Instrument for applying ligating clips

Claim 1

An instrument for applying a ligating clip, said clip having first and second leg members joined at their proximal ends by a resilient hinge means and terminating at their distal ends in latch means, said instrument comprising a pair of handles pivoted about a hinge point, said handles crossing at said hinge point and extending beyond the hinge point to form a pair of clip closing jaws having opposed inner faces, each of said jaws having a recessed clip receiving channel in the substantially planar inner face thereof, each said channel having a base composed of two stepped substantially planar segments, which segments are generally parallel to the hinge line of said hinge point and a pair of side walls extending perpendicularly from said base segments, said channel extending from the tip of said jaw furtherest from said hinge point rearwardly towards said hinge point, said channel having a length at least equal to the length of the clip to be applied by said instrument, each channel having an opposed cylindrical recess disposed at the step in the base of the channel and extending between said side walls and being spaced from the tip of said jaw, the said walls extending from the base segment in each channel furtherest from said hinge point being greater than those on the other side of said step whereby the jaws do not interfere with the closing and latching of the clip.