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, a pair of jaws located within said cavity with one end of each jaw protruding therefrom, the other end of each jaw being connected to or engageable with the inner member so that the jaws execute a similar axial movement therewith, the jaws being resiliently biassed into an open position in which the outer surfaces of the jaws extend in their plane of movement, beyond the lateral dimensions of the cavity and present backward sloping bearing surfaces to the leading edges of the walls of the cavity, the said elongate outer member being provided with a loop-like extension disposed remote from the jaws, said extension comprising a pair of outwardly bowed, resilient limbs which straddle the inner elongate member, the outer ends of said limbs and the outer end of the inner member being coupled rigidly together, so that inward pressure on the said bowed limbs causes the jaws to be drawn into the cavity and hence to be forced together in a gripping motion by virtue of the interaction between said backward sloping bearing surfaces and walls of the cavity.