Surgical clip application device
Inventors
Witkowski, Shannon Mary • Studer, James Douglas • Samm, Dustin Tyler • Stewart, Kyle • SCHAFER, Jerome Joseph
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12390223-B2
Publication Date
2025-08-19
Expiration Date
Abstract
A surgical clip application device for applying and crimping surgical clips to ligate a vessel.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a surgical clip applying device that includes an enclosure formed from a top housing, a bottom housing and a window cover, and a pair of handles including a left handle and a right handle each mounted for pivotal movement in the bottom housing. A main rail fixedly mounted to the bottom housing within the enclosure includes an elongate base and upstanding sidewalls defining a U-shaped channel.
The device further includes a pair of clip applying jaws fixedly attached to the bottom housing and mounted through the main rail. The clip applying jaws include arms terminating with a pair of spaced opposing jaw heads and include a pair of angled ramp surfaces disposed in the arms spaced inwardly from the jaw heads.
A jaw closer comprises an elongate base including a pair of upstanding drive flanges disposed at a proximal end, a V-shaped indent at a distal end defining cam members, and an elongate slot defined in the base intermediate the distal end and proximal end. The jaw closer is disposed between the clip applying jaws and the base of the rail and mounted for slideable movement in the channel toward and away from the jaw heads, where the cam members engage and compress the corresponding ramp surfaces to force the arms and the jaw heads together.
A drive mechanism includes a plurality of levers and at least one spring connecting the handles to the upstanding drive flanges of the jaw closer, the drive mechanism configured to translate actuation of the pair of handles to linear motion of the jaw closer. The device further incorporates clip applying jaws that cooperate with a clip loader assembly and dispenser components, including a clip loading tip and a clip pusher assembly that advances a plurality of clips toward the jaw heads, with a transparent window for viewing remaining clips and a resilient lock-out clip for preventing inadvertent jaw closure when no clip is present.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim coverage centers on one surgical clip applying device architecture with an enclosure, pivoting handles, a U-shaped main rail, clip applying jaws with angled ramp surfaces, a jaw closer with cam members, and a lever-and-spring drive mechanism translating handle actuation into linear motion of the jaw closer. Additional independent claim coverage is not explicitly present in the provided partial content.
Enclosure with top housing, bottom housing and window cover
an enclosure formed from a top housing, a bottom housing and a window cover
Pivoting left and right handles
a pair of handles including a left handle and a right handle each mounted for pivotal movement in the bottom housing
U-shaped main rail channel
a main rail fixedly mounted to the bottom housing within the enclosure including an elongate base and upstanding sidewalls defining a U-shaped channel
Clip applying jaws with opposing jaw heads and angled ramp surfaces
a pair of clip applying jaws fixedly attached to the bottom housing and mounted through the main rail, the pair of clip applying jaws having arms terminating with a pair of spaced opposing jaw heads and including a pair of angled ramp surfaces disposed in said arms spaced inwardly from said jaw heads
Jaw closer with cam members that compress ramp surfaces to force jaw closure
a jaw closer comprising an elongate base including a pair of upstanding drive flanges disposed at a proximal end of the jaw closer, the elongate base including a V-shaped indent at a distal end of the jaw closer defining cam members at its distal end and an elongate slot defined in the base intermediate the distal end and proximal end of the jaw closer, the jaw closer being disposed between the clip applying jaws and the base of the rail and mounted for slideable movement in the channel toward and away from the jaw heads, the cam members being configured to engage and compress corresponding ramp surfaces on the arms of the clip applying jaws thereby forcing the arms and the jaw heads together as the jaw closer is advanced towards the jaw heads
Lever-and-spring drive translating handle actuation into linear motion
a drive mechanism including a plurality of levers and at least one spring, connecting the handles to the upstanding drive flanges of the jaw closer, the drive mechanism configured to translate an actuation of the pair of handles to linear motion of the jaw closer
Clip loader/dispenser chain with clip loading tip and retention prong
a clip loading tip and a dispenser configured to push clips over a retention prong into jaw heads as the device reloads clips
Clip pusher assembly advancing a plurality of clips
a clip pusher assembly configured to advance a plurality of clips toward the jaw heads
Lock-out clip for preventing jaw closure when no clip is present
a lock-out clip that prevents the clip applying jaws from closing once the jaws are positioned within the jaw heads
Automatic reloading between closed and open handle positions
automatic surgical clip reloading to the jaws as the handles move from a closed position to an open position using the clip loader assembly and drive mechanism
Window cover provides visibility of clip count loaded in the dispenser
a window cover allows visibility of the number of surgical clips loaded in the dispenser
Overall claim coverage centers on a cam-ramp jaw closer driven by a lever-and-spring mechanism that converts pivotal handle actuation into linear motion to compress opposing ramp surfaces and force jaw heads together, optionally combined with clip loader/dispenser components for automatic clip reloading, a lock-out clip for preventing jaw closure under a positional condition, and a window cover for visibility of a surgical clip count.
Stated Advantages
Automatic surgical clip reloading to the jaws as the handles move from a closed position to an open position.
Visibility of the number of surgical clips loaded in the dispenser via the window cover.
Preventing the clip applying jaws from closing once the jaws are positioned within the jaw heads using a lock-out clip.
Documented Applications
Ligate vessel using microclips with the surgical clip applying device that automatically advances and crimps microclips to ligate vessels [procedural detail omitted for safety].
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