Clip advancer mechanism with alignment features

• US 8,523,882 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• 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: Huitema, Thomas, Koch, Robert Jr., Fuchs, Richard, Molitor, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLWERDA, KATHLEEN SONNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/162,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,910 Days
• Field of Search: 606/139, 606/142, 606/143, 606/151, 606/157, 606/221
• US Class Current: 606/142
• 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 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. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a shaft having proximal and distal ends;

opposed jaws formed on the distal end of the shaft and adapted to close together to approximate tissue;

an advancer configured for advancing a clip into the opposed jaws; and

a guide member coupled to the jaws and having a ramped member protruding from a superior surface thereof, the ramped member increasing in height from a proximal end to a distal end of the ramped member and being adapted to guide a clip into the opposed jaws,

wherein the advancer contacts and moves along the ramped member during advancing of the clip into the jaws and the advancer and the ramped member each contact and maintain the clip in alignment with the opposed jaws as opposed legs of the clip are closed and until full closure of the clip.

2. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the ramped member is adapted to abut against an inferior surface of a clip being formed between the opposed jaws to prevent the clip from pivoting vertically.

3. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the advancer is movably coupled to the shaft and adapted to advance a clip over the ramped member on the guide member to position the clip between the opposed jaws.

4. The surgical clip applier of claim 3, wherein, when the advancer is moved to a distal-most position along the ramped member, an apex of the clip advanced by the advancer will abut against the ramped member.

5. The surgical clip applier of claim 1, wherein the ramped member extends longitudinally along a central axis of the guide member.

6. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a shaft having proximal and distal ends;

opposed jaws formed on the distal end of the shaft and adapted to close together to approximate tissue;

an advancer configured for advancing a clip into the opposed jaws; and

a guide member coupled to the jaws and having an alignment mechanism formed thereon and adapted to guide a clip into the opposed jaws,

wherein the advancer contacts and moves along the alignment mechanism during advancing of the clip into the jaws and the advancer and the alignment mechanism each contact and maintain the clip in alignment with the opposed jaws as opposed legs of the clip are closed and until full closure of the clip, and

wherein the guide member comprises a tissue stop having a distal end with a recess formed therein for seating a vessel.

7. The surgical clip applier of claim 6, wherein the alignment mechanism comprises a ramped member protruding from a superior surface of the tissue stop.

8. The surgical clip applier of claim 7, wherein the ramped member increases in height from a proximal end to a distal end of the tissue stop.

9. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a shaft;

opposed jaws coupled to a distal end of the shaft, each jaw being movable relative to the shaft to approximate tissues to be clipped;

a clip advancing assembly movably coupled to the shaft and adapted to advance a clip into the opposed jaws; and

a ramped member disposed just proximal to the opposed jaws, the ramped member being formed on and protruding above a proximal surface of a tissue stop coupled to the opposed jaws, the ramped member being adapted to guide a clip being advanced by the clip advancing assembly into the opposed jaws, and the tissue stop having a recess formed therein, distal of the ramped member, for receiving tissue;

wherein the clip advancing assembly contacts and moves along the ramped member during advancing of the clip into the jaws and the advancer assembly and the ramped member each contact and maintain a clip in alignment with the opposed jaws until full closure of the clip.

10. The surgical clip applier of claim 9, wherein the ramped member is adapted to align the clip with the opposed jaws.

11. The surgical clip applier of claim 9, wherein the ramped member extends longitudinally along a central axis of the tissue stop and increases in height from a proximal end to a distal end of the tissue stop.

12. An improved endoscopic surgical clip applier having jaws which close together to approximate tissues to be clipped, the improvement comprising:

a ramped guide member disposed on and extending above a superior surface of a tissue stop coupled to the opposed jaws, the ramped guide member having a superior surface and an opposed inferior surface and a distal end positioned proximal to the opposed jaws, the ramped guide member being adapted to align and guide a clip being advanced by a clip advancing assembly into the opposed jaws, and to prevent vertical movement of the clip as the clip is being formed between the opposed jaws; and

a clip advancing assembly adapted to sequentially advance a plurality of clips into the jaws, wherein, when the clip advancing assembly is moved to a distal-most position, an apex of a clip advanced by the clip advancing assembly will abut against the superior surface of the ramped guide member, and wherein the clip advancing assembly contacts and moves along the ramped guide member during advancing of the clip into the opposed jaws.

13. The surgical clip applier of claim 12, wherein the tissue stop includes a distal tip adapted to receive tissue therein to align the jaws with tissue to be clipped.

14. The surgical clip applier of claim 12, wherein the ramped guide member increases in height from a proximal end to a distal end thereof.

15. The surgical clip applier of claim 12, wherein the ramped guide member has a maximum height of about 0.025″

.

16. The surgical clip applier of claim 12, wherein the ramped guide member is inclined at an angle in the range of about 5°

to 45°

.