Endoscopic surgical clip applier with lock out

• US 8,267,944 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Sorrentino, Gregory, Whitfield, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Erezo, Darwin
• Application Number:
  US12/539,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 606139-143
• US Class Current: 606/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0682 for applying U-shaped staples or clamps, e.g. without a forming anvil
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/083 Clips, e.g. resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/105 Wound clamp magazines for packaging sharps A61B50/3001
• 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 17/128 for applying or removing clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12004 for haemostasis, for prevention of bleeding

Abstract

An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue is provided and includes a handle assembly; a shaft assembly including a housing extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the shaft assembly; a jaw mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly, the jaw being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition; and a pusher bar reciprocally disposed within the housing of the shaft assembly and being detachably connectable to the housing of the shaft assembly, the pusher bar being configured to load a distal-most surgical clip into the jaws during distal movement and remain connected to the housing of the shaft assembly and in a distally advanced position during an approximation of the jaws.

Claims

1. An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the apparatus comprising:

a handle assembly including a trigger and a drive bar reciprocally translatable by the trigger upon an actuation thereof; and

a shaft assembly extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis, the shaft assembly including;

a housing;

a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the housing;

a jaw mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the housing, the jaw being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition;

a pusher bar reciprocally disposed within the housing of the shaft assembly, the pusher bar being configured to load a distal-most surgical clip into the jaws during distal movement;

a connector plate reciprocally disposed within the shaft assembly, wherein the connector plate is detachably connectable to the pusher bar, wherein during an initial distal movement of the connector plate the pusher bar is distally advanced and during a further distal movement of the connector plate the connector plate is disconnected from the pusher bar;

an advancer plate reciprocally disposed within the shaft assembly, the advancer plate including at least one fin detachably connectable to a shoulder of the pusher bar, wherein the shoulder of the pusher bar engages the at least one fin of the advancer plate during a distal and a proximal movement of the pusher bar to effectuate one of a distal and proximal movement of the advancer plate;

a clip follower slidably supported in the shaft assembly for urging the plurality of surgical clips in a distal direction; and

a clip carrier disposed in the shaft assembly, wherein the clip carrier is configured to retain the plurality of surgical clips and the clip follower;

wherein the clip follower includes a first tab projecting from a first surface thereof and a second tab projecting from a second surface thereof, wherein the first tab of the clip follower engages the advancer plate as the advancer plate is moved distally such that the clip follower is moved distally to advance the plurality of surgical clips, and wherein the second tab of the clip follower engages a feature as the advancer plate is moved proximally such that the clip follower remains stationary; and

wherein the clip follower includes a catch extending from a surface thereof, wherein the catch engages the pusher bar following a firing of a last surgical clip and prevents movement of the pusher bar in a proximal direction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pusher bar includes a pusher formed at a distal end thereof, wherein the pusher has a narrow profile for contacting the loaded surgical staple at a single location.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pusher defines a plane that is oriented substantially orthogonal to a plane of the loaded surgical staple.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pusher bar includes a first spring clip supported thereon for connecting to a stationary feature provided in the housing of the shaft assembly when the pusher bar is in an advanced position for maintaining the pusher bar in the advanced position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pusher bar further includes a second spring clip supported thereon for engaging a first feature of the connector plate, wherein the first feature of the connector plate disengages from the second spring clip following the initial distal movement of the connector plate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second tab of the clip follower engages features formed in the clip carrier.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clip follower is incrementally advanced through the shaft assembly.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a ratchet assembly disposed in the handle assembly, wherein the ratchet assembly is prevented from re-setting when the pusher bar does not return to a proximal position.