Surgical clip applier and method of assembly

• US 9,549,741 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): ORKIN, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US13/890,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20130253541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/083 Clips, e.g. resilient
• 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 17/128 for applying or removing clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00407 Ratchet means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/038 during shipment

Abstract

Surgical clip appliers are provided and includes a channel assembly extending distally from a housing; a clip carrier disposed within said channel assembly and defining a channel and a plurality of windows therein; a plurality of clips slidably disposed within said channel of said clip carrier; a wedge plate reciprocally disposed within said channel assembly, said wedge plate being operatively connected to said handles and including a plurality of apertures formed along a length thereof; and a clip follower slidably disposed within said channel of said clip carrier and disposed proximally of said plurality of clips, said clip follower being configured and adapted for selective engagement with said windows of said clip carrier and said apertures of said wedge plate. The clip follower is configured and adapted to urge said plurality of clips, in a distal direction relative to said clip carrier, upon reciprocal movement of said wedge plate.

Claims

1. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a housing;

at least one handle pivotably connected to opposite sides of the housing;

a channel assembly fixed to and extending from the housing;

a pair of jaws supported on and extending from a distal end of the channel assembly;

a clip carrier disposed within said channel assembly and defining a channel;

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

a clip follower slidably disposed within said channel of said clip carrier at a location proximal of said plurality of clips;

a drive channel translatably disposed within at least one of said housing and said channel assembly, said drive channel having a first end operatively connected to at least one of said handles and a second end configured and dimensioned to selectively engage said pair of jaws to effectuate closure thereof;

a pusher bar translatably disposed within at least one of said housing and said channel assembly, said pusher bar being connected to said drive channel via a motion multiplier system, a distal end of said pusher bar being configured to engage a distal-most clip of the plurality of clips;

a wedge plate reciprocally disposed within at least one of said housing and said channel assembly, wherein a distal end of said wedge plate is selectively insertable between said pair of jaws to maintain said pair of jaws spread apart when the wedge plate is in a distal-most position; and

a motion reversing mechanism including a first end connected to said drive channel, and a second end connected to said wedge plate and engageable by said pusher bar,

wherein distal translation of said drive channel causes said pusher bar to translate distally via said motion multiplier system; and

wherein distal translation of said drive channel causes said pusher bar and said wedge plate to translate proximally, via said motion reversing mechanism, following a dwell period.

2. The clip applier according to claim 1, further comprising a lockout disposed in a distal end of said channel assembly, wherein said lockout is actuated by said clip follower when a last clip is expelled from said clip applier, wherein said lockout is urged by said clip follower to extend across a path of said drive channel, thereby preventing said drive channel from moving distally.

3. The clip applier according to claim 2, wherein said wedge plate defines a plurality of apertures formed along a length thereof, wherein said clip carrier defines a plurality of windows formed along a length thereof, wherein said clip follower is configured and adapted for selective engagement with said windows of said clip carrier and said apertures of said wedge plate, wherein said clip follower is configured and adapted to distally incrementally urge said plurality of clips relative to said clip carrier upon a distal advancement of said wedge plate.

4. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the motion multiplier system includes a bell crank gear having an arm extending radially therefrom and an elongate slot formed in the arm, wherein the elongate slot slidably receives a boss operatively associated with the pusher bar.

5. The clip applier according to claim 4, wherein the motion multiplier system includes an accelerator rack having a series of teeth and the bell crank gear includes a series of teeth engaged with the teeth of the accelerator rack, wherein axial translation of the accelerator rack results in rotation of the bell crank gear and axial translation of the pusher bar.

6. The clip applier according to claim 1, further comprising a ratchet mechanism including:

a rack having a plurality of ratchet teeth, the rack being associated with said drive channel; and

a pawl having at least one tooth, the pawl being disposed at a location to selectively engage said rack, wherein said pawl is biased into engagement with said rack, wherein as said drive channel is longitudinally reciprocated, said plurality of teeth are passed over said pawl, and wherein said pawl prevents inadvertent return of said drive channel before full actuation of said at least one handle.

7. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein said drive channel is configured and dimensioned to at least partially surround said pair of jaws and said wedge plate, wherein said drive channel includes a strap extending across a distal end thereof for maintaining said pair of jaws and said wedge plate within said drive channel.

8. The clip applier according to claim 7, further comprising a counter mechanism, wherein the counter mechanism is actuatable upon one firing sequence of the clip applier, and wherein the counter mechanism provides an indication that one less clip is present in the clip applier.

