Apparatus for ligating living tissues

• US 7,223,271 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inverness Medical Switzerland GmbH (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Junichi, Yamamoto, Tetsuya, Suzuki, Takayuki, Kobayashi, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson; Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US10/067,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20020151916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 606/143
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft

Abstract

A ligating apparatus includes an introducing tube which can be inserted in a living body cavity, a manipulating wire inserted in the introducing tube in such a manner that the manipulating wire can freely advance or retreat, a clip which is directly joined to a tip end of the manipulating wire, which has a holding portion formed in a tip end of an arm portion extending from the base end, and which has an extending/opening property, and engaging structure disposed in at least one of the base end of the clip and the tip end of the manipulating wire, wherein at least one of the engaging means is deformed and releases engaging of the clip and the manipulating wire, when the clip engages with the tip end of the introducing tube, and a force for detaching the base end of the clip from the tip end of the manipulating wire is applied.

Claims

1. A ligating apparatus comprising:

an introducing tube which is inserted in a living body cavity;

a manipulating wire inserted through the introducing tube in such a manner that the manipulating wire is movable in advancing and retreating directions;

a clip having a base end and at least two arm portions extending from the base end, each of the arm portions having a holding portion apart from the base end, and the base end having a through hole which is extended in the advancing direction and through which said manipulating wire is inserted, the manipulating wire including a tip end which is projected from the through hole and positioned between the arm portions; and

a stopper having a bulged portion formed at the tip end of the manipulating wire, the bulged portion having a larger diameter or width than that of the through hole so that the bulged portion engages with the base end;

wherein the base end and/or bulged portion is deformed when the manipulating wire is moved in the retreating direction against the base end of the clip, so that the diameter or width of the bulged portion becomes relatively smaller than that of the through hole and is disengaged with the base end whereby the tip end of the manipulating wire is removed from the base end through the through hole.

2. A ligating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a clip tightening ring attached to the arm portions of said clip to close the holding portions of the clip;

and a manipulating member for the clip tightening ring, inserted through the introducing tube disposed behind the clip tightening ring in such a manner that the manipulating member can freely advance or retreat.

3. A ligating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a clip tightening ring attached to the arm portions of said clip to close the holding portions of the clip;

the clip and clip tightening ring being inserted in the introducing tube so as to be projected from the tip portion of the introducing tube;

abutting members respectively disposed on an end portion of the introducing tube and the clip tightening ring, for prohibiting the clip tightening ring projected from the tip portion of the introducing tube, from being into the introducing tube, when the clip and the clip tightening ring are moved in the retracting direction project forwards from the introducing tube; and

a manipulating member inserted through the introducing tube disposed behind the clip tightening ring in such a maimer that the manipulating member can freely advance to move the clip tightening ring.

4. A ligating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tip end of said manipulating wire is crushed in a flat shape, to form the bulged portion.

5. A ligating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pipe-shaped member is attached to the tip end of said manipulating wire to form the bulged portion.

6. A ligating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is linearly extended through the base end, and a portion of the manipulating wire which is inserted through the through hole is linear and extended in the advancing direction.

7. A ligating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base of the clip is formed by a strip having a thickness, and an extending direction of the through hole corresponds to a thickness direction of the base.

8. A ligating apparatus comprising:

an introducing tube which can be inserted in a living body cavity;

a manipulating wire inserted through the introducing tube in such a manner that the manipulating wire can freely advance or retreat; and

at least two clips each of which has a base end, a plurality of arm portions extending from the base end and holding portions formed on the arm portions apart from the base end, wherein two or more clips are arranged in series, holes through which said manipulating wire can be inserted are formed through the base ends of respective clips, and a stopper portion larger than the hole is disposed in a tip end of the manipulating wire inserted through the holes in the base ends of the at least two clips.

9. A ligating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a clip tightening ring attached to the arm portions of said clip to close the holding portions of the clip;

and a manipulating member inserted through the introducing tube disposed behind the clip tightening ring disposed in a closest position in such a manner that the manipulating member can freely advance or retreat.

10. A ligating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a clip tightening ring attached to the arm portions of said clip to close the holding portions of the clip;

the clip and clip tightening ring being inserted in the introducing tubes so as to be projected form the tip portion of the introducing tube;

abutting members respectively, disposed on an end portion of the introducing tube and the clip tightening ring, for prohibiting the clip tightening ring projected from the tip portion of the introducing tube, from being into the introducing tube, when the clip and the clip tightening ring are moved in the retracting direction project forwards from the introducing tube; and

a manipulating member inserted through the introducing tube disposed behind the clip tightening ring disposed in the closest position in such a manner that the manipulating member can freely advance or retreat.

11. A ligating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the tip end of said manipulating wire is crushed in a flat shape, to form the stopper portion including a bulged portion.

12. A ligating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a pipe-shaped member is attached to the tip end of said manipulating wire, and a bulged portion is formed.

13. A ligating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the through hole of the base end has a diameter smaller than that of the stopper portion.

14. A ligating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the through hole of the base end is deformed to increase the diameter thereof, when the manipulating wire is moved in the retreating direction against the base end of the clip.

15. A ligating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the engaging portion of the manipulating wire is deformed to decrease the diameter thereof, when the manipulating wire is moved in the retreating direction against the base end of the clip.

16. A ligating apparatus comprising:

a manipulating wire inserted through a longitudinal introducing tube in such a manner that the manipulating wire is movable along a longitudinal axis of the manipulating tube in advancing and retreating directions, the manipulating wire having a tip end, and a linear potion extended along the longitudinal axis and connected to the tip portion at its one end; and

a clip having a base end and arm portions extending from the base end, each of the arm portions having a holding portion apart from the base end, the base end having inner and outer surface portions apart from each other in the longitudinal axis, and a through hole extended to the inner surface portion from the outer surface portion,

wherein the linear portion of the manipulating wire is inserted in the through hole of the base portion so that the tip end of the manipulating wire is projected from the inner surface portion of the base end, positioned between the arm portions, and engaged with the inner surface portion of the base end, and

wherein the base end and/or tip end is deformed when the manipulating wire is moved in the retreating direction, so that the tip end of the manipulating wire is disengaged with the inner surface portion of the base end of the clip whereby the tip end of the manipulating wire is removed from the base end through the through hole.

17. A ligating apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the tip end of the manipulating wire includes a laterally extended portion having a width larger than a diameter of the through hole.