Clip applier and methods of use

An apparatus for placement into an opening formed in a wall of a body lumen, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing comprising an elongate body and a handle portion formed at a distal end and extending generally transversely from said elongate body in a first direction, said handle portion comprising a shaped grasping portion and an elongate grasping portion;
• a locator assembly receivable by said housing, said locator assembly having a distal end region configured to extend into the opening and selectably contact the wall of the body lumen and a proximal end configured to cooperate with a movable plunger slidably disposed within a proximal end of said housing, cooperation of said movable plunger and said proximal end selectively moving said distal end region of said locator assembly between an expanded state and an unexpanded state;
• a carrier assembly coupled with said locating assembly, said carrier assembly retaining a closure element in a substantially tubular configuration within said carrier assembly, said closure element being deployable from within a portion of said carrier assembly to close the opening formed in the wall of the body lumen, said carrier assembly including a carrier block and a trigger extension extending from said carrier block and extending from said housing in said first direction;
• and
• a triggering system configured to deploy said closure element from said carrier assembly, said triggering system, said locator assembly, said carrier assembly, and said movable plunger being operatively connected together and configured to advance distally together under movement of said movable plunger distally into said proximal end of said housing, said distal movement of said movable plunger simultaneously transitions said distal end region of said locator assembly to the expanded state, advances said carrier assembly distally within said housing, and advances said trigger extension distally toward said distally positioned finger grip in a single step.

An apparatus for placement into an opening formed in a wall of a body lumen to deploy a closure element, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing comprising a handle portion formed at a distal end and extending in a first direction, said housing having a first stop formed within said housing;
• a locator assembly receivable by said housing, said locator assembly having one or more expansion members configured to transition between an expanded state and an unexpanded state, said one or more expansion members being expanded substantially transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of said locator assembly in the expanded state, and said locator assembly having a proximal end configured to cooperate with a portion of a locator control system of said locator assembly and with a movable plunger having two elongate structures slidably disposed within a proximal end of said housing, said locator control system being operable to transition said one or more expansion members between the expanded state and the unexpanded state and being configured to cooperate with the movable plunger;
• a carrier assembly coupled with said locating assembly, said carrier assembly retaining a closure element in a substantially tubular configuration within said carrier assembly, said closure element being deployable from within a portion of said carrier assembly to close the opening formed in the wall of the body lumen, said carrier assembly including a carrier block and a trigger extension extending from said carrier block and extending from said housing in said first direction;
• and
• a triggering system configured to deploy said closure element from said carrier assembly, said triggering system, said locator assembly, said carrier assembly, and said moveable plunger operatively connected together, a proximal portion of said carrier block engaging with one of the two elongate structures of said movable plunger, said other structure of said two elongate structures selectively engaging with the first stop to limit distal movement of the movable plunger within the housing, said trigger extension, said locator assembly, said carrier assembly, and said movable plunged being configured to advance distally together under movement of said movable plunger distally into said proximal end of said housing, said distal movement of said movable plunger simultaneously transitions said distal end region of said locator assembly to the expanded state, advances said carrier assembly distally within said housing, and advances said trigger extension distally toward said distally positioned finger grip in a single step, said trigger extension having a first orientation before said movable plunger is moved distally and longitudinally and a second orientation after said movable plunger is moved distally and longitudinally, the first orientation and the second orientation being the same and in the first direction.