US 5,304,188 A · Surgical clamp and method

Abstract

This relates to a surgical clamp which is of a simple construction, which may be readily utilized and is readily disposable. The surgical clamp is intended for being passed around and clamping off a portion of a solid organ such as a liver, kidney or any other solid organ. The surgical clamp is simply in the form of a plastic strap having two free ends. The strap is passed around the organ to clamp off the desired portion of the organ, after which the free ends of the strap are passed through openings in a clip having latch members for engaging the strap and retaining it in a tight position. The clip is then moved up onto the strap so as to tighten the strap around the organ and to clamp the organ sufficiently to prevent or greatly restrict bleeding. The clip includes latch members which automatically operate to hold the strap in an organ clamping position. The latch members are provided with manual releases so as to permit the reverse movement of the clip on the strap portions and the removal of the surgical clamp from the affected organ. With a portion of the affected organ clamped off, the affected portion of the organ is readily observable and is ready for a required surgical procedure without the undue flow and resulting loss of blood which may restrict the surgical procedure.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A surgical clamp for clamping off a portion of an organ to restrict bleeding during a surgical procedure while permitting normal blood flow to other portions of such organ, said surgical clamp comprising an elongated flexible plastic strap having two ends facilitating the encirclement of a portion of an organ, and a separately formed clip having a body portion with two adjacent openings therethrough receiving end portions of the strap and a spring-loaded latch member in each of the openings for latching end portions of the strap, each of the latch members being L-shaped in cross section with one leg extending along the strap and having a strap-engaging distal end portion and another leg extending rearwardly away from the strap, the latch members being relatively rigid so that each latch member moves as a unit;

each of the latch members being mounted at a central portion to the body through torsion bars which extend laterally of the latch members and which bias the strap-engaging distal end portions of the latch members against the strap to resiliently prevent reverse movement of the strap through the body;
whereby the strap can be quickly secured in place around an organ by encircling the organ with the strap, threading the ends of the strap through the openings in the clip and pulling the clip tightly against the organ, and whereby the strap can be quickly disengaged from the organ by pressing the other leg of at least one of the latch members and drawing at least one of the ends of the strap from the openings in the clip.

In a surgical procedure on an organ a method comprising the steps of:

encircling a portion of such organ with a strap having a first side and a second side and two ends;
applying a single clip to the two ends, the clip comprising a body portion with two adjacent openings therethrough and a resiliently biased latch member in each of the openings;
inserting each of the two ends into the openings in a first direction;
drawing the two ends through the clip body in the first direction to tighten the strap and clamp the organ to prevent flow of blood to a clamped off portion of the organ;
biasing the latch members tightly against the strap to resiliently prevent movement of the strap through the body in a second direction, opposite to the first direction;
performing a surgical operation on the organ;
disengaging at least one of the latch members from the strap to thereby disengage the strap from the organ;
and
removing the strap from the organ.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Surgical clamp and method

Life of this patent

Surgical clamp and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17