Patent ID: 8518056

Claim:
A device for applying successive resilient ligating bands to tissue, said device comprising: a) a sleeve having a front end and an opening at said front end, said sleeve having a plurality of axially extending arms having axially extending spaces therebetween, and band-support surfaces located on said arms extending from said front end for accommodating a plurality of ligating bands, b) a first tube around which said sleeve is located, said first tube being reciprocal relative to said sleeve in a direction towards and away from the front of said device, said first tube having at least one axially extending finger provided with a plurality of forward-facing pushing surfaces; c) means for drawing tissue to be ligated into said opening, d) drive means for driving said first tube relative to said sleeve from a rest position along a first movement path including (i) a rotational component to bring said at least one finger from a rest position into alignment with said axially extending spaces between said arms, and (ii) a subsequent axial component to advance said first tube towards said front end of said sleeve thereby to cause said pushing surfaces to push said bands forwardly so that they ride along said band-support surfaces of said sleeve to each lie nearer said front end, a foremost band being pushed off said front end of said sleeve onto said tissue; and e) drive means for returning said first tube to its rest position along a second movement path comprising (i) a rotational component to bring said at least one finger behind said arms, and (ii) a subsequent axial component to retract said at least one finger into said rest position.