Abstract:
An improved vascular clamp structure is comprised of a clip body and two clipping pieces, all of which constitute a vascular clamp used cooperatively for medical clamping pliers. The clip body is arranged with a bridge part, and from two ends of which a clipping part extends respectively and making one side of the clip body forming an opening; the clipping piece is arranged with a clipping body with a fitting slot. The fitting slot and the clipping part can be assembled together. Both adjacent faces of the clipping bodies are respectively arranged with a groove and at least one male or female fastener inter-buckled together. Wherein, the clip body is set as a memory metal. By arranging clipping pieces, the vascular clamp of the present invention enhances the frictional areas of inter-contact. Arranging male and female fasteners at the adjacent faces of clipping pieces also enhances the clipping force, and effectively improves the slipping drawback of traditional vascular clamp. In addition, the vascular clamp is made of memory metal; by the separation of male and female fasteners, the vascular clamp further possesses the function of dismantlement.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention in general relates to a vascular clamp cooperatively used for medical pliers, in particular, to an improved vascular clamp structure with a clip body, two ends of which have clipping pieces capable of clipping enhancement. 
       DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In general surgery medical operation, it needs to incise or ligate blood vessels within an organ or tissue. Since organs and tissues of human bodies are not completely identical, and each person&#39;s individual constitutions are not all the same, so vascular ligations required in surgery are also different. 
         [0003]    General vascular ligation methods are divided into three types: the first method is to carry suture ligation to the wall of blood vessels; the second one is to carry electric sintering ligation on the vascular wall with laser, high frequency electric knife or other plasma of high amount of energy; and, the last method is to use a medical clamp to clamp the bleeding blood vessel wall for executing an outside ligation. 
         [0004]    In terms of the application method of hemostat, a hemostat is usually designed as two leg parts opposite to each other and capable of being open. After suppressed by suppression units of a medical plier, two leg parts will be closed. Common hemostats are made of materials of metal or polymer, such that the hemostats can have sufficient strength to make the clamps maintain clipping and closing positions when two leg parts are suppressed together. 
         [0005]    However, traditional hemostats are all comprised of a single clip body. This kind of design results in small contacting area between the two leg parts of the clamp and the vessel, causing an occurrence of slipping phenomenon, due to insufficient friction exerting between the vascular clamp and vessel. Furthermore, it is difficult to separate the two leg parts after the hemostat of a traditional single clip body has clamped something. Thus, it is uneasy to dismantle the hemostat, and the current hemostat still has the necessity for improvement and innovation. Accordingly, the present invention designs a vascular ligation instrument that has a larger friction area and has the capability of being easily dismantled. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, after a substantially devoted study, in cooperation with the application of relative academic principles, the inventor has finally proposed the present invention designed reasonably to possess the capability to improve the drawbacks of the prior arts significantly. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved vascular clamp structure. Two ends of the vascular clamp are respectively equipped with a clipping piece, whereby the friction area between the inter-contacting parts of the vascular clamp can be increased. At adjacent faces between two clipping pieces, there is a set of male and female fasteners inter-assembled to each other, effectively enhancing the clipping force of the vascular clamp, and improving the drawback of easy slippage of traditional vascular clamps. 
         [0008]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a vascular clamp made of metal with restoration effectiveness. When the male and female fasteners are separated by dislocation under assembly status, the vascular clamp can be restored to original formation status from clipping status, making the vascular clamp have a dismantlement function. 
         [0009]    In order to achieve aforementioned objectives, an improved vascular clamp of the present invention can match the usage of a medical clamping plier, including a clip body, a first clipping piece, and second clipping piece. The clip body has a bridge part with an inflecting point. Two ends of the bridge part respectively extend a first clipping part and a second clipping part, making one side of the clip body form an accommodation opening fitted to a vessel; 
         [0010]    The first clipping piece is arranged as a first clipping body with a first fitting slot and is assembled fixedly by the first fitting slot and the first clipping part of the clip body. The first clipping body is arranged as a first groove and at least one male fastener at a face adjacent to a second clamping piece. 
