Closing assemblies for clamping device

• US 7,641,671 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Design Standards Corporation
• Original Assignee: Design Standards Corporation
• Inventors: Crainich, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Julian W
• Assistant Examiner(s): RYCKMAN, MELISSA K
• Application Number:
  US10/995,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20060111735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 606/151, 606/205, 606/207, 606/157, 606/158, 606/120, 227/176.1
• US Class Current: 606/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12 for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels, umbilical cord specially adapted for vas deferens or fallopian tubes A61F6/20; materials for ligaturing blood vessels A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2808 Clamp, e.g. towel clamp
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2926 Details of heads or jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2944 Translation of jaw members

Abstract

A closing assembly for a clamping device having first and second jaw members includes a closing mechanism connected between the first and second jaw members, the jaws extending distally from the closing mechanism; and a member for applying a separating force to the first and second jaw members proximally of the closing mechanism, whereby the first and second jaw members can be maintained substantially parallel during closing. The clamp has a very strong clamping force.

Claims

1. A closing assembly for a clamping device having first and second jaw members, comprising:

a closing mechanism connected between the first and second jaw members, the jaws extending distally from the closing mechanism, wherein the closing mechanism comprises a rotatable member and a drive member for rotating the rotatable member, wherein the drive member comprises a flexible member passing around the rotatable member for pulley-like rotation of the rotatable member responsive to movement of the flexible member; and

means for applying a separating force to the first and second jaw members proximally of the closing mechanism, whereby the first and second jaw members can be maintained substantially parallel during closing,

wherein the rotatable member is rotatably mounted relative to one jaw of the first and second jaw members, and wherein the closing mechanism further comprises a link member movably connected between the other jaw of the first and second jaw members and the rotatable member, whereby rotation of the rotatable member moves the first and second jaw members between an open and a closed position,

wherein the rotatable member comprises a disk, and wherein the disk is mounted to the one jaw at a non-centric point relative to the disk, and wherein the link member is also mounted to the disk at another non-centric point relative to the disk,

wherein the disk has two substantially lateral cable passages, and further comprising a cable passing through the cable passages.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the drive member rotates the disk relative to the first and second jaw members.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the flexible member passes around the disk for pulley-like rotation of the disk responsive to movement of the flexible member.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for applying a separating force comprises a proximal rotatable member rotatably mounted relative to one jaw of the first and second jaw members, and a link member movably connected between the other jaw of the first and second jaw members and the rotatable member, whereby rotation of the rotatable member applies and removes the separating force.

5. The assembly of claim 4, further comprising a link member rotatably connected to the rotatable member and the proximal rotatable member whereby rotation of one member of the rotatable member and the proximal rotatable member rotates the other member of the rotatable member and the proximal rotatable member.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the drive member also rotates the proximal rotatable member.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second jaw members define a surgical clamp.

8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an inset central portion defined between the cable passages, and wherein the cable extends from one passage along the inset central portion to the other passage.

9. A closing assembly for a clamping device having first and second jaw members, comprising:

a closing mechanism connected between the first and second jaw members, the jaws extending distally from the closing mechanism, wherein the closing member comprises a rotatable member and a drive member for rotating the rotatable member, wherein the drive member comprises a flexible member passing around the rotatable member for pulley-like rotation of the rotatable member responsive to movement of the flexible member; and

means for applying a separating force to the first and second jaw members proximally of the closing mechanism while the jaws are being closed, whereby the first and second jaw members can be maintained substantially parallel during closing, wherein the means for applying a separating force comprises a spring member positioned between the first and second jaw member and exerting the separating force against the first and second jaw members,

wherein the rotatable member is rotatably mounted relative to one jaw of the first and second jaw members, and wherein the closing mechanism further comprises a link member movably connected between the other jaw of the first and second jaw members and the rotatable member, whereby rotation of the rotatable member moves the first and second jaw members between an open and a closed position,

wherein the rotatable member comprises a disk, and wherein the disk is mounted to the one jaw at a non-centric point relative to the disk, and wherein the link member is also mounted to the disk at another non-centric point relative to the disk,

wherein the disk has two substantially lateral cable passages, and further comprising a cable passing through the cable passages.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the spring member is a coiled spring.

11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the spring member is a leaf spring.

12. A closing assembly for a clamping device having first and second jaw members, comprising:

a closing mechanism connected between the first and second jaw members, the jaws extending distally from the closing mechanism, wherein the closing member comprises a rotatable member and a drive member for rotating the rotatable member, wherein the drive member comprises a flexible member passing around the rotatable member for pulley-like rotation of the rotatable member responsive to movement of the flexible member; and

a spring member for applying a separating force to the first and second jaw members proximally of the closing mechanism, whereby the first and second jaw members can be maintained substantially parallel during closing,

wherein the rotatable member is rotatably mounted relative to one jaw of the first and second jaw members, and wherein the closing mechanism further comprises a link member movably connected between the other jaw of the first and second jaw members and the rotatable member, whereby rotation of the rotatable member moves the first and second jaw members between an open and a closed position,

wherein the rotatable member comprises a disk, and wherein the disk is mounted to the one jaw at a non-centric point relative to the disk, and wherein the link member is also mounted to the disk at another non-centric point relative to the disk

wherein the disk has two substantially lateral cable passages, and further comprising a cable passing through the cable passages.