Surgical clip appliers

• US 9,414,844 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Zergiebel, Earl M., Cabrera, Ramiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Templeton, Christopher L
• Application Number:
  US14/322,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00407 Ratchet means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12004 for haemostasis, for prevention of bleeding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2923 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/038 during shipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0814 Preventing re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/92 coded with colour

Abstract

A surgical clip applier includes a housing, at least one handle, a channel assembly, a clip carrier, a wedge plate, a clip pusher bar, and a clip follower. The at least one handle is pivotably connected to the housing. The channel assembly extends distally from the housing. The clip carrier is disposed within the channel assembly and defines a channel and a plurality of windows. The wedge plate is reciprocally disposed within the channel assembly. The clip pusher bar is reciprocally positioned within the housing and the channel assembly. The clip follower is slidably disposed within the channel of the clip carrier and disposed proximally of a plurality of clips. The clip follower is configured and dimensioned to lockout the clip applier after a last clip of the plurality of clips has been expelled by the surgical clip applier.

Claims

1. A surgical clip applier for applying surgical clips to body tissue, the surgical clip applier comprising:

a housing;

at least one handle pivotably connected to the housing;

a channel assembly extending distally from the housing;

a clip carrier disposed within the channel assembly and defining a channel and a plurality of windows therein;

a plurality of clips slidably disposed within the channel of the clip carrier;

a drive channel supported in and extending between the housing and the channel assembly, the drive channel longitudinally movable relative to the housing in response to an actuation of the at least one handle;

a wedge plate slidably disposed within the channel assembly, the wedge plate being operatively connected to the at least one handle and including a plurality of apertures formed along a length thereof;

a drive channel strap fixed to the drive channel and disposed distally of the plurality of apertures of the wedge plate;

a distal lockout fixed relative to the channel assembly and disposed distally of the drive channel strap;

a clip pusher bar slidably positioned within the housing and the channel assembly, the clip pusher bar having a proximal end operatively connected to the at least one handle and a distal end defining a pusher, wherein the distal end of the clip pusher bar is configured for engagement with a distal-most clip of the plurality of clips; and

a clip follower slidably disposed within the channel of the clip carrier and disposed proximally of the plurality of clips, the clip follower being configured for selective engagement with the plurality of windows of the clip carrier and the plurality of apertures of the wedge plate, the clip follower being configured to urge the plurality of clips in a distal direction relative to the clip carrier upon reciprocal movement of the wedge plate, wherein the clip follower, after a last clip of the plurality of clips has been expelled by the surgical clip applier, moves the distal lockout across a path of the drive channel strap such that upon an actuation of the at least one handle, the distal lockout abuts the drive channel strap to prevent the drive channel strap from moving distally and, in turn, the drive channel from moving distally to lockout the surgical clip applier.

2. The surgical clip applier according to claim 1, further comprising:

a jaw assembly including a pair of jaws extending from an end of the channel assembly, opposite the housing, the jaw assembly adapted to accommodate a clip therein and being operable to effect formation of the clip in response to movement of the at least one handle.

3. The surgical clip applier according to claim 2, wherein the clip pusher bar is movable towards the jaws as the at least one handle is moved in a first direction in order to move the distal-most clip between the jaws, and the clip pusher bar being configured and adapted to move towards the housing as the at least one handle is further moved in the first direction.

4. The surgical clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the distal lockout is configured to lock the at least one handle after the last clip of the plurality of clips has been expelled.

5. The surgical clip applier according to claim 1, wherein upon the at least one handle being released from an actuated position, the clip pusher bar returns to a proximal position and the clip follower is advanced distally within the clip carrier.

6. The surgical clip applier according to claim 1, wherein upon a release of the at least one handle from an actuated position, the clip pusher bar retracts proximally to a proximal position.

7. The surgical clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the clip follower is actuated by reciprocating forward and backward motion of the wedge plate.

8. The surgical clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the wedge plate defines a distal window therein that is disposed distally of the plurality of apertures thereof, the drive channel strap disposed proximally of the distal window of the wedge plate, wherein after the last clip of the plurality of clips has been expelled from the surgical clip applier, the clip follower urges a tab of the distal lockout into the distal window of the wedge plate.