         [0011]    The second clipping pieces is arranged as a second clipping body with a second fitting slot and is assembled fixedly by the second fitting slot and the second clipping part of the clip body. The second clipping body is arranged as a second groove and at least one female fastener matching the male fastener at the face adjacent to the first clipping piece. 
         [0012]    Wherein, the clip body can be set as a memory metal with restoration effectiveness. When the male and female fasteners of the first and second clipping pieces are separated, the memory metal of the clip body will restore the bridge part and two clipping parts to original formation pattern. 
         [0013]    The first, second clipping parts and the first, second fitting slots are configured as wedged dovetails assembled and matched by corresponding to each other. Wherein, the wedged dovetails are to set the inside faces of the first, second fitting slots as two oblique walls and set the outside faces of the first, second clipping part as two bevel edges corresponding to each other. Besides, the bottom sides of two oblique walls can be additionally arranged with a ring-guiding slot respectively to be inter-wedged fixedly with a pair of corresponding guiding rails arranged at corresponding bottom sides of two bevel edges. 
         [0014]    In a preferable embodiment, the first groove is set as a convex wedge block projected from the surface of the first clipping body, while the second groove is set as a concave wedge slot recessed in the surface of the second clipping body. In this case, the convex wedge block is arranged as corresponding to the configuration of the concave wedge slot. The convex wedge block is arranged with a plurality of longitudinal ribs interspaced separately. Between the longitudinal ribs, a plurality of oblique ribs is arranged as being interspaced with the longitudinal ribs. The concave wedge slots are arranged with a plurality of longitudinal slots corresponding to the longitudinal ribs and a plurality of oblique slots corresponding to the oblique ribs. 
         [0015]    In another preferable embodiment, the said first groove is comprised of a plurality of flat cone convex patterns projected from the surface of the first clipping body and adjacently interspaced to each other, while the second groove is also comprised of a plurality of flat cone convex patterns projected from the surface of the second clipping body and adjacently interspaced to each other. 
         [0016]    The male fastener is a diverging insetting piece, while the female fastener is an insetting hole with a converging structure therein. The insetting piece is comprised of two insetting ribs extending and diverging to the outside from the connecting side of the clipping body. An elastic space is formed between the insetting ribs. The converging structure is configured by forming a projection block respectively at sides of the opening of the insetting hole. A wedge block is formed at a center of the converging structure, making two sides of the wedge block respectively forming a hole capable of being passed by the insetting rib. The male fastener can be arranged at a center of the bottom part of the first clipping body of the first clipping piece, while the female fastener can be arranged at a center of the bottom part of the second clipping body of the second clipping piece. 
         [0017]    The characteristic of the invention is that two clipping pieces are respectively arranged at two ends of the clip body of the vascular clamp to increase the friction area between the inter-contacted contacting parts of the vascular clamp. The adjacent faces of two clipping pieces are arranged with a set of corresponding grooves and at least one set of male and female fasteners inter-assembled to each other, effectively enhancing the forces of longitudinally and vertically stabilizing the vessel. 
         [0018]    Moreover, the vascular clamp is made of memory metal capable of restoration effectiveness. Through the dislocation separation of the male and female pieces under an assembly status, the vascular clamp can be restored to original formation status from clipping status, such that the vascular clamp possesses the function of dismantlement. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
         [0019]    The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description, which describes a number of embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an improved vascular clamp structure according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is an explosive and separated view of a clip body and two clipping pieces of the vascular clamp in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C  are structural illustrations of the clip body of an vascular clamp according to different preferable embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a longitudinally sectioned and separated view of a clip body and two clipping pieces of the vascular clamp in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is an illustration showing a suppressed (closed) status and a dislocated (open) status of a vascular clamp of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6A  to  FIG. 6B  are sectional illustrations of the clip body and the clipping piece set as wedged dovetails in a vascular clamp of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is an illustration showing the surface grooves of two clipping pieces of a vascular clamp according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is an illustration showing the surface grooves of two clipping pieces of a vascular clamp according to another preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the male and female fasteners arranged at the bottom faces of two clipping pieces of a vascular clamp of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 10  is a usage illustration of an endoscopic surgery clamping plier matched with a vascular clamp of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 11  is a usage illustration of an open surgical clamping plier matched with a vascular clamp of the present invention; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 12  is an illustration showing a suppressed vascular clamp according to the present invention when clamping a vessel. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0032]    In cooperation with attached drawings, the technical contents and detailed description of the present invention are described thereinafter according to a number of preferable embodiments, not used to limit its executing scope. Any equivalent variation and modification made according to appended claims is all covered by the claims claimed by the present invention. 
