Surgical clip and applier device and method of use

• US 7,896,895 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Boudreaux, Chad Paul, Ortiz, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Anhtuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Simpson; Sarah A
• Application Number:
  US11/286,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 606/143, 606/157, 606/158, 606/142, 606/144, 606/139, 24/675, 24/67.P, 24/305.P, 244/37, 243/36, 244/56, 244/87, 245/62, 343/50, 132/273, 132/276, 132/277, 132/278, 132/279
• US Class Current: 606/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1227 Spring clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00862 elastic or resilient for sutures A61B2017/0618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/07221 curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/037 with a frangible part, e.g. by reduced diameter

Abstract

A surgical clip is provided for ligating or transecting tissue, such as vessels, other tubular ducts, and the like and a surgical clip applier device for delivering and applying the surgical clip to the tissue. The surgical clip can include a spine and opposed arms extending from the spine where the arms can define a clamping length. In a resting state, the clip can be biased to a closed position such that the ends of each opposed arm are disposed in proximity to each other. With such biasing, when applied to a tissue, such as with a surgical clip applier, the clip can exert a positive clamping pressure to the tissue along the clamping length to seal the tissue and limit passage of fluids, such as blood, from the tissue.

Claims

1. A surgical clip, comprising:

a spine having a height defined by a top edge and a bottom edge and extending along a longitudinal axis of the clip from at least one of a first clip end and a second clip end;

opposed arms extending from the top and bottom edges of the spine, the arms having a substantially straight length extending transverse to the longitudinal axis, the arms biased to a closed position such that ends of each opposed arm are disposed in proximity to each other to define a tissue-clamping region having a clamping length defined by the arms;

a frangible portion at a location along a length of the clip such that the clamping length of the tissue-clamping region can be selectively controlled; and

an incising element integrally formed on the spine and extending between the top edge to the bottom edge and configured to incise tissue in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the clip.

2. The surgical clip of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of frangible portions along the length of the clip such that the clamping length of the tissue-clamping region can be selectively controlled.

3. The surgical clip of claim 1, wherein the spine of the clip is bendable along the longitudinal axis such that the shape of the clip can be selectively altered.

4. The surgical clip of claim 1, wherein each opposed arm includes one or more slots disposed along the length of the clip, each slot extending from the ends of each opposed arm towards the spine in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the clip.

5. The surgical clip of claim 4, wherein each slot terminates at a location in proximity to the spine.

6. The surgical clip of claim 1, wherein the ends of the opposed arms comprise tissue-grasping elements adapted to secure the clip to a tissue.

7. The surgical clip of claim 6, wherein tissue grasping elements of a first arm are staggered relative to tissue grasping elements of an opposed second arm along the length.

8. The surgical clip of claim 1, wherein the length of the tissue-clamping region is greater than the length of the spine.

9. The surgical clip of claim 1, wherein each of the opposed arms is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the spine.

10. The surgical clip of claim 1, wherein the clip is formed of a material having spring properties, selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, and a polymer.

11. The surgical clip of claim 10, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of nitinol, stainless steel, and spring steel.

12. The surgical clip of claim 10, wherein the clip is formed of a bioabsorbable polymer.

13. The surgical clip of claim 12, wherein the bioabsorbable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyglycolide, polydioxanone, and polylactide.

14. The surgical clip of claim 1, wherein the ends of the opposed arms contact each other in the closed position.

15. The surgical clip of claim 1, wherein the ends of the opposed arms are spaced apart from each other in the closed position.

16. A surgical clip, comprising:

a spine having a height defined by a top edge and a bottom edge and extending along a longitudinal axis of the clip between a first clip end and a second clip end;

a plurality of top arms extending from the top edge of the spine and a plurality of bottom arms extending from a bottom edge of the spine, the arms having a substantially straight length extending transverse to the longitudinal axis, the plurality of top and bottom arms being biased to a closed position defining a tissue-clamping region having a clamping length defined by the arms; and

an incising element integrally formed on the spine and extending between the top edge to the bottom edge and configured to incise tissue in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the clip.

17. The surgical clip of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of frangible portions formed along a length of the clip such that a clamping length of the clip can be selectively controlled.

18. The surgical clip of claim 16, wherein the spine of the clip is bendable along the longitudinal axis such that the shape of the clip can be selectively altered.

19. The surgical clip of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of top and bottom arms includes one or more slots disposed therebetween along a length of the clip, each slot extending from the ends of each top and bottom arm towards the spine in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the clip.

20. The surgical clip of claim 19, wherein each slot terminates at a location in proximity to the spine.

21. The surgical clip of claim 16, wherein the ends of the plurality of top and bottom arms comprise tissue-grasping elements adapted to secure the clip to a tissue.

22. The surgical clip of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of top and bottom arms is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the spine.

23. The surgical clip of claim 16, wherein the clip is formed of a material having spring properties, selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, and a polymer.