Occlusion clip

• US 11,266,413 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atricure, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atricure, Inc.
• Inventors: Winkler, Matthew J., Miller, Kenneth Lance, Monti, Matthew, Frangolis, Todd, Bailey, Nicholas, Trusty, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Julian W
• Application Number:
  US14/549,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20160008001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,664 Days
• Field of Search: 24500, 24499, 24523, 24613, 24424
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

An occlusion clip comprising: (a) a spring; (b) a first runner including a first open top and a first open end adjacent the first open top, the first runner including a first interior camming surface partially delineating a first interior cavity that is open by way of the first open top and the first open end; (c) a second runner including a second open top and a second open end adjacent the second open top, the second runner including a second interior camming surface partially delineating a second interior cavity that is open by way of the second open top and the second open end, where the spring is configured to be coupled to the first runner and the second runner, where the first interior cavity is configured to receive a first portion of the spring, where the second interior cavity is configured to receive a second portion of the spring, where the first camming surface is configured to engage a first cam of the spring, and where the second camming surface is configured to engage a second cam of the spring.

Claims

1. An occlusion clip comprising:

a spring;

a first runner;

a second runner;

wherein the spring is configured to be mounted to the first runner and the second runner so that the occlusion clip is open on at least three sides and biases the first and second runner toward one another;

wherein the spring includes a first appendage operatively coupled to the first runner distal to a dominant dimension midpoint of the first runner to preclude longitudinal repositioning of a first distal portion of the spring with respect to the first runner and allow pivotal motion of the spring with respect to the first runner;

wherein the spring includes a second appendage operatively coupled to the second runner distal to a dominant dimension midpoint of the second runner to preclude longitudinal repositioning of a second distal portion of the spring with respect to the second runner and allow pivotal motion of the spring with respect to the second runner;

wherein the spring includes a third appendage that slidably engages the second runner proximal to the dominant dimension midpoint of the second runner, the third appendage being longitudinally repositionable with respect to the second runner so that the third appendage provides a bias constantly thereto when the occlusion clip is in a clamped position;

wherein a dominant axial dimension of the spring when biasing the first and second runners is no less than half of the dominant axial dimension of the occlusion clip;

wherein the spring extends proximally beyond the first runner and the second runner.

2. The occlusion clip of claim 1, further comprising a lock configured to mount at least one of the first runner and the second runner to the spring.

3. The occlusion clip of claim 2, wherein:

the lock includes a dowel received within an orifice associated with at least one of the spring, the first runner, and the second runner;

the spring includes a first arm and a second arm;

the first arm includes the first cam; and

,

the second arm includes the second cam.

4. The occlusion clip of claim 3, wherein the lock includes a dowel received within an orifice associated with the first runner.

5. The occlusion clip of claim 3, wherein the lock includes a dowel received within an orifice associated with the first runner and the spring.

6. The occlusion clip of claim 3, wherein:

the lock includes a first dowel received within a first orifice associated with at least one of the first runner and the spring; and

,

the lock includes a second dowel received within a second orifice associated with at least one of the second runner and the spring.

7. The occlusion clip of claim 2, wherein:

the lock allows pivotal movement between the spring and the first runner; and

,

the lock inhibits longitudinal repositioning between the spring and the first runner.

8. The occlusion clip of claim 1, wherein:

the first runner includes an arcuate tissue contacting surface;

the second runner includes an arcuate tissue contacting surface; and

,

the arcuate tissue contacting surface of the first runner faces the arcuate tissue contacting surface of the second runner when the first and second runners are mounted to the spring.

9. The occlusion clip of claim 1, further comprising:

a first lock configured to mount the first runner to the spring; and

,

a second lock configured to mount the second runner to the spring.

10. The occlusion clip of claim 9, wherein:

the first runner includes at least one of a depression and an orifice configured to receive a portion of the first lock; and

,

the second runner includes at least one of a depression and an orifice configured to receive a portion of the second lock.

11. The occlusion clip of claim 10, wherein:

the first runner includes an orifice configured to receive a portion of the first lock; and

,

the second runner includes an orifice configured to receive a portion of the second lock.

12. The occlusion clip of claim 11, wherein:

the orifice of the first runner includes a first pair of orifices;

the orifice of the second runner includes a second pair of orifices;

the first lock includes a first dowel configured to be received by the first pair of orifices of the first runner; and

,

the second lock includes a second dowel configured to be received by the second pair of orifices of the second runner.

13. The occlusion clip of claim 1, wherein:

the spring embodies a C-shape with a first leg and a second leg;

the first leg includes at least one of a cavity and an orifice configured to receive a first lock to mount the first leg to the first runner; and

,

the second leg includes at least one of a cavity and an orifice configured to receive a second lock to mount the second leg to the second runner.

14. The occlusion clip of claim 13, wherein:

a distal end of the first leg includes a rounded end;

a distal end of the second leg includes a rounded end;

the distal end of the first leg includes the cavity configured to receive a first lock to mount the first leg to the first runner; and

,

the distal end of the second leg includes the cavity configured to receive a second lock to mount the second leg to the second runner.

15. The occlusion clip of claim 14, wherein:

the first runner includes at least one of a first runner cavity and a first runner orifice configured to receive a portion of the first lock; and

,

the second runner includes at least one of a second runner cavity and a second runner orifice configured to receive a portion of the second lock.

16. The occlusion clip of claim 15, wherein:

the first runner includes a first runner orifice;

the second runner includes a second runner orifice;

the first lock comprises a first dowel configured to be concurrently received within the first runner orifice and the cavity of the first leg to mount the first leg to the first runner; and

,

the second lock comprises a second dowel configured to be concurrently received within the second runner orifice and the cavity of the second leg to mount the second leg to the second runner.

17. The occlusion clip of claim 1, wherein

the first runner includes a first open top, the first runner including a first interior surface partially delineating a first interior cavity that is open by way of the first open top;

the second runner includes a second open top, the second runner including a second interior surface partially delineating a second interior cavity that is open by way of the second open top;

wherein the first interior cavity is configured to receive a first portion of the spring distal to the dominant dimension midpoint of the first runner;

wherein the second interior cavity is configured to receive a second portion of the spring distal to the dominant dimension midpoint of the second runner;

wherein the first interior surface is configured to engage a first ancillary appendage of the spring proximal to the dominant dimension midpoint of the first runner; and

,

wherein the second interior surface is configured to engage a second ancillary appendage of the spring proximal to the dominant dimension midpoint of the second runner.

18. The occlusion clip of claim 17, wherein:

the spring embodies a C-shape with a first leg and a second leg;

the first leg includes at least one of a cavity and an orifice configured to receive a first lock to mount the first leg to the first runner; and

,

the second leg includes at least one of a cavity and an orifice configured to receive a second lock to mount the second leg to the second runner;

a distal end of the first leg includes a rounded end;

a distal end of the second leg includes a rounded end;

the distal end of the first leg includes the orifice configured to receive the first lock operative to mount the first leg to the first runner; and

,

the distal end of the second leg includes the orifice configured to receive the second lock operative to mount the second leg to the second runner.

19. The occlusion clip of claim 18, wherein:

the first runner includes at least one of a first runner cavity and a first runner orifice configured to receive a portion of the first lock; and

,

the second runner includes at least one of a second runner cavity and a second runner orifice configured to receive a portion of the second lock.

20. The occlusion clip of claim 19, wherein:

the first runner includes the first runner orifice;

the second runner includes the second runner orifice;

the first lock comprises a first dowel configured to be concurrently received within the first runner orifice and the orifice of the first leg to mount the first leg to the first runner; and

,

the second lock comprises a second dowel configured to be concurrently received within the second runner orifice and the orifice of the second leg to mount the second leg to the second runner.

21. The occlusion clip of claim 1, further comprising a fabric interposing the first and second runners.

22. The occlusion clip of claim 1, further comprising a C-shaped fabric sleeve encapsulating the occlusion clip.

23. The occlusion clip of claim 1, wherein:

the dominant dimension midpoint of the first runner comprises an axial dominant dimension midpoint of the first runner; and

,

the dominant dimension midpoint of the second runner comprises an axial dominant dimension midpoint of the second runner.

24. The occlusion clip of claim 1, further comprising a fabric sleeve enveloping the occlusion clip.

25. An occlusion clamp comprising:

a spring comprising a first elongated leg and a second elongated leg coupled together at a first end and independently repositionable with respect to one another at respective second ends so that the spring is open-ended, the spring having a dominant dimension, the spring including a secondary appendage interposing the first and second elongated legs;

a first runner configured to be rotationally repositionable with respect to the second end of the first elongated leg, the first runner comprising an elongated occlusion beam having an occlusion surface, the first runner having a dominant dimension;

a second runner configured to be rotationally repositionable with respect to the second end of the second elongated leg, the second runner comprising an elongated occlusion beam having an occlusion surface, the second runner having a dominant dimension, the second runner configured to be slidably repositionable longitudinally with respect to the spring;

wherein the second elongated leg of the spring is configured to apply a distal bias to the second runner distal to a dominant dimension midpoint of the second runner, the distal bias toward the first runner, and the secondary appendage is configured to apply a proximal bias to the second runner proximal to the dominant dimension midpoint of the second runner, the proximal bias toward the first runner; and

,

wherein the dominant dimensions of the spring, first runner, and the second runner extend in generally the same direction.

26. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein the spring includes at least one of a rectangular, circular, or oblong cross-section.

27. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein:

the first elongated leg is coupled to the first runner at a first location;

the second elongated leg is coupled to the second runner at a second location; and

,

the first location is approximately the same as the second location along the dominant dimension of the spring.

28. The occlusion clamp of claim 27, wherein:

a first pin is mounted to the first runner;

a second pin is mounted to the second runner;

the first elongated leg traps the first pin to couple the first elongated leg to the first runner; and

,

the second elongated leg traps the second pin to couple the second elongated leg to the second runner.

29. The occlusion clamp of claim 28, wherein:

the first elongated leg includes a first orifice configured to receive the first pin so that the first elongated leg interposes the first pin and the first runner to couple the first elongated leg to the first runner; and

,

the second elongated leg includes a second orifice configured to receive the second pin so that the second elongated leg interposes the second pin and the second runner to couple the second elongated leg to the second runner.

30. The occlusion clamp of claim 29, wherein:

the first orifice is at least partially located within a trench of the first runner; and

,

the second orifice is at least partially located within a trench of the second runner.

31. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein:

the first and second elongated legs delineate a U-shaped primary spring; and

,

the secondary appendage interposes the first and second elongated legs.

32. The occlusion clamp of claim 31, wherein:

the secondary appendage extends from a trough cooperatively formed by an intersection of the first and second elongated legs; and

,

the secondary appendage comprises a partial U-shaped secondary spring.

33. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein:

the spring further comprises an additional appendage mounted to at least one of the first elongated leg and the second elongated leg.

34. The occlusion clamp of claim 33, wherein:

the first elongated leg is coupled to the first runner at a first location;

the second elongated leg is coupled to the second runner at a second location; and

,

the first location is approximately the same as the second location along the dominant dimension of the spring.

35. The occlusion clamp of claim 34, wherein:

a first pin is mounted to the first runner;

a second pin is mounted to the second runner;

the first elongated leg traps the first pin to mount the first elongated leg to the first runner; and

,

the second elongated leg traps the second pin to mount the second elongated leg to the second runner.

36. The occlusion clamp of claim 35, wherein:

the first elongated leg includes a first orifice configured to receive the first pin so that the first elongated leg interposes the first pin and the first runner to mount the first elongated leg to the first runner; and

,

the second elongated leg includes a second orifice configured to receive the second pin so that the second elongated leg interposes the second pin and the second runner to mount the second elongated leg to the second runner.

37. The occlusion clamp of claim 36, wherein:

the first orifice is at least partially received within a trench of the first runner; and

,

the second orifice is at least partially received within a trench of the second runner.

38. The occlusion clamp of claim 33, wherein:

the first and second elongated legs delineate a U-shaped primary spring;

the secondary appendage interposes the first and second elongated legs; and

the additional appendage interposes the first and second elongated legs.

39. The occlusion clamp of claim 38, wherein:

the additional and secondary appendages extend from a trough cooperatively formed by an intersection of the first and second elongated legs; and

,

the additional and secondary appendages cooperate to delineate a U-shaped secondary spring.

40. The occlusion clamp of claim 33, wherein:

the first and second elongated legs comprise a primary spring;

the secondary appendage interposes the first and second elongated legs; and

the additional appendage interposes the first and second elongated legs.

41. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein:

the elongated occlusion beam of the first runner is linear and includes a linear occlusion surface; and

,

the elongated occlusion beam of the second runner is linear and includes a linear occlusion surface.

42. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein:

the elongated occlusion beam of the first runner is linear and includes an arcuate occlusion surface; and

,

the elongated occlusion beam of the second runner is linear and includes an arcuate occlusion surface.

43. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein:

the elongated occlusion beam of the first runner is arcuate and includes an arcuate occlusion surface; and

,

the elongated occlusion beam of the second runner is arcuate and includes an arcuate occlusion surface.

44. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein:

the elongated occlusion beam of the first runner is arcuate and includes a linear occlusion surface; and

,

the elongated occlusion beam of the second runner is arcuate and includes a linear occlusion surface.

45. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, wherein:

the spring is fabricated from at least one of a metal and a metal alloy; and

,

at least one of the first runner and the second runner is fabricated from a polymer.

46. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, further comprising a fabric interposing the first and second runners.

47. The occlusion clamp of claim 25, further comprising a C-shaped fabric sleeve encapsulating the occlusion clamp.