Patent ID: 8042687

Claim:
An improved hemostatic clip cartridge for storing and dispensing hemostatic clips which are preformed into a proper shape for engagement by a clip applicator, the hemostatic clip cartridge comprising: a plurality of individual compartments, each of the individual compartments comprising: a pair of compartment side walls, and a pedestal for loosely supporting a hemostatic clip; and retaining means for retaining a hemostatic clip in each of the individual compartments comprising: a pair of fingers extending into each of the individual compartments wherein each of the fingers has a contacting end that contacts the hemostatic clip, and a groove formed in the contacting end of each of the fingers; whereby the groove maintains the hemostatic clip centered in the individual compartment; wherein the improvement comprises: laterally extending compartment locking tabs protruding into the individual compartment from each compartment side wall and finger locking tabs extending laterally from each finger towards each compartment side wall, the compartment locking tabs and finger locking tabs adapted for engagement such that force imparted by the clip applicator during engagement of a hemostatic clip by the clip applicator causes a movement of the finger locking tabs past the compartment locking tabs but subsequent removal of the force imparted by the clip applicator as the clip applicator is removed with the engaged hemostatic clip does not cause reversal of the movement of the finger locking tabs past the compartment locking tabs; whereby a user may look at the position of the pair of fingers in a particular individual compartment as an indicator of whether the clip applicator has already been inserted into that individual compartment.