         [0033]    First of all, please refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 10  to  FIG. 12 . As shown in these figures, the vascular clamp  10  of the invention is comprised of a clip body  20 , a first clipping piece  30  connected to one end of the clip body  20  and a second clipping piece  40  connected to another end of the clip body  20 . During an operation, the vascular clamp  10  is matched with the medical clamping plier  50  and suppressed to deform to ligate a vessel. 
         [0034]    Secondly, please refer to  FIG. 2 . As shown in this figure, the clip body  20  of the vascular clamp  10  is arranged with a bridge part  21 . The bridge part  21  is configured as a V-shaped structure with an inflecting point  210 . Two ends of the bridge part  21  respectively extend a first clipping part  22  shown vertically and a second clipping part  23  also shown vertically and parallel to the first clipping part  22 . The bridge part  21 , the first clipping part  22  and the second clipping part  23  jointly form an opening  24  for setting a vessel into one side of the clip body  20 . However, this description is only an example for the convenience of illustration, and does not restrict the structural pattern of the clip body  20 . 
         [0035]    Furthermore, please refer to  FIG. 3A . As shown in this figure, the bridge part  21   a  of the clip body  20   a  can also be set as a curved structure with an inflecting point  210   a.  Then, two ends of the bridge part  21   a  are respectively arranged and extended as a first clipping part  22   a  and a second clipping part  23   a.  And the clipping part  22   a  and  23   a  are shown vertically and parallel to each other. In addition, the opening  24   a  is formed between the first clipping part  22   a  and the second clipping part  23   a.  By so doing, a structure of clip body  20   a  with different pattern can be configured. 
         [0036]    Please refer to  FIG. 3B . As shown in this figure, the bridge part  21   b  of the clip body  20   b  can also be set as a V-shaped structure with an inflecting point  210   b.  Then, two ends of the bridge part  21   b  are respectively arranged as a first clipping part  22   b  and a second clipping part  23 , that both horizontally extend outwardly. The clip body  20   b  of this embodiment can form an opening  24   b  with a larger aperture. 
         [0037]    Please refer to  FIG. 3C . As shown in this figure, the bridge part  21   c  of the clip body  20   c  can also be set as a V-shaped structure with an inflecting point  210   c.  Then, two ends of the bridge part  21   c  are respectively arranged as a first clipping part  22   c  and a second clipping part  23   c  that both incline inward to form an opening  24   c  with a smaller aperture. 
         [0038]    It is known that the shapes of the clip bodies  20 ,  20   a,    20   b,    20   c  of the present invention are configured according to the needs of operation, or the sizes of the apertures of the openings  24 ,  24   a,    24   b,    24   c.  Regarding the structural variations of other kinds of clip bodies  20 ,  20   a,    20   b,    20   c , they can all be simply obtained from the aforementioned embodiments disclosed in  FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C  without the need of further description. 
         [0039]    Please refer to  FIG. 4 . As shown in this figure, the first clipping piece  30  is equipped with a first clipping body  31 , and a first fitting slot  32  is set at the top of the first clipping body  31 . The first clipping part  22  of the clip body  20  is assembled fixedly by the first fitting slot  32 , whereby the first clipping piece  30  is firmly fixed to one end of the clip body  20 . At the face  310  of the clipping body  31  and adjacent to the second clipping piece  40 , and equipped with a first groove  33  and at least one male fastener  34 . 
         [0040]    The second clipping piece  40  is equipped with a second clipping body  41 , and a second fitting slot  42  is arranged at the top of the second clipping body  41 . The second clipping part  23  of the clip body  20  is assembled fixedly by the second fitting slot  42 , whereby the second clipping piece  40  is firmly fixed to another end of the clip body  20 . At one face  410  adjacent to the first clipping piece  30 , the second clipping body  41  is equipped with a second groove  43 , and at least one female fastener  44  matches the male fastener  34  to possess buckling and positioning functions. 
