Surgical clip applier having jaws adapted to guide and deform a clip

• US 7,615,058 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Kortenbach, Juergen A., Sixto, Robert Jr., Smith, Kevin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Julian W
• Application Number:
  US10/992,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20050090838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 606/142, 606/143, 606/157, 606/158, 227/175.1
• US Class Current: 606/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• 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 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2946 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320064 with tissue or sample retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/10 using magnetic means, e.g. by measuring change of reluctance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44752 Integral locking-means

Abstract

A flexible clip applier includes a flat wire wound tubular coil, a pair of jaws at the end of the coil, end effector wires extending through the coil and coupled to the jaws, and a clip-advancing wire extending through the coil. A clip chamber is defined in the distal end of the coil. A clip pusher is provided at a distal end of the clip-advancing wire, and advances a clip into the jaws when the clip-advancing wire is moved distally. The jaws include channels in which a distalmost clip rides when the jaws are closed and the pusher is advanced, thereby causing the distalmost clip to be pushed over the tissue, and a distal anvil which operate to deform a portion of the clip to enhance its retention on the clamped tissue.

Claims

1. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a) an outer tubular member having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis;

b) a clip-advancing element extending through said tubular member, and having proximal and distal ends, said distal end defining a clip-pushing end;

c) a jaw mount located at said distal end of said tubular member;

d) first and second jaws mounted on said jaw mount, at least one of said jaws being rotatable on said jaw mount relative to the other of said jaws,

said first jaw including a first clamping surface, a first longitudinally extending clip guide recessed relative to said first clamping surface, and a curved or bent distal anvil directed toward said second jaw and curved or bent relative to said first clip guide, said distal anvil having a tissue piercing end portion,

said second jaw including a second clamping surface, a second longitudinally extending clip guide recessed relative to said second clamping surface, a well recessed relative to a surface of said second clip guide and located distal of said second clip guide, and at least one anvil guide laterally offset relative to said distal anvil;

e) at least one control element having proximal and distal ends and extending within said tubular member, said distal end of each said at least one control element being coupled to at least one of said jaws; and

f) a handle assembly coupled to said proximal ends of said tubular member, said clip-advancing element, and said at least one control element and adapted

(i) to move said clip-advancing element relative to said tubular member, and

(ii) to move said at least one control element relative to said tubular member to effect clamping of said jaws.

2. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a) an outer tubular member having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis;

b) a clip-advancing element extending through said tubular member, and having proximal and distal ends, said distal end defining a clip-pushing end;

c) a jaw mount located at said distal end of said tubular member;

d) first and second jaws mounted on said jaw mount, at least one of said jaws being rotatable on said jaw mount relative to the other of said jaws,

said first jaw including a first clamping surface and a curved or bent distal anvil directed toward said second jaw, said distal anvil having a tissue piercing end portion,

said second jaw including a second clamping surface, and at least one anvil guide laterally offset relative to said distal anvil, and

at least one of said first and second jaws having a longitudinally extending clip guide, and each of said jaws having said clip guide has said clip guide recessed relative to its respective clamping surface;

e) at least one control element having proximal and distal ends and extending within said tubular member, said distal end of each said at least one control element being coupled to at least one of said jaws;

f) a handle assembly coupled to said proximal ends of said tubular member, said clip-advancing element, and said at least one control element and adapted

(i) to move said clip-advancing element relative to said tubular member, and

(ii) to move said at least one control element relative to said tubular member to effect clamping of said jaws;

g) a clip chamber adapted to store at least one surgical clip, said clip-advancing element extending into said clip chamber and adapted to advance a clip from said clip chamber between said jaws; and

h) at least one clip in said clip chamber having first and second arms and a bridge portion therebetween to together define a generally U-shaped construct, the first arm extending into a deformable retainer,

wherein when said clip-advancing element is advanced, said first and second arms of one of said at least one clip are moved through said first and second clip guides, and said deformable retainer of said one of said clips is bent by the anvil toward said second arm.

3. A surgical clip applier according to claim 2, wherein:

said at least one clip comprises a plurality of clips.

4. A surgical clip applier according to claim 3, wherein:

said plurality of clips each coupled in a manner such that when a proximally located clip is retracted, said proximally located clip pulls a distally located clip backwards.

5. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a) an outer tubular member having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis;

b) a clip-advancing element extending through said tubular member, and having proximal and distal ends, said distal end defining a clip-pushing end;

c) a jaw mount located at said distal end of said tubular member;

d) first and second jaws mounted on said jaw mount, at least one of said jaws being rotatable on said jaw mount relative to the other of said jaws,

said first jaw including a first clamping surface and a curved or bent distal anvil directed toward said second jaw, said distal anvil having a tissue piercing end portion,

said second jaw including a second clamping surface, and at least one anvil guide laterally offset relative to said distal anvil, and

at least one of said first and second jaws having a longitudinally extending clip guide, and each of said jaws having said clip guide has said clip guide recessed relative to its respective clamping surface;

e) at least one control element having proximal and distal ends and extending within said tubular member, said distal end of each said at least one control element being coupled to at least one of said jaws; and

f) a handle assembly coupled to said proximal ends of said tubular member, said clip-advancing element, and said at least one control element and adapted

(i) to move said clip-advancing element relative to said tubular member, and

(ii) to move said at least one control element relative to said tubular member to effect clamping of said jaws,

wherein, said first and second clamping surfaces include a plurality of proximally directed teeth.