Patent ID: 7819886

Claim:
An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, which comprises: a) a handle portion; b) a body extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis; c) a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the body; d) a jaw assembly mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the body, the jaw assembly including first and second jaw portions movable between a spaced-apart and an approximated position; e) a feed bar configured to individually distally advance a surgical clip to the jaw assembly while the jaw portions are in the spaced apart position; f) a clip pusher disposed proximal to the plurality of clips and configured to bias the plurality of clips in a distal manner; g) an actuator at least partially disposed within the body and longitudinally movable in response to actuation of the handle portion; h) a jaw closure member positioned adjacent the first and second jaw portions to move the jaw portions to the approximated position; i) a rack having a plurality of ratchet teeth being connected to the actuator; j) a pawl having at least one tooth configured to engage the ratchet teeth, the pawl being biased in the handle portion, wherein as the actuator is moved longitudinally, the plurality of ratchet teeth are passed over the pawl, the pawl configured to prevent inadvertent return of the actuator before full actuation of the apparatus; k) a bar being disposed in proximity to the feed bar, the bar being biased by a spring and lodged between a ceiling and a floor of a clip carrying channel, wherein the clip carrying channel includes a distal window; and wherein as the clip pusher moves distally each time a clip is released from the apparatus, the clip pusher moves the bar distally, and wherein when the bar is in substantial alignment with the distal window, the bar deflects through the distal window of the feed bar to a second position, the bar in the second position preventing the actuator from moving proximally thereby manipulating the pawl to be engaged with the ratchet teeth of the rack, the pawl and rack preventing the actuator from longitudinally moving.