Apparatus for applying surgical clips

• US 8,128,643 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Aranyi, Ernest, Whitfield, Kenneth H., Sorrentino, Gregory, Li, Zheng (Jeremy)
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/872,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 606143-148, 606/151, 606/157, 606/158, 606205-209
• US Class Current: 606/143
• 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 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00407 Ratchet means

Abstract

An apparatus for applying surgical clips has a body portion housing a clip stack and a pair of jaws supported at a distal end of the body portion. The body portion includes a camming member, a clip follower and a lockout member having a plurality of stop members. The lockout member is movable from a first position in slidable relation to the camming member to a second position interlocked with the camming member. The camming member has at least one notch, and in a second position the lockout member has at least one of the stop members positioned to interface with the at least one notch. The engagement between the stop member and the notch limits distal movement of the camming member. The clip follower actuates the lockout member when the clip follower advances to a predetermined clip in the clip stack.

Claims

1. An apparatus for applying surgical clips comprising:

a body portion housing a clip stack; and

a pair of jaws supported at a distal end of the body portion;

the body portion including a clip pusher, a camming member and a clip follower, the clip pusher being movably positioned within the body portion and being operable to advance a distal-most clip from the clip stack to a position between the pair of jaws, the camming member being movably positioned within the body portion and being operable to approximate the pair of jaws to deform the distal-most clip, and the clip follower being positioned proximally of the clip stack and operable to urge the clip stack distally towards the pair of jaws;

wherein the body portion further includes a lockout member having a plurality of stop members, the lockout member being movable from a first position in slidable relation to the camming member to a second position interlocked with the camming member;

wherein the camming member has at least one notch;

wherein in a second position, the lockout member has at least one of the stop members being positioned to interface with the at least one notch, the engagement between the at least one stop member and the at least one notch limiting distal movement of the camming member; and

wherein the clip follower actuates the lockout member when the clip follower advances to a predetermined clip in the clip stack.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lockout member includes at least one flexible leg having a projection and the camming member includes at least one notch;

and

wherein the notch has a size configured to receive the projection to lock the lockout member to the camming member.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lockout member includes a plurality of flexible legs and the camming member has a plurality of notches configured to receive at least a portion of the plurality of flexible legs.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lockout member includes an engagement member which is positioned to releasably retain the lockout member in the first position, the engagement member being biased to a stationary surface in the apparatus.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clip follower has a lockout nub;

and

wherein the lockout nub of the clip follower moves the engagement member to move the lockout member from the first position to the second interlocked position.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the lockout nub of the clip follower moves the engagement member of the lockout member after a predetermined clip has been advanced between the jaws.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clip follower actuates the lockout member when the clip follower advances to one of a last clip in the clip stack, a second to last clip in the clip stack, and a third to last clip in the clip stack.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a clip retainer member, the clip retainer member configured to bias the clip stack proximally, the clip retainer member limiting movement of the stack so only a distal most clip is advanced between the jaws by the clip pusher.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the clip retainer member is curved having a portion configured to block the stack.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a member having a cantilevered free end and a fixed end connected to the housing, the cantilevered free end extending between the jaws to prevent accidental compression of the jaws, and being adapted to be deflected about the fixed end to permit the jaws to be closed.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the camming member deflects the member as the camming member is advanced distally to close the jaws.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the member has the cantilevered free end extending between the jaws and the fixed end connected to the housing connected by a pin.

13. An apparatus for applying surgical clips comprising:

a body portion housing a clip stack; and

a pair of jaws supported at a distal end of the body portion;

the body portion including a clip pusher, a camming member and a clip follower, the clip pusher being movably positioned within the body portion and being operable to advance a distal-most clip from the clip stack to a position between the pair of jaws, the camming member being movably positioned within the body portion and being operable to approximate the pair of jaws to deform the distal-most clip, and the clip follower being positioned proximally of the clip stack and operable to urge the clip stack distally towards the pair of jaws;

wherein the body portion further includes a lockout member having a plurality of stop members, the lockout member being movable from a first position in slidable relation to the camming member to a second position interlocked with the camming member;

wherein the camming member has at least one notch;

wherein in the second position, the lockout member has at least one of the stop members positioned to interface with the at least notch to limit distal movement of the camming member;

wherein the clip follower actuates the lockout member when the clip follower advances to a predetermined clip in the clip stack;

wherein the apparatus has a latch assembly supported on the clip pusher, the latch assembly including a pivotal latch member movable from a first position to engage an aperture supported on the clip pusher to load a clip between the jaws to a second position, the second position to disengage therefrom and retract the clip pusher; and

wherein the camming member is operably connected to a movable handle such that movement of the at least one movable handle through an actuation stroke effects movement of the camming member from the advanced position to the retracted position.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a clip retainer spring connected to a distal inner surface of a cover.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the clip retainer spring has a portion to limit distal movement of the clip stack.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a safety device configured to prevent accidental compression of the jaws.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the safety device has a first free end that extends between the jaws at the initial position of the camming member.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the safety device has the first free end that is deflected from between the jaws at the advanced position of the camming member.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the lockout member has a distal tab, the distal tab being engageable with a stationary surface in the body to prevent distal movement of the lockout member at the second interlocked position, the distal tab limiting distal movement of the camming member.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the camming member is directly connected to a pair of handles with each handle connected to the camming member by a link.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the camming member has an orthogonal distal member configured to contact an outer camming surface of the jaws and configured to close the jaws.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a rack having a plurality of teeth, the camming member having a pawl, the pawl contacting the teeth as the camming member is advanced distally to prevent retraction of the camming member until the jaws are fully compressed.