Patent ID: 7731724

Claim:
A surgical clip applier, comprising: a handle housing having a trigger coupled thereto; an elongate shaft extending from the handle housing and having opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof and movable between an open position and a closed position; a clip advancing assembly disposed within the elongate shaft for advancing at least one clip through the elongate shaft to position a clip between the opposed jaws; and a flexible link disposed within the handle housing and adapted to transfer motion from the trigger to the clip advancing assembly to cause the clip advancing assembly to advance at least one clip in response to movement of the trigger; wherein the trigger has first and second sequential stages of actuation, the trigger being effective to actuate the clip advancing assembly during the first stage of actuation and being configured to pivot the flexible link without flexing the flexible link during the first stage of actuation, and the trigger being effective to actuate a clip forming assembly and being pliant relative to the clip advancing assembly during the second stage of actuation and being configured to flex the flexible link during the second stage of actuation.