Endoscopic surgical clip applier
First Claim
1. An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, which comprises:
- a) a handle portion;
b) a body extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis, the body supporting a clip carrying channel having a distal window defined therein;
c) a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the clip carrying channel;
d) a jaw assembly mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the body, the jaw assembly including first and second jaw portions movable between a spaced-apart and an approximated position;
e) a feed bar configured to individually distally advance a surgical clip to the jaw assembly while the jaw portions are in the spaced apart position, the feed bar defining a distal window;
f) a clip pusher disposed proximal to the plurality of clips and configured to bias the plurality of clips in a distal manner;
g) an actuator at least partially disposed within the body and longitudinally movable in response to actuation of the handle portion;
h) a rack having a plurality of ratchet teeth being connected to the actuator;
i) a pawl having at least one tooth configured to engage the ratchet teeth, the pawl being biased in the handle portion, wherein as the actuator is moved longitudinally, the plurality of ratchet teeth are passed over the pawl, the pawl configured to prevent return of the actuator before full advancement of the actuator;
j) a lock out bar connected to the clip pusher, the lock out bar being biased by a spring and lodged between a ceiling and a floor of the clip carrying channel; and
wherein as the clip pusher moves distally each time a clip is released from the apparatus, the clip pusher moves the lock out bar distally, and wherein when the lock out bar is in substantial alignment with the distal window of the feed bar, the lock out bar is urged to a second position through the distal window of the feed bar by the spring to extend across the feed bar, the lock out bar in the second position preventing the actuator from moving proximally thereby maintaining the pawl in engagement with the ratchet teeth of the rack, the pawl and rack preventing the actuator from moving longitudinally.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue includes an actuator at least partially disposed within a body and longitudinally movable in response to actuation of a handle portion. The apparatus includes a jaw closure member positioned adjacent the first and second jaw portions to move the jaw portions to the approximated position and a rack having ratchet teeth connected to the actuator. The apparatus includes a pawl engaging a series of ratchet teeth and capable of preventing an inadvertent return of the actuator before full actuation of the apparatus. A clip pusher incrementally moves distally each time a clip is released from the apparatus. When the clip pusher reaches a predetermined distal point in a clip carrying channel, a feed bar is deflected to a second position to prevent retraction but not advancement of the actuator and thereby manipulates the pawl to engage the ratchet teeth.
1856 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, which comprises:
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a) a handle portion; b) a body extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis, the body supporting a clip carrying channel having a distal window defined therein; c) a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the clip carrying channel; d) a jaw assembly mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the body, the jaw assembly including first and second jaw portions movable between a spaced-apart and an approximated position; e) a feed bar configured to individually distally advance a surgical clip to the jaw assembly while the jaw portions are in the spaced apart position, the feed bar defining a distal window; f) a clip pusher disposed proximal to the plurality of clips and configured to bias the plurality of clips in a distal manner; g) an actuator at least partially disposed within the body and longitudinally movable in response to actuation of the handle portion; h) a rack having a plurality of ratchet teeth being connected to the actuator; i) a pawl having at least one tooth configured to engage the ratchet teeth, the pawl being biased in the handle portion, wherein as the actuator is moved longitudinally, the plurality of ratchet teeth are passed over the pawl, the pawl configured to prevent return of the actuator before full advancement of the actuator; j) a lock out bar connected to the clip pusher, the lock out bar being biased by a spring and lodged between a ceiling and a floor of the clip carrying channel; and wherein as the clip pusher moves distally each time a clip is released from the apparatus, the clip pusher moves the lock out bar distally, and wherein when the lock out bar is in substantial alignment with the distal window of the feed bar, the lock out bar is urged to a second position through the distal window of the feed bar by the spring to extend across the feed bar, the lock out bar in the second position preventing the actuator from moving proximally thereby maintaining the pawl in engagement with the ratchet teeth of the rack, the pawl and rack preventing the actuator from moving longitudinally. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, which comprises:
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a) a handle portion; b) a body extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis, the body supporting a clip carrying channel having a distal window defined therein; c) a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the clip carrying channel; d) a jaw assembly mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the body, the jaw assembly including first and second jaw portions movable between a spaced apart and an approximated position; e) a feed bar configured to individually distally advance a surgical clip to the jaw assembly while the jaw portions are in the spaced apart position, the feed bar defining a distal window and having at least one proximal fin extending therefrom; f) a clip pusher disposed proximal to the plurality of clips and configured to bias the plurality of clips in a distal manner; g) an actuator at least partially disposed within the body and longitudinally movable in response to actuation of the handle portion, the actuator having a proximal window; h) a rack having a plurality of ratchet teeth being connected to said actuator; and i) a pawl having at least one tooth configured to engage the ratchet teeth, the pawl being biased in the handle portion, wherein as the actuator is moved longitudinally, the plurality of ratchet teeth are passed over the pawl, the pawl configured to prevent return of the actuator before full advancement of the actuator; j) a lock out bar supported on the clip pusher, the lock out bar being biased by a spring and lodged between a ceiling and a floor of the clip carrying channel; wherein as the clip pusher moves distally each time a clip is released from the apparatus, the clip pusher moves the lock out bar distally, and wherein when the lock out bar is in substantial alignment with the distal window, the lock out bar is biased by the spring to move through the distal window of the feed bar and hold the feed bar in a second position, the feed bar in the second position having the proximal fin thereof in engagement with the proximal window of the actuator, the engagement of the feed bar and the actuator preventing retraction but not advancement of the actuator and thereby maintaining the pawl in engagement with the rack in a substantially intermediate position; and wherein the pawl and rack prevent the actuator from moving longitudinally to thereby lock the actuator from further longitudinal movement. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, which comprises:
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a) a handle portion; b) a body extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis, the body supporting a clip carrying channel; c) a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the clip carrying channel; d) a jaw assembly mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the body, the jaw assembly including first and second jaw portions movable between a spaced-apart and an approximated position; e) a feed bar configured to individually distally advance a surgical clip to the jaw assembly while the jaw portions are in the spaced apart position; f) a clip pusher disposed proximal to the plurality of clips and configured to bias the plurality of clips in a distal manner; g) an actuator at least partially disposed within the body and longitudinally movable in response to actuation of the handle portion; h) a rack having a plurality of ratchet teeth being connected to said actuator; and i) a pawl having at least one tooth configured to engage said ratchet teeth, the pawl being biased in the handle portion, wherein as the actuator is moved longitudinally, the plurality of ratchet teeth are passed over the pawl, the pawl configured to prevent return of the actuator before full advancement of the actuator; and wherein the clip pusher incrementally moves distally each time a clip is released from the apparatus, and wherein when the clip pusher reaches a predetermined distal point in the clip carrying channel, the feed bar is deflected to a second position, the feed bar in the second position having a portion being in engagement with the actuator, the feed bar in the second deflected position preventing retraction but not advancement of the actuator and thereby manipulating the pawl to be engaged with ratchet teeth of the rack, the pawl and rack preventing the actuator from moving longitudinally to thereby lock the actuator; and j) a secondary lockout device configured to break a connection between the handle portion and the actuator and prevent longitudinal movement of the actuator in response to actuation of the handle portion when a predetermined force is applied to the handle portion, the predetermined force being less than the force required to dislodge the ratchet teeth from the pawl. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification