Methods for manufacturing a clip and clip

• US 20060144479A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Vascular Systems, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Vascular Systems, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ginn, Richard S., Carley, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,854,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 148/563
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0057 Implements for plugging an opening in the wall of a hollow or tubular organ, e.g. for sealing a vessel puncture or closing a cardiac septal defect sutures A61B17/04; closing rectum or urethra near body surface A61F2/0009
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/068 Surgical staplers , e.g. containing multiple staples or clampsstaplers containing only one staple A61B17/10; magazines or containers for staples A61B17/105; for performing anastomosis A61B17/115; staplers in general B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/083 Clips, e.g. resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive for implantable prostheses A61F2210/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/007 with a light metal (alkali metal Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs; earth alkali metal Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al Ga, Ge, Ti) or B, Si, Zr, Hf, Sc, Y, lanthanides, actinides, as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/00 Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working apparatus for mechanical working of metal B21, B23, B24
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/10 of nickel or cobalt or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/16 of other metals or alloys based thereon

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of making clips which can be used to engage body tissue for the purpose of closing wounds. Such clips are generally annular in shape and have radially inwardly extending tines. The present invention first forms a precursor which, in one embodiment, has the tines extending radially outwardly from the annular body and then forms the clip by inverting the precursor such that the tines extend radially inwardly. In an alternate embodiment, the precursor is formed with an over-sized lateral dimension and then compressed inwardly to bring the tines closer A together and to reduce the lateral dimension of the precursor. It is preferred to manufacture such clips from a superelastic alloy such as nickel-titanium, in which case the inverted or compressed precursor must be heated and quenched to heat set the clip in its final shape.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a clip comprising the steps of:

forming the precursor of a clip from a material comprising a superelastic alloy which has an austenitic state and a martensitic state, said precursor having a generally annular body which is generally planar and having one or more tines which extend radially outwardly from said body;

inverting said precursor such that said tines extend radially inwardly;

heating said precursor in its inverted configuration to cause said alloy to become substantially austenitic; and

quenching said heated precursor to form a clip which is substantially austenitic.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said alloy is nickel-titanium.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said body comprises a plurality of looped elements.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein, after inversion, at least two tines are in side-by-side relationship.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein, after inversion, at least two tines are in over-and-under relationship.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one tine is longer than a radially opposed tine.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming step comprises cutting said precursor from a sheet of material comprising a superelastic alloy.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein, after compression, at least two tines are in over-and-under relationship.

14. A clip manufactured according to the method of claim 1.

15. A clip manufactured according to the method of claim 6.

8. A method of manufacturing a clip comprising the steps of:

forming the precursor of a clip from a material comprising a superelastic alloy which has an austenitic state and a martensitic state, said precursor having a generally annular body which is generally planar and having one or more tines which extend radially inwardly from said body;

said precursor having a lateral dimension which is substantially larger than that of the clip;

compressing said precursor m a radially inward direction to bring said tines substantially closer together;

heating said precursor in its compressed configuration to cause said alloy to become substantially austenitic; and

quenching said heated precursor to form a clip which is substantially austenitic.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said alloy is nickel titanium.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said body comprises a plurality of looped elements.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the nickel titanium has a grain orientation and at least two tines have a longitudinal dimension transverse to the grain orientation.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein, after compression, at least two tines are in side-by-side relationship.

16. A clip manufactured according to the method of claim 8.