Patent ID: 7967831

Claim:
A clip system for application to mammalian tissue, comprising: a needle including a bore that extends longitudinally to a distal opening of the needle, the distal opening being deliverable to a targeted internal tissue; and a clip device that superelastically deforms to a lateral dimension smaller than an inner dimension of the needle bore so that the entire clip device advances into the needle bore for delivery out of the distal opening of the needle, the clip device including: a first clamping arm and a second clamping arm opposing the first clamping arm and being biased toward the first clamping arm, the first and second clamping arms including proximal portions that abut against one another and distal ends that are movable away from one another, and a flexing head coupled to proximal ends of the first and second clamping arms, the flexing head being adjustable between a first shape in which the first and second clamping arms extend generally parallel to one another and a stressed shape in which at least the distal ends of the first and second clamping arms are spaced apart while the proximal portions of the first and second clamping arms abut against one another, wherein the needle engages the flexing head to releasably retain the flexing head in the stressed shape when the entire clip device is disposed in the needle bore and, in response to the clip device being advanced distally out of the distal opening of the needle, the flexing head adjusts toward the first shape so that the first and second clamping arms shift toward one another to provide a clamping force.