Clip applier configured to prevent clip fallout

• US 8,038,686 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Davison, Mark, Huitema, Thomas, Koch, Robert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SONNETT, KATHLEEN C
• Application Number:
  US11/162,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/142, 606/143, 606/157, 606/158, 606/167, 606205-211, 227/175.1, 227/175.2, 227/175.3, 227/175.4, 227/176.1, 227/177.1, 227/178.1, 227/179.1, 227/180.1, 227/181.1, 227/182.1
• US Class Current: 606/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/10 for applying or removing wound clamps, e.g. containing only one clamp or staple A61B17/076 takes precedence; containing multiple wound clamps A61B17/068; Wound clamp magazines containers, packaging elements or packages specially adapted for particular articles or with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00, B65D85/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00407 Ratchet means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/032 pressure limiting, e.g. hydrostatic

Abstract

A surgical clip applier and methods for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical clip applier is provided having a housing with a trigger movably coupled thereto and a shaft extending therefrom with opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof. The trigger is adapted to advance a clip to position the clip between the jaws, and to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position to crimp the clip positioned therebetween. The surgical clip applier can include a variety of features to facilitate use of the device, including features to align a clip with the jaws, features to prevent unintentional migration of a clip, and features to prevent clip fallout during formation.

Claims

1. An improved endoscopic surgical clip applier having jaws which close together to approximate tissues to be clipped, a push rod adapted to close the jaws, a trigger adapted to actuate the push rod, and a ratchet mechanism adapted to prevent the trigger from opening during at least a portion of a closing stroke, the improvement comprising:

a preloaded rotary joint formed between the push rod and a linkage coupling the push rod to the trigger, the preloaded rotary joint being effective to maintain the jaws in a substantially fixed partially closed position when the trigger is partially opened during a closing stroke to retain a partially formed clip between the jaws, wherein the preloaded rotary joint includes a biasing element disposed in a recess that includes at least one ridge formed therein configured to maintain the biasing element at a substantially constant load during a closing stroke and up through full closure of the jaws.

2. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the preloaded rotary joint is adapted to maintain the push rod in a substantially fixed position while allowing the linkage to move proximally.

3. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the biasing element is adapted to be compressed by the push rod during a closing stroke, and adapted to apply a biasing force to the push rod when the trigger is partially opened.

4. The surgical clip applier of claim 3, wherein a proximal end of the push rod and the biasing element are disposed within the recess formed in a coupling mechanism, the biasing element biasing the proximal end of the push rod distally.

5. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the biasing element comprises a cantilevered beam.

6. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the biasing element comprises a spring.

7. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the at least one ridge is adapted to prevent the biasing element from fully compressing.

8. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a handle with a shaft extending therefrom, the shaft being rotatable relative to the handle;

jaws formed on a distal end of the shaft;

a jaw closing mechanism extending through the shaft and coupled to the jaws;

a trigger adapted to actuate the jaw closing mechanism to close the jaws during a closing stroke; and

a preloaded joint formed between the jaw closing mechanism and the trigger and being advancable distally by the trigger during a closing stroke, the preloaded joint being configured to prevent a clip from falling out of the jaws when the trigger is partially opened during the closing stroke, and the preloaded joint including a biasing element disposed in a recess that includes at least one ridge formed therein configured to maintain the biasing element at a substantially constant load during a closing stroke and up through full closure of the jaws.

9. The surgical clip applier of claim 8, wherein the biasing element is formed from Nitinol.

10. The surgical clip applier of claim 8, wherein the jaw closing mechanism includes a cam adapted to close the jaws, a push rod coupled to the cam, and a coupling mechanism extending between the push rod and the trigger.

11. The surgical clip applier of claim 10, wherein the recess is formed in the coupling mechanism and is adapted to be compressed by the push rod during a closing stroke.

12. The surgical clip applier of claim 8, wherein the at least one ridge is adapted to prevent the biasing element from fully compressing.

13. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a housing;

a shaft extending distally from the housing, the shaft being rotatable relative to the housing;

first and second jaws formed on a distal end of the shaft;

a trigger movably coupled to the housing;

an anti-backup mechanism adapted to engage the trigger when the trigger is released during at least a partial closing stroke; and

an assembly coupled between the trigger and the jaws and adapted to maintain the jaws in a substantially fixed position to prevent clip fallout when the trigger is released during at least a partial closing stroke, the assembly including a recess and a biasing element formed in the recess, the recess including at least one ridge configured to prevent the biasing element from deflecting under compression during final stages of a closing stroke of the trigger.

14. The surgical clip applier of claim 13, wherein the recess and the biasing element form a preloaded joint for maintaining a portion of the assembly in a fixed position and allowing a portion of the assembly to move proximally when the trigger is released during at least a partial closing stroke.

15. The surgical clip applier of claim 14, wherein the preloaded joint is formed between a push rod adapted to advance a cam over the jaws to close the jaws, and a coupling mechanism for coupling the push rod to the trigger, and wherein the preloaded joint maintains the push rod in a fixed position and allows the coupling mechanism to move proximally when the trigger is released during at least a partial closing stroke.

16. The surgical clip applier of claim 15, wherein the push rod is rotatably coupled to the coupling mechanism.

17. An improved endoscopic surgical clip applier having jaws which close together to approximate tissues to be clipped, a push rod adapted to close the jaws, a trigger adapted to actuate the push rod, and a ratchet mechanism adapted to prevent the trigger from opening during at least a portion of a closing stroke, the improvement comprising:

a preloaded rotary joint formed between the push rod and a linkage coupling the push rod to the trigger, the preloaded rotary joint being effective to maintain the jaws in a substantially fixed partially closed position when the trigger is partially opened during a closing stroke to retain a partially formed clip between the jaws, and the preloaded rotary joint including a biasing element being formed in a recess that includes at least one ridge formed therein and adapted to maintain the biasing element at a substantially constant load as the biasing element is compressed during a closing stroke.