Surgical clip

• US 20040116948A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson), Inscope (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inscope (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kortenbach, Juergen A., Sixto, Robert Jr., Bales, Thomas O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/158
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• 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 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2946 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320064 with tissue or sample retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/10 using magnetic means, e.g. by measuring change of reluctance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44752 Integral locking-means

Abstract

A surgical clip includes a U-shaped configuration with first and second arms, and a bridge portion therebetween. The first arm is provided with a tip preferably having a catch, and the second arm extends into a deformable retainer having a tissue-piercing end and preferably also a hook. During application, tissue is clamped, and the clip is forced over the clamped tissue and the retainer of the second arm is bent and may be pierced through the tissue. The retainer is toward and around or adjacent the tip of the first arm preferably until the hook is engaged about the catch to secure the clip to the tissue and prevent the clip and tissue from separating. The clip is provided with structure that facilitates the stacking of a plurality of clips in a clip chamber of a clip applier.

Claims

1. A surgical clip, comprising:

a) a first arm portion having a tip and an opposite end;

b) a second arm portion having a first end and an opposite end;

c) a retainer extending from said first end of said second arm portion, said retainer extending beyond said tip of said first arm portion and substantially parallel to said first arm portion and being deformably bendable and having a tissue piercing tip; and

d) a bridge portion connecting said opposite ends of said first and second arm portions,

wherein said first and second arm portions and said bridge portion are in a generally U-shaped configuration, and said retainer is adapted to be plastically deformed toward said first arm portion and about or adjacent said tip of said first arm portion.

2. A surgical clip according to claim 1, wherein:

said first and second arm portions and said bridge portion are substantially stiff.

3. A surgical clip according to claim 1, wherein:

said clip is made from titanium or a titanium alloy.

4. A surgical clip according to claim 1, wherein:

said clip is made from one of stainless steel, tantalum, platinum, a radiopaque material, a nickel-titanium alloy, a martensitic alloy, and a plastic.

5. A surgical clip, comprising:

a) a first arm portion having a tip end provided with one of a hook portion and a catch portion, and an opposite end;

b) a second arm portion having a first end and an opposite end;

c) a retainer extending from said first end and beyond said tip end of said first arm portion and substantially parallel to said second arm portion, said retainer being plastically deformable and having the other of said hook portion and said catch portion; and

d) a bridge portion connecting said opposite ends of said first and second arm portions,

wherein said first and second arm portions and said bridge portion are in a generally U-shaped configuration.

6. A surgical clip according to claim 5, wherein:

said retainer, in a non-deformed configuration, extends substantially parallel to said first arm portion.

7. A surgical clip according to claim 5, wherein:

said other of said hook portion and said catch portion is adapted to engage said one of said hook portion and said catch portion when said retainer is deformably bent.

8. A surgical clip according to claim 5, wherein:

said first and second arm portions and said bridge portion are substantially stiff.

9. A surgical clip, comprising:

a) a first arm portion having a tip and a first opposite end;

b) a second arm portion having a retainer extending therefrom beyond said tip of said first arm portion and a second opposite end, said retainer being deformably bendable and having a tip portion; and

c) a bridge portion connecting the first and second opposite ends,

wherein said clip has a first original configuration in which said retainer extends substantially parallel to both said first and second arms, and a second applied configuration in which said tip portion of said retainer is bent around or adjacent said tip of said first arm portion.

10. A surgical clip according to claim 9, wherein:

said first and second arms are each substantially stiff.

11. A surgical clip according to claim 9, wherein:

said first and second arms are substantially parallel to each other.

12. A surgical clip according to claim 9, wherein:

said tip portion is adapted to pierce tissue.

13. A surgical clip, comprising:

a) a relatively stiff first arm portion having a tip and a first opposite end;

b) a relatively stiff second arm portion having a transition portion and a second opposite end,

c) a plastically deformable retainer portion provided at the transition portion and extending therefrom beyond said tip of said first arm portion; and

d) a relatively stiff bridge portion connecting the first and second opposite ends,

wherein said first and second arm portions and said bridge portion are together in a generally U-shaped configuration.

14. A surgical clip according to claim 13, wherein:

said clip is made from a unitary piece of titanium or titanium alloy.

15. A surgical clip according to claim 13, wherein:

said clip is made from one of stainless steel, tantalum, platinum, a radiopaque material, a nickel-titanium alloy, a martensitic alloy, and a plastic.

16. A surgical clip according to claim 13, wherein:

said retainer portion has a length substantially 0.7 to 2 times the dimension between an outside of said first arm portion and an outside of said second arm portion.

17. A surgical clip, comprising:

a) a first arm portion;

b) a second arm portion;

c) a plurality of retainer portions located on one or more of said first and second arm portions and extending therefrom; and

d) a bridge portion connecting the first and second opposite ends,

wherein said first and second arm portions and said bridge portion are together in a generally U-shaped configuration and are relatively stiff, and said retainer portions are adapted to be plastically deformable.

18. A surgical clip according to claim 17, further comprising:

e) at least one catch portion on one or more of said first and second arm portions adapted to engage at least one of said retainer portions.

19. A surgical clip according to claim 17, wherein:

at least one of said plurality of retainer portions are located on each of said first and second arm portions.

20. A surgical clip according to claim 17, wherein:

each said retainer portion extending from said first arm portion extends longitudinally beyond said second arm portion, and each said retainer portion extending from said second arm portion extends longitudinally beyond said first arm portion.

21. A method of applying a surgical clip to tissue, comprising:

a) providing a surgical clip having,

i) a first arm portion having a tip and a first opposite end,

ii) a second arm portion having a retainer extending therefrom in substantially the same direction as said second arm and a second opposite end, and

iii) a bridge portion connecting the first and second opposite ends;

b) providing the first and second arm portions about the tissue; and

c) folding the retainer about the tip of the first arm.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

d) prior to providing the first and second arm portions about the tissue, compressing the tissue.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

e) providing a clip applier device,

wherein said compressing the tissue is performed by said clip applier device.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

d) piercing the retainer through the tissue.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein:

the tissue is non-tubular.

26. A method according to claim 21, wherein:

said folding the retainer includes plastically deformably bending said retainer substantially 180°

.