Surgical clip applier

• US 5,868,761 A
• Filed: 08/15/1996
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LeMaitre Vascular, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: United States Surgical Corporation (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Maffei, Frank C., Nicholas, David A., Alesi, Daniel E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THUY D
• Application Number:
  US08/698,430
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/142, 606/143, 606/151
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/083 Clips, e.g. resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1107 for blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2913 cams or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2916 pins in guiding slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft

Abstract

A surgical clip applicator having a housing, a pair of handles pivotally connected to opposite sides of the housing, and a jaw blade assembly fixedly connected to the housing is provided. The jaw blade assembly includes a pair of jaws for receiving and deforming a clip therebetween and a clip carrier for supplying a series of clips to the jaws. A channel assembly is slidably mounted with respect to the housing and envelops the jaw blade assembly for camming the jaws closed upon closing of the handles. The clips are urged by a pusher bar which provides a biasing force to advance the clips to be retained by the jaws. A jaw clamp is provided to maintain the jaw assembly in abutting relation to a clip cover. The applicator housing is formed from a pair of housing half-sections that may be secured together using interlocking and/or snap-fit structure. The instrument may be used in conventional surgical procedures, or may be adapted for endoscopic and laparoscopic surgical procedures requiring the application of microsurgical clips.

Claims

1. A surgical clip applicator comprising:

a housing;

a handle assembly pivotally connected to the housing;

a jaw assembly extending distally from the housing, the jaw assembly being movable from an open position to a closed position;

a channel assembly movable into operable engagement with the jaw assembly to move the jaw assembly from the open to the closed position;

a clip cover extending distally from the housing, the clip cover being aligned with the jaw assembly and defining a clip track with the jaw assembly;

a series of clips positioned along the clip track;

a clip pusher bar movable along the clip track; and

a jaw clamp extending at least partially about the jaw assembly and clip cover and adapted to maintain the jaw assembly and clip cover in abutting relation.

2. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 1, wherein the jaw clamp includes at least one resilient tab positioned to bias the jaw assembly and clip cover into abutting relation.

3. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 1, wherein the channel assembly is slidably mounted with respect to the housing and jaw assembly and the clip cover and the jaw clamp are longitudinally fixed with respect to the housing.

4. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 3 wherein the channel assembly defines a passage, the jaw assembly, clip cover, and jaw clamp forming a clamp assembly and being positioned within the passage such that the channel assembly is movable about the clamp assembly into engagement with the jaw assembly.

5. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 4 wherein the jaw assembly includes a stop surface and the channel assembly includes a reduced width portion, the stop surface being positioned to engage the reduced width portion to limit movement of the channel assembly about the clamp assembly.

6. A surgical clip applicator comprising:

a housing;

a jaw assembly extending distally from the housing, the jaw assembly being movable from an open position to a closed position;

a channel assembly movable into operable engagement with the jaw assembly to move the jaw assembly from the open to the closed position;

a cam link member positioned within the housing and operably connected to the channel assembly, the cam link member having a pair of cam surfaces about its periphery;

a pair of handle members pivotally connected to the housing, each handle member having an abutment member, each abutment member being slidable along a respective one of the cam surfaces to cause the cam link member and the channel assembly to move distally to move the jaw assembly from the open to the closed position.

7. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 6 wherein the housing includes first and second housing half-sections, the first and second housing half-sections being snap-fit together.

8. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 7 wherein the first housing half-section includes a flexible tab member and the second housing half-section includes a retaining member, the tab member being movable about the retaining member to fasten the housing half-sections together.

9. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 8 further including a hook member provided on one of the housing half-sections and an opening configured to receive the hook member provided on the other of the housing half-sections, the hook member being engageable in the opening to interlock the housing half-sections together.

10. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 8 further comprising a pair of key members, wherein the central portion of the first and second housing half-sections each include a pair of key slots, each key member being engageable in one key slot of each pair of key slots in the first and second housing half-sections to fasten the first and second housing half-sections together.

11. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 10 wherein the handle members are pivotable about pivot pins extending between the first and second housing half-sections, the key members being formed integrally with the pivot pins.

12. A surgical clip applicator comprising:

a housing having first and second housing half-sections;

a handle assembly having a pair of handle members pivotably supported between the housing half-sections;

a jaw assembly extending distally from the housing, the jaw assembly being movable from an open position to a closed position;

a series of clips positioned within the housing;

a pusher bar movable with respect to the jaw assembly;

a pair of key members formed integrally with the handle members, wherein the first and second housing half-sections each include a pair of key slots, each key member being engageable in one key slot of each pair of key slots in the first and second housing half-sections to fasten the first and second housing half-sections together;

wherein the first housing half-section includes a tab member and the second housing half-section includes a retaining member, the tab member being movable about the retaining member to provide a snap-fit connection between the first and second housing half-sections.

13. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 12 further including a hook member provided on one of the housing half-sections and an opening configured to receive the hook member provided on the other of the housing half-sections, the hook member being engageable in the opening to interlock the housing half-sections together.

14. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 12, wherein the handle members are pivotable about pivot pins extending between the first and second housing half-sections, the key members being formed integrally with the pivot pins.

15. A surgical clip applicator comprising:

a housing;

a pair of handle members pivotally connected to the housing;

a jaw assembly having a pair of jaw members, the jaw assembly being longitudinally fixed and extending distally from the housing, the jaw assembly having an abutment surface spaced proximally of the jaw members;

a channel assembly longitudinally slidable with respect to the housing;

the channel assembly being movable into operable engagement with the jaw members to move the jaw members from an open to a closed position, the applicator further including an engagement surface, the engagement surface being moveable into contact with the abutment surface to limit distal advancement of the channel assembly, the engagement surface being positioned within the housing at the point of contact with the abutment surface.

16. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 15, wherein the channel assembly is slidably position about the jaw assembly.

17. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 15, further comprising an actuation mechanism, the actuation mechanism being operably connected to the channel assembly to move the channel assembly between proximal and distal positions, the engagement surface being formed on the actuation mechanism.

18. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 17, wherein the actuation mechanism includes a cam link assembly having a distally extending cylindrical portion, the engagement surface being formed on a distal face of the cam link assembly.

19. A surgical clip applicator as defined in claim 18, wherein the cam link assembly is connected to the channel assembly to permit relative rotation.

20. A surgical clip applicator comprising:

a housing having first and second housing half sections, wherein the first housing half-section includes a tab member and the second housing half-section includes a retaining member, the tab member being movable about the retaining member to provide a snap-fit connection between the first and second housing half-sections;

a jaw assembly extending distally from the housing, the jaw assembly having a pair of jaw members movable from an open position to a closed position, the jaw assembly being longitudinally fixed and extending distally from the housing and having an abutment surface spaced proximally of the jaw members;

a channel assembly longitudinally slidable and movable into operable engagement with the jaw assembly to move the jaw members from the open to the closed position, the applicator further including an engagement surface movable into contact with the abutment surface to limit distal advancement of the channel assembly;

a cam link member positioned within the housing and operably connected to the channel assembly, the cam link member having a pair of cam surfaces about its periphery;

a clip cover extending distally from the housing, the clip cover being aligned with the jaw assembly and defining a clip track with the jaw assembly;

a series of clips positioned along the clip track;

a clip pusher bar movable along the clip track;

a pair of handle members pivotally connected to the housing, each handle member having an abutment member which engages the cam surfaces to cause the cam link member and the channel assembly to move distally to move the jaw members from the open to the closed position; and

a jaw clamp extending at least partially about the jaw assembly and clip cover and adapted to maintain the jaw assembly and clip cover in abutting relation.