Apparatus and method for effecting occlusion of the vas deferens

Apparatus for occluding a vessel in a body, particularly the vas deferens in a vasectomy, comprising:

• a locking clip delivering instrument including a pair of jaw members pivotally coupled to each other for pivotal actuation between closed and open positions, said jaw members each tapering in a forward direction to a sharp point such that said clip delivering instrument, when said jaw members are in the closed position, constitutes a sharp pointed instrument capable of puncturing body tissue, said pair of jaw members defining an interior space between them for receiving a substantially U-shaped locking clip, said interior space tapering in the direction towards said pointed ends of said jaw members when said jaw members are in the closed position,
• a substantially U-shaped locking clip of the self-locking type positionable within said interior space between said jaw members such that when said jaws are in a closed position and said clip is in a position distal from said pointed ends of said jaw members, said clip is in an unlocked mode and when said instrument is actuated to an open position the clip is opened to an extent such that the vessel to be occluded is receivable therein;
• means for actuating said jaw members between closed and opened positions;
• and
• means for positioning the clip member within said interior space between said jaw members to a position proximal to said pointed ends of said jaw members such that when said jaw members are actuated to the closed position, said clip is closed and locked.

A method for effecting occlusion of a vessel in a body utilized a U-shaped self-locking clip and a clip delivering instrument including a pair of jaw members pivotally coupled to each other for pivotal actuation between closed and open positions, the jaw members each tapering in a forward direction to a sharp point such that the clip delivering instrument, when the jaw members are in the closed position, constitutes a sharp pointed instrument capable of penetrating body tissue, the pair of jaw members defining an interior space between them for receiving the U-shaped locking clip, the interior space tapering in the direction towards the pointed ends of the jaw members when the jaw members are in the closed position, comprising the steps of:

• situating the clip within the interior space between said jaw members at a first retracted position therewithin distal from the pointed ends of the jaw members wherein with the jaw members in the closed position, the clip is unlocked;
• puncturing the skin with the sharp point of the instrument defined by the sharp points of the jaw members in the closed position and positioning the point proximate to the vessel to be occluded;
• pivotally actuating the jaw members to the open position and moving the clip member to a second advanced position proximal to the pointed ends of the jaw members within the interior space defined between them;
• positioning the clip around the vessel to be occluded;
• pivotally actuating the jaw members to the closed position with the self-locking clip in the second advanced position to thereby lock the clip on the vessel;
• pivotally actuating the jaw members to the open position while the clip remains locked on the vessel;
• and
• withdrawing the instrument from the skin puncture.