Disposable clip applier

A device for applying a surgical clip, said device comprising:

• a housing;
• a pair of opposed jaws resiliently spaced apart and extending out of said housing;
• jaw closing means, including an elongated blade member movably mounted in said housing, for closing said jaws together, the movement of said blade member being confined to a first plane;
• handle means including an elongated shank terminating at one end in a manual force-receiving portion and at the other end in a mounting portion;
• mounting means in said housing, receiving said mounting portion of said shank, for mounting said shank for arcuate movement, the movement of said shank being confined to a second plane;
• a force-imparting surface defined as a first peripheral-edge portion on said shank of said handle means, said force-imparting surface being substantially perpendicular to said second plane and defining a socket;
• and
• connecting means operatively associated with said shank and said blade member, for translating the movement of said handle means into movement of said jaw closing means, said connecting means including a second peripheral-edge portion defining a force-receiving surface which is substantially perpendicular to said first plane and which is positioned in said socket, said force-imparting surface of said shank bearing against said force-receiving surface in the manner of a hinge to facilitate movement of said jaw closing means when said handle means is moved and thereby deformably applying said surgical clip;
• retaining means for holding said second peripheral-edge within said socket.

A device for applying a surgical clip, said device comprising:

• handle means including an elongated shank adapted for arcuate movement in response to a manually applied force, the movement of said shank being confined to a first plane, said shank terminating at one end in a knob-like projection that has a peripheral surface defining a curved wall, said peripheral surface being substantially perpendicular to said first plane;
• a housing;
• mounting means within said housing for receiving said projection and mounting said shank for arcuate movement in said first plane, said mounting means having a wall, the surface of which mates with said curved wall to define a socket for receiving said knob-like projection, said wall and said curved wall defining a hinge connection between said housing and said shank during the arcuate movement of said shank;
• retaining means for holding said curved wall within said socket;
• a pair of jaws resiliently spaced apart and extending out of said housing for receiving the surgical clip;
• and
• driving means responsive to the movement of said handle means for closing said jaws together to effect a deformation of the surgical clip.

A surgical instrument in which a member is mounted in a housing for rectilinear movement, the movement of said member accomplishing a desired result, said instrument comprising:

• handle means including an elongated shank terminating at one end in a manual force-receiving portion and at the other end in a mounting portion;
• mounting means in said housing, receiving said mounting portion of said shank, for mounting said shank for arcuate movement, the movement of said shank being confined to a first plane;
• at least one force-imparting surface defined by a first peripheral-edge portion on said shank of said handle means, said force-imparting surface being substantially perpendicular to said first plane and defining a socket;
• connecting means including a link positioned in said socket and having a second peripheral-edge portion defining a force-receiving surface that is substantially perpendicular to said first plane, said force-receiving surface responding to a bearing force exerted by said force-imparting surface in the manner of a hinge for translating the movement of said shank of said handle means into rectilinear movement of said member;
• retaining means for holding said second peripheral-edge within said socket;
• and wherein said desired result comprises deforming a surgical clip.

A device for applying a clip, said device comprising:

• a housing;
• handle means including an elongated shank terminating at one end in a manual force-receiving portion and at the other end in a mounting portion;
• mounting means in said housing;
• receiving said mounting portion of said shank, for mounting said shank for arcuate movement, the movement of said shank being confined to a first plane;
• a force-imparting surface defined by a first peripheral-edge portion on said shank of said handle means, said force-imparting surface being substantially perpendicular to said first plane and defining a socket;
• and
• clip-deforming means between which said clip is placed, said clip-deforming means including a link positioned within said socket having a second peripheral-edge surface in contact with and responsive to said force-imparting surface in the manner of a hinge to activate said clip-deforming means for deforming said clip held therebetween;
• retaining means for holding said second peripheral-edge within said socket.

A surgical instrument in which a member is mounted in a housing for bi-directional movement in one direction and the opposite, said instrument comprising:

• first and second ring handle levers;
• mounting means for mounting said first and second ring handle levers in said housing for arcuate movement;
• a first link operatively associated with said first ring handle lever;
• a second link operatively associated with said second ring handle lever;
• means for connecting said first and second links to said member to create two opposed toggle linkages to accomplish bi-directional motion of said member in response to arcuate movement of said first and second ring handle levers;
• a first cylinder-in-socket hinge operatively associated said first ring handle lever with said first link, the cylinder portion of said first hinge being defined by a peripheral-edge portion of said first link and the socket portion of said first ring defined by a peripheral-edge portion of said first ring handle;
• and
• a second cylinder-in-socket hinge operatively associating said second ring handle lever with said second link, the cylinder portion of said second hinge being defined by a peripheral-edge portion of said second link and the socket portion of said second hinge being defined by said second ring handle;
• retaining means for holding said first and second cylinders within their respective sockets;
• and
• surgical clip deforming means operatively associated with said first and second ring handle levers.