Endoscopic surgical clip applier

• US 9,398,917 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Whitfield, Kenneth H., Sorrentino, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, Todd J
• Application Number:
  US14/332,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20140330291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0814 Preventing re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/08 Accessories or related features not otherwise provided for

Abstract

An apparatus for application of surgical clips is provided and includes a lockout system selectively engageble with a pusher bar to prevent the pusher bar from returning to a home position and to prevent a trigger from completing a full stroke when a plurality of clips are substantially exhausted. The apparatus may include a trip mechanism including a trip lever biased into contact with the pusher bar, wherein distal movement of the drive bar moves the trip mechanism until the trip lever engages a lip of the pusher bar and in turn distally moves the pusher bar. The apparatus may include a wedge plate including a distal end placeable between spaced-apart jaw members, wherein the wedge plate is moved proximally to withdraw the distal end thereof from between the jaw members when a drive channel is moved in a distal direction.

Claims

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

a) a handle assembly;

b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the handle assembly and including an upper housing and a lower housing;

c) a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the shaft assembly;

d) jaws mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly, the jaws including a pair of jaw members movable between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position;

e) a drive bar at least partially disposed within the handle assembly and the shaft assembly, the drive bar being longitudinally movable in response to actuation of a trigger of the handle assembly;

f) a drive channel positioned adjacent the first and second jaw members to move the jaw members from the spaced-apart position to the approximated position; and

g) a wedge plate rack mechanism operatively interposed between a channel of the lower housing and the drive channel, the wedge plate rack mechanism including;

a wedge plate rack slidably disposed within the channel of the lower housing and the drive channel, the wedge plate rack having a body portion, a rack extending distally from the body portion, a tail extending proximally from the body portion, and a stem extending from a bottom surface of the body portion;

a biasing member supported on the tail; and

a gear pivotably connected to the lower housing and engaged with the wedge plate rack such that rotation of the gear in a first direction results in proximal displacement of the wedge plate rack and rotation of the gear in a second direction results in distal displacement of the wedge plate rack, wherein proximal displacement of the wedge plate rack moves the body portion in a proximal direction such that the jaw members are capable of being approximated toward one another to form a surgical clip therebetween and distal displacement of the wedge plate rack moves the body portion in a distal direction such that the jaw members are in the spaced-apart position, wherein the gear translates distal movement of the drive channel into proximal movement of the wedge plate rack and proximal movement of the drive channel into distal movement of the wedge plate rack.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gear includes at least one first tooth in operative engagement with the wedge plate rack and an at least one second tooth in operative engagement with the drive channel.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a side wall of the drive channel defines a cut-out configured to cam against the at least one second tooth of the gear.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including a wedge plate slidably supported in the shaft assembly, wherein the wedge plate includes a distal end configured and dimensioned for placement between the jaws when the jaws are in the spaced-apart position and when the drive channel is in a proximal position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a pocket is formed on an upper surface of the body portion that is in operative engagement with a projection extending from the wedge plate, wherein the body portion and the wedge plate are movable in the same direction.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein proximal movement of the wedge plate rack moves the projection of the wedge plate in a proximal direction such that a distal portion of the wedge plate is withdrawn from between the jaws.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a shoulder of the drive bar abuts a proximal end of the drive channel such that distal advancement of the drive bar results in distal advancement of the drive channel.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is disposed between the body portion of the wedge plate rack and a stub extending from the channel of the lower housing thereby biasing the wedge plate rack in the distal direction.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the tail of the wedge plate rack is slidably passed through the stub extending from the channel of the lower housing.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is a compression spring.

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

a) a handle assembly;

b) a shaft assembly extending distally from the handle assembly and including an upper housing and a lower housing;

c) jaws mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly;

the jaws including a pair of jaw members movable between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position;

d) a drive channel positioned adjacent the first and second jaw members to move the jaw members from the spaced-apart position to the approximated position;

e) a wedge plate slidably supported in the shaft assembly, wherein the wedge plate includes a distal end configured and dimensioned for placement between the jaw members when the jaw members are in the spaced-apart position and when the drive channel is in a proximal position; and

f) a wedge plate rack mechanism supported in the shaft assembly and including,

a wedge plate rack slidably disposed within the shaft assembly, the wedge plate rack having a body portion, a rack extending distally from the body portion, a tail extending proximally from the body portion, and a stem extending from a bottom surface of the body portion;

a biasing member supported on the tail; and

a gear pivotably connected to the lower housing and engaged with the wedge plate rack such that rotation of the gear in a first direction results in proximal displacement of the wedge plate rack and rotation of the gear in a second direction results in distal displacement of the wedge plate rack, wherein proximal displacement of the wedge plate rack moves the body portion in a proximal direction such that the distal end of the wedge plate is withdrawn from between the jaw members and the jaw members are capable of being approximated toward one another to form a surgical clip therebetween and distal displacement of the wedge plate rack moves the body portion in a distal direction such that the distal end of the wedge plate is reintroduced between the jaw members and the jaw members are in the spaced-apart position, wherein the gear translates distal movement of the drive channel into proximal movement of the wedge plate rack and proximal movement of the drive channel into distal movement of the wedge plate rack.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of surgical clips is disposed within the shaft assembly, each clip having an outer width.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, the wedge plate rack mechanism is operatively interposed between a channel of the lower housing and the drive channel.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the gear includes at least one first tooth in operative engagement with the rack and at least one second tooth in operative engagement with the drive channel.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a side wall of the drive channel defines a cut-out configured to cam against the at least one second tooth of the gear.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the biasing member is disposed between the body portion of the wedge plate rack and a stub extending from the channel of the lower housing thereby biasing the wedge plate rack in the distal direction.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a pocket is formed on an upper surface of the body portion that is in operative engagement with a projection extending from the wedge plate, wherein the body portion and the wedge plate are movable in the same direction.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the biasing member is a compression spring.