         [0041]    Please refer to  FIG. 5 . As shown in this figure, the clip body  20  of the invention can be set as a memory metal with the effectiveness of restoration. Therefore, when the first and second clipping pieces  30 ,  40  and the male and female fasteners  34 ,  44  are dislocated and separated under an assembly status, the material of the memory metal of the clip body  20  can restore the bridge part  21 , the first clipping part  22 , and the second clipping part  23  to an original pre-configured pattern. This kind of innovative design can make the vascular clamp  10  possess both the clamping and dismantling functions. 
         [0042]    Please refer to  FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B . As shown in these two figures, in a preferable embodiment, the first and second clipping parts  22 ,  23  of the clip body  20 , the first fitting slot  32  of the first clipping piece  30  and the second fitting slot  42  of the second clipping piece  40  can be matched to be assembled together by being configured as wedged dovetails corresponding to one another. 
         [0043]    The wedged dovetails are made by setting the inside faces of both the first fitting slot  32  and the second fitting slot  42  respectively as two oblique walls  321 ,  322 ,  421 ,  422  diverged to the inside from the surfaces of the clipping pieces. On the other hand, the outside faces of the first clipping part  22  and the second clipping part  23  are arranged as two bevel edges  221 ,  222 ,  231 ,  232  wedged correspondingly with the oblique walls  321 ,  322 ,  421 ,  422 . In addition, the ring-guiding slots  323 ,  324 ,  423 ,  424  are separately arranged at bottom sides of the two oblique walls  321 ,  322 ,  421 ,  422 , while the corresponding positions of the bottom sides of the two bevel edges  221 ,  222 ,  231 ,  232  are separately arranged to correspond with guiding rails  223 ,  224 ,  233 ,  234 , such that the slots and rails can be wedged together fixedly. With the close fit between the structures of the clip body  20  and the two clipping pieces  30 ,  40 , the clip body  20  is firmly combined with the first clipping piece  30  and the second clipping piece  40 . 
         [0044]    This embodiment is only one kind of preferable structure for the convenience of description. The first and second clipping parts  22 ,  23  and the first and second fitting slots  32 ,  42  can be set as fitting structures of any other geometrical shapes that can be inter-matched together. 
         [0045]    Please refer to  FIG. 7 . As shown in this figure, the first groove  33  of the first clipping body  31  is arranged as a convex wedge block  331  projected from the surface of the first clipping body  31 , and the second groove  43  of the second clipping body  41  is arranged as a concave wedge slot  431  recessed in the surface of the second clipping body  41 . The shapes of the convex wedge block  331  and the concave wedge slot  431  are inter-corresponded to each other such that, when the first clipping piece  30  and the second clipping piece  40  are fixed together by being inter-contacted to each other, more effective anti-slipping friction can be generated. 
         [0046]    This embodiment contains the convex wedge block  331  with a plurality of longitudinal ribs  332  interspaced separately. And a plurality of oblique ribs  333  are arranged as interspaced separately among and interlacing with the longitudinal ribs  332 . The concave wedge slot  431  is composed of longitudinal notches  432  corresponding to the longitudinal ribs  332  and oblique slots  433  corresponding to the oblique ribs  333 . The said description is one of the embodiment of the convex wedge block  331  and the concave wedge slot  431 . The convex wedge block  331  and the concave wedge slot  431  can be arranged as ribs or notches with only one of horizontal, vertical or oblique directions. Or, the convex wedge block  331  and the concave wedge slot  431  can be arranged as ribs or notches staggered in three or more directions. 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , in another embodiment, the first groove  33  of the first clipping body  31  can also be arranged with a plurality of flat cone convex patterns  334  projected from the surface of the first clipping body  31  and adjacently laid over the entire adjacent face. On the other hand, the second groove  43  can be arranged as a plurality of corresponding flat cone convex patterns  434  projected from the surface of the second clipping body  41  and adjacently laid over the entire adjacent face  410 . Through the staggered clamping manner, it can also make vascular clamp  10  generate more effective anti-slipping friction. 
