Source: http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/7357806.html
Timestamp: 2018-05-22 08:32:35
Document Index: 675288832

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 702', 'art 702', 'art 702', 'art 706', 'art 706', 'art 706', 'art 702', 'art 706', 'art 702']

Clip ejector for endoscopic clip applier - Patent # 7357806 - PatentGenius
7357806 Clip ejector for endoscopic clip applier
Application: 10/867,413
Inventors: Rivera; Carlos (Cooper City, FL)
Bales; Thomas O. (Coral Gables, FL)
Arp; Scott (Miami, FL)
U.S. Class: 606/143
Field Of Search: 606/139; 606/142; 606/143; 606/151; 606/157; 606/104; 227/175.1; 227/176.1; 227/179.1
Abstract: A flexible endoscopic clip applier includes a flexible coil, a manual actuator coupled to one end and a jaw assembly coupled to the other. A store of clips is arranged adjacent to the jaw assembly and a clip pusher adjacent to the store of clips. The actuator includes a lever for opening and closing the jaws, a knob for rotating the jaw assembly, and a crank for dispensing clips. The knob and lever are coupled to a single control member which extends through the coil to a joiner where it is joined to a pair of pull wires coupled to the jaws. The crank is coupled to a second control member which is threaded along a portion. The threaded portion engages a threaded member near the pusher such that rotation of the second control member by the crank causes the pusher to be moved distally.
1. An endoscopic clip applier, comprising: a flexible coil having a proximal end and a distal end; a pair of jaws coupled to the distal end of said flexible coil; a manualactuator coupled to said proximal end of said flexible coil; at least one clip stored proximal of said jaws; a clip dispenser located at said clip for pushing said clip into said jaws; at least one control member coupled to said manual actuator, saidjaws, and said clip dispenser such that said manual actuator is operable to open and close said jaws and dispense a clip, wherein said flexible coil comprises a proximal coil and a distal coil which are joined to each other by a relatively rigid member,at least a portion of said distal coil being pre-loaded so that when said jaws are closed, said pre-loaded portion is compressed and when said jaws are opened, said pre-loaded portion springs distally.
2. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein: substantially all of said distal coil is pre-loaded.
3. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein: all of said distal coil is pre-loaded.
4. The clip applier according to claim 1, wherein: said pre-load portion exhibits increased rigidity when it is compressed.
5. An endoscopic clip applier, comprising: a flexible coil having a proximal end and a distal end; a pair of jaws coupled to the distal end of said flexible coil; a manual actuator coupled to said proximal end of said flexible coil; at leastone clip stored proximal of said jaws; a clip dispenser located at said clip which pushes said clip into said jaws; at least one control member coupled to said manual actuator, said jaws, and said clip dispenser such that said manual actuator isoperable to open and close said jaws and dispense a clip; and means for automatically moving said jaws distally away from said clip after said clip is pushed into said jaws.
6. The clip applier according to claim 5, wherein: said jaws are coupled to said distal end of said flexible coil via slots in said jaws, wherein said means for moving said jaws includes said slots.
7. The clip applier according to claim 5, wherein: said means for moving said jaws includes a pre-loaded portion of said flexible coil which is compressed when said jaws are closed and springs distally when said jaws are opened.
8. A method for dispensing an endoscopic clip, comprising: delivering an instrument through the tortuous lumen of an endoscope, the instrument including a flexible coil, a pair of jaws coupled to the distal end of the coil, and a clip pusherwhich pushes a clip into the jaws when the jaws are closed; closing the jaws with sufficient force that at least a distal portion of the flexible coil is compressed and thereby stiffened; pushing a clip into the closed jaws while the distal portion ofthe coil is stiffened.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: the jaws have anvils and the step of pushing includes pushing the clip against the anvils.
10. The method according to claim 8, wherein: at least a portion of the coil is preloaded.
11. An endoscopic clip applier, comprising: a flexible coil having a proximal end and a distal end; a pair of jaws located at and coupled to the distal end of said flexible coil; a manual actuator located at and coupled to said proximal endof said flexible coil; at least one clip stored proximal of said jaws; a clip dispenser located at said clip for pushing said clip into said jaws; at least one control member coupled to said manual actuator, said jaws, and said clip dispenser suchthat said manual actuator is operable to open and close said jaws and dispense a clip, wherein at least a distal portion of said flexible coil is pre-loaded so that when said jaws are closed, said pre-loaded portion is compressed and when said jaws areopened, said pre-loaded portion springs distally.