9. A surgical clip applier, comprising:

a channel assembly;

a pair of jaws supported on and extending from a distal end of the channel assembly, wherein the pair of jaws are adapted to accommodate a clip therein and operable to effect formation of the clip in response to an actuation of the clip applier;

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

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

a clip pusher bar reciprocally positioned within said channel assembly, said pusher bar having a distal end defining a pusher, said pusher bar being movable, by an initial amount, towards said pair of jaws as said clip applier is actuated in order to move a distal-most clip between said pair of jaws, and said pusher bar being configured and adapted to move in a proximal direction as said clip applier is actuated beyond the initial amount to move said pusher proximal of a distal-most clip in said plurality of clips;

a wedge plate reciprocally disposed within said channel assembly, wherein a distal end of the wedge plate is selectively positionable between the pair of jaws to maintain the pair of jaws spaced apart, said wedge plate including a plurality of apertures formed along a length thereof;

a motion multiplier system configured to distally move the pusher bar by an incremental amount upon an initial actuation of the clip applier, and configured to proximally move the pusher bar and the wedge plate subsequent to the initial actuation of the clip applier; and

a clip follower slidably disposed within said channel of said clip carrier and disposed proximally of said plurality of clips, said clip follower being configured and adapted for selective engagement with said windows of said clip carrier and said apertures of said wedge plate, wherein said clip follower is configured and adapted to urge said plurality of clips, in a distal direction relative to said clip carrier, upon reciprocal movement of said wedge plate.

10. The clip applier according to claim 9, wherein the clip follower is configured to engage the wedge plate and move distally upon distal translation of the wedge plate, and is configured to engage the clip carrier and stop proximal movement thereof upon proximal translation of the wedge plate.

11. The clip applier according to claim 9, further comprising a drive channel translatably slidably disposed within said channel assembly, said drive channel having an end configured and dimensioned to selectively engage said pair of jaws to effectuate closure of said pair of jaws, said drive channel being moved towards said pair of jaws as said clip applier is actuated to move said end thereof against said pair of jaws to close said pair of jaws, said drive channel being moved away from said pair of jaws as said clip applier is moved beyond the initial amount to move said end thereof away from said pair of jaws to allow said pair of jaws to open.

12. The clip applier according to claim 11, further comprising a motion reversing mechanism operatively connected to said wedge plate and said drive channel, wherein rotation of said motion reversing mechanism, during distal movement of said drive channel, results in proximal movement of said wedge plate.

13. The clip applier according to claim 11, further comprising a motion multiplier system including:

a bell crank gear pivotally connected to the pusher bar;

an accelerator rack operatively joined to the bell crank gear; and

a biasing member interconnecting the drive channel and the accelerator rack,

wherein a distal translation of the drive channel causes distal translation of the accelerator rack via the biasing member, and wherein distal translation of the accelerator rack causes a first rotation of the bell crank gear and distal translation of the pusher bar.

14. The clip applier according to claim 13, further comprising a motion reversing mechanism operatively connected to said drive channel and said wedge plate and selectively engageable with said pusher bar, wherein rotation of said motion reversing mechanism, during said distal translation of said drive channel, results in proximal movement of said wedge plate and said pusher bar.

15. The clip applier according to claim 11, further comprising a ratchet mechanism including:

a rack, having a plurality of ratchet teeth, associated with said drive channel; and

a pawl, having at least one tooth, disposed at a location to selectively engage said rack, wherein said pawl is biased into engagement with said rack, wherein as said drive channel is longitudinally reciprocated, said plurality of teeth are passed over said pawl, and wherein said pawl prevents inadvertent return of said drive channel before full actuation of said clip applier.

16. The clip applier according to claim 11, further comprising a lockout disposed in a distal end of said channel assembly, wherein said lockout is urged by said clip follower to extend across a path of said drive channel, thereby preventing said drive channel from moving distally.

17. The clip applier according to claim 11, wherein said drive channel is configured and dimensioned to at least partially surround said pair of jaws and said wedge plate, wherein said drive channel includes a strap extending across a distal end thereof for maintaining said pair of jaws and said wedge plate within said drive channel.

18. The clip applier according to claim 9, further comprising a lockout disposed in a distal end of said channel assembly.

19. The clip applier according to claim 18, wherein said lockout is actuated by said clip follower when a last clip is expelled from said clip applier.