         [0048]    As shown in  FIG. 9 , in a preferable embodiment, the male fastener  34  is arranged at a center of the bottom part of the first clipping body  31  of the first clipping piece  30 , while the female fastener  44  can be arranged at a center of the bottom part of the second clipping body  41  of the second clipping piece  40 . By means of corresponding pair of male and female fasteners  34 ,  44 , the invention increases the clipping force to clip object. If the vascular clamp  10  needs stronger clipping force, then the number of sets of the male and female fasteners  34 ,  44  can be increased to meet the needed clipping force. 
         [0049]    The male fastener  34  is a diverging and insetting piece  341  projected outwardly, while the female fastener  44  is an insetting hole  441  with a converging structure therein. Wherein, the insetting piece  341  is comprised of two insetting ribs  342 ,  343  extending and diverging outwardly to a connecting side of the first clipping body  31 , and an elastic space  344  is formed between the two insetting ribs  342 ,  343 , while the converging structure  443  is configured by forming a projection block  442  respectively at two sides of the opening of the insetting hole  441 , and a wedge block  444  is formed at a center of the converging structure  443 , making two sides of the wedge block  444  respectively formed a hole capable of being passed by the insetting ribs  342 ,  343 . 
         [0050]    Similarly, this description is only one kind of executable structure of the male and female fasteners  34 ,  44 . Other kinds of connection structures are also acceptable, as long as the same effectiveness can be achieved. Since there are many categories and patterns for this kind of connection structure, further description is not presented here. 
         [0051]    Please refer to  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 . A vascular clamp  10  of the invention matches the usage of a medical clamping plier  50 . This medical clamping plier  50  can be a clamping plier for endoscopic surgery  51  (e.g.  FIG. 10 ) or a clamping plier for open surgery  52  (e.g.  FIG. 11 ). 
         [0052]    If applied in a clamping plier for endoscopic surgery  51 , it needs to place the vascular  10  onto a clamping part  512  at the end part of a transmission tube  511  of the clamping plier for endoscopic surgery  51 . Next, the clamping part  512  is placed onto the part needed the surgical ligation. Then, by pressing down a start pull handle  514  of the gripping part  513 , the clamping part  512  suppresses the outside of the vascular clamp  10 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , the vascular clamp  10  will be contracted inwardly to become a long-stripe shape, whereby the part needing ligation is clamped. 
         [0053]    If applied in a clamping plier for open surgery  52 , it needs to place the vascular  10  onto another clamping part  521  of the clamping plier for open surgery  52 . Then, the clamping part  521  is moved to a ligation part needing an open surgery. By pressing down two handle-gripping parts  522 ,  523 , the clamping part  521  suppresses the outside of the vascular clamp  10 . In a same way, the vascular clamp  10  will be contracted inwardly to become a long-stripe shape, whereby the part needing ligation is clamped. 
         [0054]    In summary, the improved vascular clamp structure of the invention is to respectively arrange a clipping piece at two ends of the clip body. By so doing, the friction area between the inter-contacting parts of vascular clamp increases. On the other hand, a set of corresponding grooves and at least a set of male and female fasteners are arranged at two adjacent faces of the two clipping pieces, effectively enhancing the horizontal clipping and vertical stabilizing forces of the vascular clamp. In addition, the vascular clamp is made of memory metal possessing the effectiveness of restoration. When the male and female fasteners are separated and dislocated under an assembly status, the vascular clamp will restore to original formation status from a clipping status. Therefore, the vascular clamp has a dismantling function. 
         [0055]    Through the constitution of aforementioned assemblies, an improved vascular clamp structure according to the present invention is thus obtained. 
         [0056]    Summarizing aforementioned description, the improved vascular clamp structure is an indispensable device and structure for a medical surgery and operation indeed, which may positively reach the expected usage objective for solving the drawbacks of the prior arts, and which extremely possesses the innovation and progressiveness to completely fulfill the applying merits of a new type patent, according to which the invention is thereby applied. Please examine the application carefully and grant it as a formal patent for protecting the rights of the inventor. 
         [0057]    However, the aforementioned description is only a number of preferable embodiments according to the present invention, and not used to limit the patent scope of the invention. Thus, equivalently structural variations made to the contents of the present invention are all covered by the claims claimed thereinafter.