and

operating means disposed at the proximal end of the clamp applier for operating the engaging means to activate the pawl-removing member to thereby facilitate movement of the pair of jaws in the second rotational direction.

12. The surgical clamp combination as recited in claim 11, the surgical clamp comprising an annulus, and

the engaging means comprising a hook and a pin, the hook being adapted to be placed within the annulus and the pin being adapted to contact the pawl-removing means.

13. The surgical clamp combination as recited in claim 12, the surgical clamp comprising a slot for accommodating the pin, the slot having ramps on opposing sides thereof, movement of the pin in a first pin direction causing the pair of jaws to move in the first rotational direction, and movement of the pin in a second pin direction contacting the pawl-removing means and causing the pair of jaws to move in the second rotational direction.

14. The surgical clamp combination as recited in claim 13, the operating means comprising a trigger for operating the hook and a handle for operating the pin, and

the handle comprising a scissor handle, having one stationary piece and one movable piece.

15. The surgical clamp combination as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a pivoting arm disposed at a distal end of the tube, the pivoting arm having the pin attached thereto; and

an actuator spring connected to the pivoting arm, the actuator spring accommodating the pin at a distal end of the actuator spring, the actuator spring being adapted for pivoting with the pivoting arm, the actuator spring being bendable in a direction approximately normal to the pivoting arm to facilitate movement of the pin on one of the ramps.

16. The surgical clamp combination as recited in claim 15, movement of the movable piece of the scissor handle in a first handle direction rotating the pivoting arm disposed at the end of the tube in a first rotational direction to thereby move the pin in the first direction, and

movement of the movable piece of the scissor handle in a second handle direction rotating the pivoting arm disposed at the end of the tube in a second rotational direction to thereby move the pin in the second pin direction.

17. A surgical clamp having a longitudinal configuration and an axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the surgical clamp, the clamp comprising:

a first jaw having a first set of slanted teeth disposed near the proximal end;

a second jaw having a second set of slanted teeth, the two sets of teeth being biased into mesh with one another, the two sets of teeth when in mesh being adapted to slide upon one another to thereby allow the first jaw to pivot roughly about the proximal end in a first direction, the two sets of teeth wherein mesh not allowing the first jaw to pivot roughly about the proximal end in a second direction; and

a movable member having a configuration facilitating contact with at least one of the two sets of teeth to move the two sets of teeth out of mesh, movement of the two sets of teeth out of mesh allowing the first jaw to pivot relative to the second jaw in the second direction.

18. A surgical clamp combination, comprising:

a surgical clamp having a longitudinal axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end, and including a supporting structure;

first and second jaws coupled to the supporting structure, the jaws being movable between an open position and a closed position;

a movable member carried by the supporting structure and operable between a first configuration where a pawl of the first jaw is biased into mesh with a ratchet of the second jaw, a second configuration where the pawl is not biased into mesh with the ratchet, and a third configuration where the first and second jaws can be moved between both the open position and the closed position;

a clamp applier having a longitudinal axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end;

a tube disposed at the distal end of the clamp applier;

engaging means disposed within the tube for engaging the movable member at the proximal end of the clamp and for moving the movable member between the three configurations; and

operating means disposed at the proximal end of the clamp applier for operating the engaging means to move the jaws of the clamp.

19. A surgical clamp, comprising:

a first jaw having a proximal end and a distal end;

a pawl secured to the first jaw near the proximal end, the pawl being biased in a proximal direction via a leaf spring;

a second jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, and adapted for being pivotally secured to the first jaw, the second jaw comprising a ratchet, which is disposed proximally relative to the pawl and in mesh with the pawl when the second jaw is secured to the first jaw; and

a movable member secured to the first jaw, the movable member being adapted for contacting and moving the pawl in a distal direction against the bias of the leaf spring to thereby move the pawl out of mesh with the ratchet, the first jaw and the second jaw being movable from a closed state to an open state when the pawl is moved in the distal direction by the movable member, the pawl being biased back into mesh with the ratchet when the movable member is removed from contact with the pawl.

20. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 19, the movable member being adapted for moving from a first configuration into a second configuration in order to move the pawl in the distal direction, and the movable member being adapted for subsequently moving from the second configuration into a third configuration in order to move the first jaw and the second jaw from the closed state to the open state.

21. The surgical clamp as recited in claim 20, the movable member being adapted for moving from the third configuration back into the first configuration in order to move the first jaw and the second jaw from the open state to the closed state.