ACTUATOR AND DETACHABLE CONNECTOR OF FLEXIBLE CLIP APPLIER

• US 20100191257A1
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microline Surgical, Inc. (Hoya Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microline PENTAX, Inc. (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: SATO, Masayasu, KAWANO, Tomohiro, BOULNOIS, Jean-Luc
• Granted Patent: US 8,142,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/143
• 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 2017/2905 flexible

Abstract

A clip applier for deploying a surgical clip includes an actuator having a flexible wire and a collet chuck coupled to a piston. Further, actuation of the piston in a forward direction towards a distal end of the clip applier advances the flexible wire in the forward direction.

Claims

1. A clip applier for deploying a surgical clip, the clip applier comprising an actuator having a flexible wire and a collet chuck coupled to a piston, wherein actuation of the piston in a forward direction towards a distal end of the clip applier advances the flexible wire in the forward direction.

2. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein a proximal end of the flexible wire is positioned within the collet chuck.

3. The clip applier according to claim 2, further comprising a collet chuck ring at a circumference of a distal end of the collet chuck, the collet chuck ring configured to apply a clamping force to the distal end of the collet chuck so as to clamp the proximal end of the flexible wire within the collet chuck.

4. The clip applier according to claim 3, further comprising a tube push configured to operate a distal end of the clip applier, wherein:

the collet chuck ring is positioned within a slit of the tube push;

the slit having a front end engagement surface; and

when the collet chuck is advanced in the forward direction, the collect chuck ring advances with the collect chuck until the collet chuck ring engages the front end engagement surface of the slit.

5. The clip applier according to claim 1, further comprising a valve positioned intermediate the proximal end and a distal end of the flexible wire in an axial direction of the clip applier.

6. The clip applier according to claim 5, wherein the valve is positioned within the tube push and press-fitted within an opening of an inner coil pipe, and the inner coil pipe being rotatably coupled to a rotator provided at a proximal end of the clip applier.

7. The clip applier according to claim 4, wherein, when the collet chuck returns in a rearward direction towards the proximal end of the clip applier, the collet chuck releases the flexible wire such that the flexible wire is generally stationarily supported within the valve relative to the valve.

8. The clip applier according to claim 7, further comprising a spacer positioned rearward of the collect chuck ring, wherein the collet chuck is configured to clamp the proximal end of the flexible wire when the collet chuck ring engages the spacer.

9. The clip applier according to claim 4, the front end engagement surface of the slit comprising a abutment face which extends generally perpendicular to a linear direction of movement of the collet chuck.

10. The clip applier according to claim 4, wherein actuation of the actuator is configured to displace the collet chuck ring and the tube push in the forward direction, wherein an amount of the displacement of the collet chuck ring is greater than an amount of the displacement of the tube push such that the collet chuck ring engages the front end engagement surface of the slit.

11. The clip applier according to claim 6, wherein the valve is elastomeric.

12. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the actuator further comprises a handle and a trigger.

13. The clip applier according to claim 12, wherein depression of the trigger actuates the piston in the forward direction.

14. A clip applier for deploying a surgical clip, the clip applier comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the shaft comprising a flexible tool configured to receive a surgical clip;

a pair of jaws provided at a distal end of the flexible tool;

a tube push configured to open and close the pair of jaws;

a rotator provided at a proximal end of the shaft;

an actuator provided at the proximal end of the shaft, the actuator configured to advance the surgical clip within the flexible tool; and

a detachable connector configured to detachably connect the flexible tool to the actuator, the detachable connector comprising a screw cup, a sheath screw, and a keyed coil pipe, wherein a sheath screw projection of the sheath screw is engageable with a coil pipe recess of the keyed coil pipe so as to rotatably couple the sheath screw to the keyed coil pipe, and a coil pipe projection selectively engaging a screw cup recess of the screw cup.

15. The clip applier according to claim 14, the detachable connector further comprising a coil spring extending axially between the screw cup and keyed coil pipe, wherein a first end of the coil spring engages an end-face of the screw cup and a second end of the coil spring engaging an end-face of the keyed coil pipe.

16. The clip applier according to claim 15, wherein the sheath screw further comprises:

a sheath connection end connectable to an inner coil pipe, and the inner coil pipe rotatably coupled to the rotator, wherein, when the coil spring is in a first position, rotation of the screw cup rotates the keyed coil pipe and the sheath screw so that the connection end of the sheath screw is connected to the inner coil pipe; and

a screw cup connection end connectable to a rotator connection end of the rotator, wherein, when the coil spring is compressed to a second position, the screw cup recess disengages the coil pipe projection such that rotation of the screw cup connects the screw cup connection end to the rotator connection end without rotation of the keyed coil pipe and sheath screw.

17. The clip applier according to claim 16, wherein the sheath connection end and the screw cup connection end comprises threaded connectors.

18. The clip applier according to claim 17, further comprising an inner coil pipe having a inner coil pipe connection end configured to receive the threaded sheath connection end.

19. The clip applier according to claim 17, further comprising an internal thread ring positioned at the rotator connection end, the threaded ring being configured to receive the threaded screw cup connection end.

20. The clip applier according to claim 14, wherein compression of the coil spring to the second position is configured to axially offset the screw cup recess and the coil pipe projection.

21. The clip applier according to claim 16, wherein the inner coil pipe is rotatably coupled to the rotator via a pin.