Medical clip
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorRobert M. Baucom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An X-ray transparent and biological inert medical clip for treating aneurisms and the like and process for producing same wherein a graphite reinforced composite film 15, 16, 20 and 21 (FIGS. 1a-1d) is molded into a unitary structure having a pair of "hourglass" like cavities 30, 31 (FIG. 2) hinged together (33) with a pair of jaws 27 and 28 for grasping the aneurism extending from the wall of one cavity and a silicone rubber pellet 35 (FIG. 3) disposed in the other cavity to exert a spring force through the hinge area 33 to normally bias the jaws into contact with each other.
Claims3
A medical clip for use in treating aneurisms and the like in a living animal and having the inherent physical property characteristic of being essentially transparent to X-rays, comprising:
- a unitary structure terminating at one end with a pair of elongated jaws having essentially flat abutting surfaces and the other end with a broken circular segment;
- an intermediate segment integrally disposed between said elongated jaws and said broken circular end and formed of a pair of semicircular portions extending from said elongated jaws;
- a connection area between the said pair of semicircular portions and said broken circular segment and disposed substantially 180.degree. relative to said elongated jaws;
- means provided on said connection area serving as a hinge connection for said unitary structure so as to permit opening and closing of said pair of elongated jaws;
- said hinge connection joining said broken circular segment and said intermediate segment to form a pair of "hourglass" cavities;
- a silicone rubber insert being disposed within the cavity formed by said broken circle segment to serve as a spring force to pivotally contract said elongated jaws against each other through said hinge connection;
- and
- said unitary structure being formed of a molded composite material having the inherent physical property characteristic of being biologically inert, transparent to X-rays and capable of withstanding conventional sterilization procedures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.