Patent ID: 8366726

Claim:
A vessel occlusion clip, comprising: a spring coil having a first terminal end and a second terminal end; a first leg joined on a proximal end with the first terminal end of the spring coil; a second leg joined on a proximal end with the second terminal end of the spring coil, wherein each of the first and second legs has a distal end and comprises a vessel occlusion portion comprising an inner surface adapted to contact and occlude a vessel, said vessel occlusion portion further comprising on its inner surface a proximal projection extending inward from a proximal end of the vessel occlusion portion adjacent the proximal end of each of the first and second legs, a distal projection extending inward from a distal end of said vessel occlusion portion adjacent the distal end, and a planar central region extending from the proximal projection to the distal projection, and wherein said spring coil provides a torsional force that biases said first leg and said second leg inward toward a closed position in which the distal projections of the vessel occlusion portions of said first and second legs are in forced contact with one another, the proximal projections of the vessel occlusion portions of said first and second legs are in forced contact with one another, and said planar central region of said first leg opposes and is spaced apart from said planar central region of said second leg by a spacing distance determined at least in part by a dimension of each of the proximal projections, thereby forming a vessel occluding space between the planar central regions of the vessel occlusion portions of said first and second legs; and a transverse alignment mechanism to keep the first and second legs aligned in the closed position, said transverse alignment mechanism comprising: a first alignment projection extending inward from the distal end of the vessel occlusion portion of the first leg, and a second alignment projection extending inward from the distal end of the vessel occlusion portion of the second leg, wherein said first alignment projection provides a mechanical interference point to prevent the second leg from shifting in a transverse direction under the torsional force provided by the spring, and wherein said second alignment projection provides a mechanical interference point to prevent the first leg from shifting in a transverse direction under the torsional force provided by the spring.