Clip applying apparatus with angled jaw

• US 9,968,361 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Aranyi, Ernest, Whitfield, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLELLO, ERIN L
• Application Number:
  US14/525,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20150045816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1285 for minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2926 Details of heads or jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance

Abstract

A clip applying apparatus is provided which includes a jaw mechanism having a stationary jaw and a movable jaw. The movable jaw is supported on or formed integrally with the distal end of a crimping member which is movably supported within a body portion of the apparatus. The stationary jaw defines a longitudinal axis which forms an angle θ of between about 15 degrees and about 15 degrees and about 75 degrees in relation to a longitudinal axis of the body portion. In another embodiment, the stationary jaw includes a clip receiving channel which is configured to at least partially receive a surgical clip. In one embodiment, the distal end of the stationary jaw includes a stop member which is positioned to engage the distal end of the stationary jaw includes a stop member which is positioned to engage the distal end of a leg of a surgical clip to prevent the surgical clip from being pushed from the stationary jaw during operation of the apparatus and the movable jaw includes a distally located crimping surface and a head portion defining a recessed channel configured to receive a portion of a surgical clip supported on the stationary jaw. In yet another embodiment, the crimping surface defines an acute angle β in relation to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, and in one embodiment, angle β is substantially the same as angle θ.

Claims

1. A clip applying apparatus, comprising:

a clip having a U-shape that includes a pair of spaced apart legs interconnected by a backspan, wherein each of the pair of spaced apart legs has a tip at a distal end of the U-shape;

where each of the pair of spaced apart legs of the U-shape extends from the backspan of the U-shape at a proximal end of clip to the respective tip at the distal end of the clip;

a body portion defining a distally extending longitudinal axis; and

a jaw mechanism coupled to the a distal end of the body portion and including stationary and movable jaws, the stationary jaw supporting the clip between the stationary and movable jaws, wherein the movable jaw includes an angled surface positioned to contact the proximal and distal ends of the clip as the movable jaw slides along the stationary jaw between a proximal position and a distal position such that the movable jaw is configured to move between the proximal position and the distal position to first approximate the tips of the pair of spaced apart legs of the clip to trap tissue within the clip, and then approximate the backspan of the clip to ligate the trapped tissue with the clip wherein a first leg of the pair of spaced apart legs extends radially outward beyond the jaw mechanism while the movable jaw is in the proximal position.

2. The clip applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tips of the pair of spaced apart legs are unapproximated while the movable jaw is disposed in the proximal position.

3. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable jaw includes a distally located crimping surface positioned to engage the first leg of the clip along an entire length of the first leg.

4. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tips of each of the pair of spaced legs are curved inwardly towards each other.

5. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stationary jaw includes a clip receiving channel configured to at least partially receive a second leg of the pair of spaced apart legs, wherein while the second leg is received in the clip receiving channel of the stationary jaw, a proximal end of the first leg of the pair of spaced legs is received in a recessed channel defined within a head portion of the movable jaw.

6. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distal end of the stationary jaw includes a stop member positioned to engage the tip of a second leg of the pair of spaced apart legs and prevent the clip from being pushed from the stationary jaw.

7. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the stop member is hook-shaped to facilitate grasping of tissue.

8. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable jaw is configured to slide linearly towards the stationary jaw to approximate the pair of spaced apart legs of the clip.

9. The clip applying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movable jaw is positioned to contact the distal and proximal ends of the clip to crimp the clip between the stationary jaw and the movable jaw.

10. A clip applying apparatus, comprising:

a handle assembly;

a body portion extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis, the body portion including a crimping member operably associated with the handle assembly;

a clip having a U-shape that includes a pair of spaced apart legs interconnected by a backspan, wherein each of the pair of spaced apart legs has a tip at a distal end of the U-shape;

where each of the pair of spaced apart legs of the U-shape extends from the backspan of the U-shape at a proximal end of clip to the respective tip at the distal end of the clip; and

a jaw mechanism including stationary and movable jaws, the stationary jaw supporting the clip, the movable jaw supported on the crimping member and movable relative to the stationary jaw from a proximal position to a distal position in response to actuation of the handle assembly, wherein the movable jaw includes an angled surface positioned to contact the proximal and distal ends of the clip as the movable jaw slides along the stationary jaw between the proximal position and the distal position such that as the movable jaw moves from the proximal position to the distal position, the clip is configured to enable the tips of the clip to approximate in order to trap tissue within the clip before approximating the backspan of the clip to ligate the trapped tissue with the clip wherein a first leg of the pair of spaced apart legs extends radially outward beyond the jaw mechanism and the body portion while the movable jaw is in the proximal position.

11. The clip applying apparatus of claim 10, wherein the tips of the pair of spaced apart legs are unapproximated while the movable jaw is disposed in the proximal position.

12. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the movable jaw includes a distally located crimping surface positioned to engage the first leg of the clip along an entire length of the first leg.

13. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the tips of each of the pair of spaced legs are curved inwardly towards each other.

14. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the stationary jaw includes a clip receiving channel configured to at least partially receive a second leg of the pair of spaced apart legs, wherein while the second leg is received in the clip receiving channel of the stationary jaw, a proximal end of the first leg of the pair of spaced legs is received in a recessed channel defined within a head portion of the movable jaw.

15. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a distal end of the stationary jaw includes a stop member positioned to engage the tip of a second leg of the pair of spaced apart legs and prevent the clip from being pushed from the stationary jaw.

16. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the stop member is hook-shaped to facilitate grasping of tissue.

17. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the movable jaw is configured to slide linearly towards the stationary jaw to approximate the pair of spaced apart legs of the clip.

18. The clip applying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the stationary jaw is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the body portion.