12. The clip applier according to claim 11, wherein: said flexible coil comprises a proximal coil and a distal coil which are joined to each other, at least a portion of said distal coil being pre-loaded.
13. The clip applier according to claim 12, wherein: substantially all of said distal coil is pre-loaded.
14. The clip applier according to claim 12, wherein: all of said distal coil is pre-loaded.
15. The clip applier according to claim 11, wherein: said pre-load portion exhibits increased rigidity when it is compressed.
As seen best in FIG. 11, the clip 74 (which is identical to all of the other clips) has a proximal tail 74a which is engaged by the mouth 70e and shoulders 70f, 70g of the pusher 70. The fingers 70c and 70d constrain the clip from verticalmovement and allow the pusher to lightly grab the clip, which facilitates clip loading during assembly. Additional details of the clip may be appreciated upon review of previously incorporated U.S. Ser. No. (Docket ISD-083).
As seen best in FIGS. 13 and 16, the store of clips 76 is housed in a garage 80 inside the distal portion 12b of the coil 12 proximal to the jaw assembly 20. Details of the garage 80 are seen in FIGS. 14-17. The garage 80 generally comprises aplurality of parallel side walls 80a-80l and pair of distally extending fingers 80m, 80n which are orthogonal to the side walls. Each side wall has a plurality of outwardly directed spacers, e.g. 80c-1, 80c-2, 80c-3, 80c-4. These spacers engage theinterior of the coil and assure space between the coil and the garage for the passage of the pull wires 62, 64 (see FIG. 16). Formation of the outwardly directed spacers results in narrow strips, e.g. 80ab, 80bc, 80cd, etc., which add flexibility to thegarage. The flexibility at the distal end of the instrument can be important in cases where the endoscope is retroflexed. As seen best in FIG. 16, when the clips are arranged in the garage, the abutment of one clip against another lies in this narrowedregion. Thus the clips can flex at their abutment.
As seen best in FIG. 15, the distally extending fingers 80m, 80n each have an outwardly extending distal lip 80m-1, 80n-1 and an inwardly extending proximal stop 80m-2, 80n-2. The fingers 80m, 80n help orient the garage relative to the clevis. The distal lips help the garage engage the clevis as described below and the proximal stops prevent unwanted movement of the penultimate clip as described below. Opposite pairs of parallel fingers 80p and 80q are arranged in spaced apart planesorthogonal to the planes of the fingers 80m, 80n. These fingers 80p, 80q extend from a proximal collar 80r and engage the clevis as seen best in FIG. 17, described in detail below.
The interior surfaces of the distal teeth are forming anvils which cause the two tines of the clip to be bent through approximately 90-180.degree. as shown in FIGS. 20 and 23. In particular, as seen in FIG. 19 and 21, the distal teeth definetwo curvature paths, parallel to each other. This allows the two tines of the clip to be bent into parallel semi-circles. The distal teeth also function as a tissue fixation point indicator as the point(s) where the teeth meet are adjacent the locationwhere the tines of the clips pierce the tissue.
With the foregoing in mind, it will be appreciated that when the lever 702 is moved from an open position toward the closed position shown in FIG. 41, the upper part 702b of the lever and the control wire (not shown) are moved proximally untilthe control wire carmot be pulled further. At this point, the upper part 702b of the lever remains stationary. However, in order to reach a fully closed lever position, the lower lever part 702a can continue to rotate about the pivot axle 703 and causethe finger 702f to exert force against the back part 706a of the spring 706, thereby causing the spring front part 706b to spread away from spring back part 706a and top lever part 702b. When the lever is eventually released from its fully closedposition, at first the force of finger 702f against the spring is released and the ball 710 and wire will not move. Eventually, when spring front part 706b hits the top lever part 702b, the entire lever, the ball 710 and the control wire are moveddistally.
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