Endoscopic surgical clip applier with connector plate

• US 9,545,254 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Sorrentino, Gregory, Whitfield, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyson, Melanie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jamialahmadi, Majid
• Application Number:
  US15/145,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20160242784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 606205-209, 606/142, 606/143, 606/219, 2271751-1754, 227/176.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/072 for applying a row of staples in a single action , e.g. the staples being applied simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/083 Clips, e.g. resilient
• 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 17/105 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 17/1222 Packages or dispensers therefor clip magazines incorporated in a clip-applying instrument A61B17/128; for surgical articles A61B50/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in 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 2017/00221 with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00407 Ratchet means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2902 characterized by features of the actuating rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2932 Transmission of forces to jaw members
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2943 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• 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 90/08 : Accessories or related features not otherwise provided for

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. A shaft assembly for surgical instruments, the shaft assembly comprising:

a housing having a stationary feature projecting therefrom;

a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the housing;

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

a pusher bar reciprocally disposed within the housing and including a first spring clip supported thereon for detachably connecting to the stationary feature of the housing when the pusher bar is at a distal-most position thereof, the pusher bar being configured to load a distal-most surgical clip into the jaws while the jaws are in the open spaced-apart condition and remain in the distal-most position during movement of the jaws toward the closed approximated condition;

a wedge plate reciprocally disposed within the housing, the wedge plate being movable between a position where a distal end thereof is disposed in the jaws and a position where the distal end thereof is free from the jaws; and

a connector plate reciprocally disposed within the housing, wherein the connector plate, during at least a portion of a firing stroke thereof, detachably connects to each of the pusher bar and the wedge plate.

2. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pusher bar includes a second spring clip supported thereon for detachably connecting to a first feature provided on the connector plate, and the wedge plate includes a third spring clip supported thereon for detachably connecting to a second feature provided on the connector plate.

3. The shaft assembly according to claim 2, wherein the third spring clip of the wedge plate is connected to the second feature of the connector plate during an initial distal movement of the connector plate to pull the wedge plate in a distal direction until the distal end of the wedge plate is disposed in the jaws.

4. The shaft assembly according to claim 2, wherein the second feature of the connector plate disconnects from the third spring clip of the wedge plate following an initial distal movement of the wedge plate.

5. The shaft assembly according to claim 2, wherein the second spring clip of the pusher bar is connected to the first feature of the connector plate during an initial distal movement of the connector plate to pull the pusher bar in a distal direction.

6. The shaft assembly according to claim 5, wherein the stationary feature of the housing blocks distal movement of the pusher bar beyond the initial distal movement, and wherein the first feature of the connector plate disconnects from the second spring clip of the pusher bar upon continued distal movement beyond the initial distal movement of the connector plate.

7. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connection of the first spring clip of the pusher bar and the stationary feature of the housing maintains the pusher bar at the distal-most position thereof during the firing stroke.

8. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wedge plate is moved in a proximal direction at a time prior to an approximation of the jaws to free the jaws of the distal end of the wedge plate.

9. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pusher bar and the wedge plate each disconnect from the connector plate following an initial distal movement of each of the pusher bar and the wedge plate.

10. The shaft assembly according to claim 9, wherein each of the pusher bar and the wedge plate re-connect with the connector plate upon a respective proximal movement thereof.

11. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an advancer plate reciprocally disposed within the housing, adjacent to the pusher bar, the advancer plate including at least one fin engageable by 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 or proximal movement of the advancer plate.

12. The shaft assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a clip carrier disposed within the housing adjacent the advancer plate, wherein the clip carrier is configured to retain the plurality of surgical clips.

13. The shaft assembly according to claim 12, further comprising a clip follower slidably supported in the clip carrier at a location proximal of the plurality of surgical clips, the clip follower being configured to urge the plurality of surgical clips in a distal direction, the clip follower including 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 the clip follower as the advancer plate is moved proximally such that the clip follower remains stationary.

14. The shaft assembly according to claim 13, wherein the clip follower includes a catch extending from a surface thereof, wherein the catch engages the pusher bar following firing of a last surgical clip and prevents movement of the pusher bar in a proximal direction.

15. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a drive channel reciprocally disposed within the housing, wherein the drive bar selectively engages the drive channel to effect translation of the drive channel, wherein a distal end of the drive channel engages a surface of the jaws upon distal advancement thereof to effectuate approximation of the jaws.

16. The shaft assembly according to claim 15, further comprising a wedge plate lock, wherein the drive channel actuates the wedge plate lock upon distal advancement thereof to cause proximal movement of the wedge plate to withdraw the distal end of the wedge plate from the jaws and permit the drive channel to approximate the jaws.

17. The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wedge plate is biased to a proximal position.

18. A method of actuating a shaft assembly to apply surgical clips to body tissue, the method comprising:

moving a drive bar, reciprocally disposed within a housing of a shaft assembly, an initial distal distance such that a connector plate coupled therewith also moves an initial distal distance;

moving a pusher bar, reciprocally disposed within the housing, a respective initial distal distance, the pusher bar detachably coupled with the connector plate;

moving a wedge plate, reciprocally disposed within the housing, a respective initial distal distance, the wedge plate detachably coupled with the connector plate;

loading a distal-most surgical clip, of a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the housing, into jaws of the shaft assembly, via the pusher bar, with the jaws in an open spaced-apart condition, the jaws mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the housing; and

detaching a spring clip, supported on the wedge plate, from a feature of the connector plate following movement of the wedge plate the initial distal distance such that the wedge plate is detached from the connector plate.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

moving the drive bar a further distal distance such that connector plate coupled therewith also moves a further distal distance;

moving the pusher bar, detachably coupled with the connector plate, the further distal distance; and

detaching a second spring clip, supported on the pusher bar, from a second feature of the connector plate following movement of the pusher bar the further distal distance such that the pusher bar is detached from the connector plate.