Surgical clip applier with distal clip feeder

A surgical tool comprising:

• a drive housing;
• an elongate shaft extending from the drive housing;
• and
• an end effector operatively coupled to a distal end of the elongate and comprising:
• a housing having a tapered section at a distal end;
• first and second jaw members protruding distally from the tapered section;
• a surgical clip feeder arranged within the housing and containing a plurality of surgical clips arranged at a non-zero angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the end effector, wherein a distal-most surgical clip of the plurality of surgical clips is engageable with an inner wall of the tapered section;
• and
• a feedbar longitudinally movable between the housing and the plurality of surgical clips, the feedbar having a distal portion engageable with the inner wall and the distal-most surgical clip and being flexible to follow a contour of the tapered section,
• wherein actuation of the feedbar engages and advances the distal-most surgical clip out of the surgical clip feeder and into interposition between the first and second jaw members.

A method comprising:

• positioning a surgical tool having an end effector adjacent to a surgical site, the end effector comprising:
• a housing having a tapered section at a distal end thereof;
• first and second jaw members protruding distally from the tapered section;
• a surgical clip feeder arranged within the housing and containing a plurality of surgical clips therein, the plurality of surgical clips including a distal-most surgical clip and a penultimate surgical clip;
• wherein the plurality of surgical clips are arranged within the surgical clip feeder at a non-zero angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the end effector;
• and
• a feedbar longitudinally movable between the housing and the plurality of surgical clips, the feedbar having a distal portion engageable with the distal-most surgical clip;
• advancing the feedbar distally to engage an inner wall of the tapered section and the distal-most surgical clip, the distal-most surgical clip being in engagement with the inner wall and the feedbar being flexible to follow a contour of the tapered section;
• distally advancing the distal-most surgical clip out of the surgical clip feeder with the feedbar and into interposition between the first and second jaw members wherein the inner wall of the tapered section redirects the distal-most surgical clip and the feedbar as the distal-most surgical clip advances distally;
• and
• at least partially collapsing the first and second jaw members to crimp the distal-most surgical clip once positioned therebetween.