Patent ID: 7862571

Claim:
An occlusion clip applicator comprising: a jaw push tube having proximal and distal push tube ends and a jaw push tube interior; an elongate clip holder formed as a channel having first and second support rails attached thereto, the first and second support rails being substantially parallel and in alignment with each other, the clip holder having proximal and distal clip holder ends and being disposed inside the jaw push tube interior; a clip pusher having an elongate support member with a plurality of clip push fingers attached to the elongate support member, the elongate support member being mounted such that at least a portion of each clip push finger extends into the channel interior; a trigger; and a pair of jaws, each jaw having: proximal and distal jaw ends, an inner engaging side and an opposite outer side, a clip slot formed through the jaw from the inner engaging side to the outer side and extending distally from and through the proximal jaw end, a pair of parallel support shelves bounding at least a portion of the clip slot, the support shelves each having an outer surface facing away from the inner engaging side of the jaw; and a pair of ramps bounding a proximal portion of the clip slot, each ramp having a proximal end, wherein the proximal ends of the ramps have outer surfaces that match and are aligned with the respective support rails of the clip holder and are continuous with the outer surfaces of the respective support shelves; wherein the jaws are: pivotably mounted at their proximal ends to the distal clip holder end; and configured for engagement by the distal tube end for selective rotation between a fully open position and a closed position in which the engaging sides of the jaws are in contact with each other; and wherein the trigger is operably linked to the jaw push tube and to the clip pusher such that the trigger sequentially actuates first the jaw push tube and afterward the clip pusher, so that the applicator applies a first force in which the jaw push tube advances and causes the jaws to engage but the clip pusher does not move, and a second, later, force in which the clip pusher advances to urge a clip onto the support shelves of the engaged jaws.