Applicator for surgical clips

Claim 1

An applicator for use with a surgical clip which comprises inner and outer elongate members, one of said elongate members fitting within an elongate cavity in the other and being capable of axial movement therein, means for causing relative axial movement between the two members and a pair of jaws located within said cavity with one end of each jaw protruding from the cavity, the other end of said jaw being engageable with the inner member so that the jaws execute a similar axial movement therewith, the walls of the cavity being provided with bearing surfaces which axially slidably cooperate with corresponding surfaces on the jaws whereby the said relative axial movement causes the jaws to come together in a gripping motion, the said means for causing relative axial movement between the elongate members comprising a loop-like extension of only the outer member disposed remote from the jaws, said extension comprising a pair of outwardly bowed, resilient limbs of the outer member which straddle the inner elongate member, the outer ends of the limbs and the outer end of the inner member being coupled together so that inward pressure on said bowed limbs causes the desired relative axial movement to simultaneously effect operation of jaws, said applicator comprising a single plastic article having a generally tri-furcate appearance, comprising a central elongate inner member flanked by a pair of elongate cavity-forming members having interfitting, channel-shaped outer ends which are provided with co-operating ridges on their inner surfaces for locking said ends in assembled relationship to form an outer member in which the said inner member is a sliding fit, the three said elongate members lying substantially parallel over most of their lengths, one end of each member issuing from a common, integral junction.