Surgical clip applying apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for applying a surgical clip from a linear array of clips, comprising: a pair of distally located, laterally spaced jaws (20, 22); a clip pusher member (100) located proximally of the jaws (20, 22) for pushing the clip into the jaws by. means of a relatively short distal motion of the clip pusher member relative to the jaws; a jaw closing member (60) located proximally of the jaws (20, 22) for forcing the jaws together and thereby closing the clip in response to the latter portion of a relatively long distal motion of the jaw closing mem- . ber relative to the jaws; and actuator means (14, 16, 110, 120) for producing the distal motions of the clip pusher member (100) and the jaw closing member (60) relative to the jaws, the actuator means causing both members to move together during the relatively short distal motion of the clip pusher member (100), after which the actuator means stops the clip pusher member and causes the latter portion of the distal motion of the jaw closing member to proceed.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator means comprises: an actuator member (110) mounted for distal motion relative to the jaws for producing proportional distal motion of the jaw closing member relative to the jaws; and resilient means (120) for coupling the actuator member (110) to the clip pusher member (100) so that the actuator member also produces proportional distal motion of the clip pusher member relative to the jaws until the clip pusher member (100) is stopped by the actuator means.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the resilient means (120) comprises a compression coil spring.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus applies a plurality of surgical clips one after another from a clip array aligned with the distal-proximal axis of the apparatus, wherein the actuator means (14, 16, 110, 120) causes the clip pusher member (100) and the jaw closing member (60) to return to their initial positions after each clip has been closed to prepare the apparatus to apply the next clip during the next distal motions of the clip pusher member and the jaw closing member, wherein the clip pusher member (100) pushes distally on a predetermined portion of the distal-most clip in the array during each distal motion of the clip pusher member relative to the jaws, and wherein the length of the relatively short distal motion of the clip pusher member (100) relative,.to the jaws is greater that the spacing between the predetermined portions of two adjacent clips in the array but less than the spacing between the predetermined portions of two clips in the array that are separated from one another by a third clip.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to anyone of claims 2 to 4, wherein the jaws (20, 22) are resiliently biased apart, and wherein each jaw (20, 22) includes a cam surface (152, 154) for cooperating with the jaw closing member (60) to cause the jaw to move toward the other jaw in response to the latter portion of the distal motion of the jaw closing member.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the cam surfaces (152, 154) are anticlinal in the distal direction, and wherein the jaw closing member (60) comprises first and second surfaces for respectively traversing the cam surfaces (152, 154) during the latter portion of the distal motion of the jaw closing member (60), the first and second surfaces being laterally fixed relative to one another so that they cooperate with the cam surfaces to force the jaws (20, 22) together.