Apparatus for ligating living tissues

• US 6,923,818 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Junichi, Kobayashi, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Julian W.
• Application Number:
  US10/102,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 606/142, 606/143, 606/151, 606/157, 606/158, 600/104, 604/22, 227/175.1
• US Class Current: 606/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0643 with separate closing member, e.g. for interlocking with staple
• 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 17/1227 Spring clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery

Abstract

An apparatus for ligating living tissues comprises an introducing tube capable of being inserted into a living body cavity, a manipulating wire movably inserted into the introducing tube, and clips for ligating living tissues, the clips being arranged in the introducing tube. The introducing tube has a plurality of tube channels. A plurality of clips are arranged in series in the tube channel, and a manipulating wire engaged with the clips is arranged at the other tube channel.

Claims

1. A living tissue ligating apparatus comprising:

an introducing tube capable of being inserted into a living body cavity;

first and second tube channels provided in the introducing tube and extending in an axial direction thereof;

first and second clips for ligating living tissues, the clips being arranged in series in the first tube channel; and

first and second manipulating wires movably inserted into the first and second tube channels, respectively, the first and second manipulating wires being respectively engaged with said first and second clips.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one further manipulating wire is engaged with at least one further clip which is inserted into the first tube channel.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second clips each have a proximal end portion, and a pinch section is formed at a distal end of an arm section which extends from the proximal end portion, thereby imparting expanding/opening properties.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein there is provided a clip tightening ring engagingly mounted on an arm section of the first and second clips, thereby closing a pinch section of the first and second clips.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, at the clip tightening ring, there is provided engaging means for, when said first and second clips and clip tightening ring are protruded frontally of the introducing tube, engaging the introducing tube and clip tightening tube with each other, and inhibiting the clip tightening ring from being housed again in the introducing tube.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a movably-inserted compression member is provided in close proximity to the clip tightening ring arranged at the most proximal end portion of the introducing tube.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tube channel in which said clips and clip tightening ring are mounted is shaped so as not to come into contact with means for engaging the clip tightening ring.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a communicating channel which communicates the tube channel which houses said clips with the tube channel into which the manipulating wire is inserted is provided in at least a region in which the clips are arranged.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of the sectional shape of the tube channel which houses said clips and a part of the sectional shape of the tube channel into which the manipulating wire is inserted are superimposed, whereby a communicating channel is formed.

10. A living tissue ligating apparatus comprising:

an introducing tube capable of being inserted into a living body cavity;

a manipulating wire movably inserted into the introducing tube; and

at least two clips for ligating living tissues, the clips being arranged in the introducing tube, wherein the manipulating wire has a loop section in close proximity to a distal end of the introducing tube, first and second sections extending from the loop section to a proximal end portion of the introducing tube, the at least two clips are securely fixed to the first section, and retracting means is provided to a proximal end side of the second section.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said at least two clips each have a proximal end portion, a pinch section is formed at a distal end of an arm section which extends from the proximal end portion, and opening/expanding properties are imparted.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein there is provided a clip tightening ring engagingly mounted on an arm section of the at least two clips, thereby closing the pinch section of the at least two clips.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, at the clip tightening ring, there is provided engaging means for, when said at least two clips and clip tightening ring are protruded frontally of the introducing tube, engaging the introducing tube and clip tightening tube with each other, and inhibiting the clip tightening ring from being housed again in the introducing tube.

14. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said at least two clips and manipulating wire are connected with each other via a connecting wire, and the connecting wire breaks with a predetermined force quantity when a force of closing the at least two clips is applied.

15. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a holding element engaged with a loop section of the manipulating wire is provided in close proximity to a distal end of said introducing tube.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a distal opening portion of the tube channel which houses said at least two clips is provided to be more proximal than a distal end opening portion of the tube channel into which the manipulating wire is inserted, and a portion of the engagement between the manipulating wire and holding element is provided in a distal end extension of the tube channel which houses the at least two clips.

17. A ligating apparatus for ligating tissue in the body of a patient, the ligating apparatus comprising:

an introducing tube for insertion into a body cavity of the patient, said introducing tube having first and second channel regions formed therein so as to extend next to each other in a longitudinal direction thereof;

a plurality of clips received in the introducing tube one behind the other in the longitudinal direction; and

manipulating wire means movably extending in the introducing tube for applying the plurality of clips through exertion of a pulling force on the manipulating wire means, the manipulating wire means comprises a plurality of separately operable manipulating wires each engaged with one of the plurality of clips;

wherein the plurality of clips are housed in the first channel region, and an advancing wire portion extends in the first channel region and a returning wire portion extends through the second channel region.