SUTURE CLIP APPLIER

• US 20110087242A1
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Pribanic, Russell, Marczyk, Stanislaw
• Granted Patent: US 8,734,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0488 Instruments for applying suture clamps, clips or locks for applying suture anchors A61B2017/0409; for applying wound clamps A61B17/10; for applying ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/128

Abstract

Suture clip appliers, suture clips and methods of their use for securing sutures during an endoscopic or laparoscopic procedure are provided, wherein the method includes the steps of providing a suture clip applier having a working tip configured to retain and fire a suture clip; providing a suture clip having a biased closed configuration; loading the suture clip into the working tip of the clip applier; translating the suture clip distally relative to the working tip to a first position wherein the suture clip is splayed open; inserting a suture into the opened suture clip; and translating the suture clip distally relative to the working tip such that the suture clip is ejected from the working tip and biased to the closed configuration to close on and to retain the suture.

Claims

1. A suture clip applier, comprising:

a housing;

an elongated plunger slidably supported in the housing, the plunger having a distal end portion disposed within the housing and a proximal end portion extending from a proximal end of the housing;

a hollow tube extending distally from the housing and defining a lumen therethrough;

an actuation member having a distal end extending into the hollow tube and a proximal end operatively engaged with the plunger; and

a working tip coupled to a distal end of the hollow tube, wherein the working tip has a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-sectional profile defining a channel having a base wall and a pair of spaced apart side walls, wherein the working tip defines;

a lower contact surface along an internal face of the base wall, and

an upper contact surface defined along an upper end surface of each side wall, wherein the upper contact surface of each side wall includes;

a distal recess formed near a distal end of thereof and a proximal recess formed proximal of the distal recess; and

an internal retaining surface on both side walls parallel to the base wall,

wherein the distal end of the actuation member is configured to engage a suture clip loaded into the working tip.

2. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the plunger defines a race formed in a surface thereof, the race includes a plurality of portions each defining a cam surface of varying depth;

and

wherein the clip applier includes a rocker arm having a distal end portion and proximal end portion, the rocker arm has a follower pin extending therefrom near the distal end portion thereof and a retaining pin near the proximal end portion thereof,

whereby the rocker arm is pivotally attached to the housing by the retaining pin and the follower pin is slidably disposed with in the race of the plunger to modulate the motion of the plunger and actuation member.

3. The clip applier according to claim 2, wherein the race defines four interconnected cam portion, with each cam portion having a start position and an end position and each cam is deepest at its respective start position and shallowest at its respective end position.

4. The clip applier according to claim 2, wherein the rocker arm is elastically deformable laterally from the plunger thereby providing a biasing force upon the follower pin and plunger relative to the body.

5. The clip applier according to claim 1, further comprising finger loops extending from the housing.

6. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the actuation member is configured to transmit axial translative forces to the suture clip.

7. The clip applier according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member disposed within the housing and providing a proximal bias upon the plunger relative to the housing.

8. The clip applier according to claim 7, wherein the biasing member is a coil spring.

9. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein the distal recess and the proximal recess formed in each vertical side wall are interconnected by a camming surface.

10. A suture clip for selective attachment to a suture, the suture clip comprising:

an elongated flexible beam having a distal end portion, a proximal end portion, a top surface and a bottom surface, the flexible beam further including a pair of arms extending laterally therefrom; and

an elongated rigid channel, wherein the elongated rigid channel has a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-sectional profile with a horizontal base wall and vertical side walls having a distal end portion and proximal end portion, wherein each vertical side wall defines a holding step formed in an upper edge thereof;

wherein the flexible beam and the channel are coupled to one another at their proximal end portions; and

wherein the pair of arms of the flexible beam are in registration with a corresponding holding step formed in the upper edge of the vertical side walls.

11. The suture clip according to claim 10, wherein a proximal end portion of the pair of vertical side walls of the channel of the suture clip include inwardly projecting lips for retaining the proximal end portion of the beam within the channel.

12. The suture clip according to claim 10, wherein the proximal end portions of the beam and channel are adhesively coupled to one another.

13. The suture clip according to claim 10, wherein the pair of arms project beyond the pair of vertical side walls of the channel.

14. A suture clip applier system, comprising:

a suture clip applier for filing a suture clip onto a suture, the clip applier including;

a housing;

an elongated plunger slidably supported in the housing, the plunger having a distal end portion disposed within the housing and a proximal end portion extending from a proximal end of the housing;

a hollow tube extending distally from the housing and defining a lumen therethrough;

an actuation member having a distal end extending into the hollow tube and a proximal end operatively engaged with the plunger; and

a working tip coupled to a distal end of the hollow tube, wherein the working tip has a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-sectional profile defining a channel having a base wall and a pair of spaced apart side walls, wherein the working tip defines;

a lower contact surface along an internal face of the base wall, and

an upper contact surface defined along an upper end surface of each side wall, wherein the upper contact surface of each side wall includes;

