Ladder-type medical clip feeding mechanism
First Claim
1. A clip feeder arrangement supportively received in a handle of a medical clip stapling gun to permit the advancement of a plurality of clips seriatim in said clip feeder arrangement by a trigger mechanism in said handle, to feed said clips to a location between a pair of pincher jaws, a distalmost clip of said plurality of clips being advanced to said jaws prior to advancement of the remaining plurality of clips, said feeder arrangement comprising:
- a U-shaped cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end, said cartridge containing said plurality of clips;
a frame for supporting said cartridge;
an elongated ladder member arranged in said cartridge to push said clips distally upon activation of a clip feeder bar mechanism by said trigger mechanism, said ladder member having a plurality of elongated openings therein to permit distal advancement of the distalmost clip prior to distal advancement of the remainder of said clips in said cartridge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a clip feeder arrangement for supportive receipt in a handle of a medical clip stapling gun to permit the advancement of a plurality of clips seriatim by a trigger mechanism in the handle to a location between a pair of pincher jaws. A distalmost clip of that plurality of clips is being advanced to the jaws prior to advancement of the remaining plurality of clips. The feeder arrangement comprises a ladder arranged within a U-shaped cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end. The distalmost clip is moved distally away from the ladder by a clip feeder bar mechanism which is arranged for first advancing the distalmost clip in the cartridge to a location between the jaws. The remaining plurality of clips are then also advanced distally by the ladder, both of the advancement motions occurring in a single distal advance of the clip feeder bar mechanism.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A clip feeder arrangement supportively received in a handle of a medical clip stapling gun to permit the advancement of a plurality of clips seriatim in said clip feeder arrangement by a trigger mechanism in said handle, to feed said clips to a location between a pair of pincher jaws, a distalmost clip of said plurality of clips being advanced to said jaws prior to advancement of the remaining plurality of clips, said feeder arrangement comprising:
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a U-shaped cartridge having a proximal end and a distal end, said cartridge containing said plurality of clips;
a frame for supporting said cartridge;
an elongated ladder member arranged in said cartridge to push said clips distally upon activation of a clip feeder bar mechanism by said trigger mechanism, said ladder member having a plurality of elongated openings therein to permit distal advancement of the distalmost clip prior to distal advancement of the remainder of said clips in said cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of sequentially feeding a plurality of clips to a set of jaws in a medical clip stapling gun comprising the steps of:
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placing a clip containing cartridge in a frame for feeding said clips to a pair of pincher jaws;
disposing an elongated ladder in said cartridge so as to push said clips to a distal end of said cartridge;
arranging a plurality of elongated openings in said ladder to permit an advancing clip feeder bar mechanism from pushing said ladder until said clip feeder bar mechanism first engages a distal end of an opening in said ladder;
pushing a distalmost clip in said cartridge by a distal end of said clip feeder bar mechanism; and
subsequently pushing said ladder by said clip feeder bar mechanism to push the remainder of said clips in said cartridge distally. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
pinching said distalmost clip between said jaws by actuation of a trigger mechanism in a handle portion of said stapling gun.
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14. The method of sequentially feeding a plurality of clips to a set of jaws in a medical clip stapling gun as recited in claim 13, comprising the steps of:
recycling said clip feeder bar mechanism proximally so as to permit the sequential advance of the next distalmost clip to a location between said jaws.
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15. The method of sequentially feeding a plurality of clips to a set of jaws in a medical clip stapling gun comprising the steps of:
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pushing an elongated slotted ladder in a frame of said gun by a clip feeder bar in said frame, to push a plurality of clips distally in one motion of said clip feeder bar; and
pushing a distalmost clip of said plurality of clips into a set of pincher jaws of said gun before the remainder of said plurality of clips are moved distally by said one motion of said clip feeder bar. - View Dependent Claims (16)
engaging said distalmost clip by said clip feeder bar before said slotted ladder and said plurality of clips is advanced distally by said pusher bar in said one motion of said clip feeder bar.
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Specification