a distal recess formed near a distal end thereof and a proximal recess formed proximal of the distal recess; and

an internal retaining surface on both side walls parallel to the base wall,

wherein the distal end of the actuation member is configured to engage a suture clip loaded into the working tip; and

a suture clip loadable into and deployable from the working tip, the suture clip including;

an elongated flexible beam having a distal end portion, a proximal end portion, a top surface and a bottom surface, the flexible beam further including a pair of arms extending laterally therefrom; and

an elongated rigid channel, wherein the elongated rigid channel has a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-sectional profile with a horizontal base wall and vertical side walls having a distal end portion and proximal end portion, wherein each vertical side wall defines a holding step formed in an upper edge thereof;

wherein the flexible beam and the channel are coupled to one another at their proximal end portions;

wherein the pair of arms of the flexible beam are in registration with a corresponding holding step formed in the upper edge of the vertical side walls; and

wherein, as the suture clip is urged in a distal direction relative to the working tip, the flexible beam is splayed apart from the channel to open the suture clip for receipt of a suture therein.

15. The suture clip applier system according to claim 14, wherein the plunger of the clip applier defines a race formed in a surface thereof, the race includes a plurality of portions each defining a cam surface of varying depth;

and

wherein the clip applier includes a rocker arm having a distal end portion and proximal end portion, the rocker arm has a follower pin extending therefrom near the distal end portion thereof and a retaining pin near the proximal end portion thereof,

whereby the rocker arm is pivotally attached to the housing by the retaining pin and the follower pin is slidably disposed with in the race of the plunger to modulate the motion of the plunger and actuation member.

16. The suture clip applier system according to claim 15, wherein the race defines four interconnected cam portion, with each cam portion having a start position and an end position and each cam is deepest at its respective start position and shallowest at its respective end position.

17. The suture clip applier system according to claim 15, wherein the rocker arm of the clip applier is elastically deformable laterally from the plunger thereby providing a biasing force upon the follower pin and plunger relative to the body.

18. The suture clip applier system according to claim 14, wherein the clip applier further comprises a biasing member disposed within the housing and providing a proximal bias upon the plunger relative to the housing.

19. The suture clip applier system according to claim 14, wherein the distal recess and the proximal recess formed in each vertical side wall are interconnected by a camming surface.

20. The suture clip applier system according to claim 14, wherein a proximal end portion of the pair of vertical sides walls of the channel of the suture clip include inwardly projecting lips for retaining the proximal end portion of the beam within the channel.

21. The suture clip applier system according to claim 14, wherein the pair of arms of the suture clip project beyond the pair of vertical side walls of the channel thereof.

22. A method of securing a suture through an incision, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture clip applier having a working tip configured to retain and fire a suture clip;

providing a suture clip having a biased closed configuration;

loading the suture clip into the working tip of the clip applier;

translating the suture clip distally relative to the working tip to a first position wherein the suture clip is splayed open;

inserting a suture into the opened suture clip; and

translating the suture clip distally relative to the working tip such that the suture clip is ejected from the working tip and biased to the closed configuration to close on and to retain the suture.

23. A method of securing a suture through an incision, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a suture clip applier having a working tip, the working tip has a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-sectional profile defining a channel having a base wall and a pair of spaced apart side walls, wherein the working tip defines;

a lower contact surface along an internal face of the base wall; and

an upper contact surface defined along an upper end surface of each side wall, wherein the upper contact surface of each side wall includes;

a distal recess formed near a distal end of thereof and a proximal recess formed proximal of the distal recess; and

an internal retaining surface projecting inwardly from both side walls of the channel;

providing a suture clip including;

an elongated flexible beam having a distal end portion, a proximal end portion, a top surface and a bottom surface, the flexible beam further including a pair of arms extending laterally therefrom; and

an elongated rigid channel, wherein the elongated rigid channel has a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-sectional profile with a horizontal base wall and a pair of spaced apart vertical side walls having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, wherein each vertical side wall of the suture clip defines a holding step formed in an upper edge thereof;

wherein the flexible beam and the channel of the clip are coupled to one another at their proximal end portions; and

wherein the pair of arms of the flexible beam are in registration with a corresponding holding step formed in the upper edge of the vertical side walls of the channel of the clip;

loading a suture clip into the working tip such that the vertical side walls of the clip channel abut the retaining surface of the working tip, and the laterally extending arms of the flexible beam rest in the proximal recess of the working tip;

translating the suture clip distally relative to the working tip such that the laterally extending arms of the suture clip are translated from the proximal recess of the working tip channel to the distal recess of the working tip while the clip channel is retained by the internal retaining surfaces of the working tip such that the distal ends of the flexible beam and the channel of the suture clip are separated to define an opening, and so that the distal end of the suture clip protrudes from the working tip;

inserting a suture into the opening of the suture clip; and

translating the suture clip distally relative to the working tip such that the suture clip is ejected from the working tip and the flexible beam and the channel of the clip are biased toward one another to close on and retain the suture.