Ligating clip cartridge

Claim 1

SeL tne ciip aoouz a vessei. Tfi L ps LIIIL d- LJI I H 513 S -34- The claims defining the invention are as fellows:- 1. A cartridge for housing a plurality of ligating clips and adapted for removable engagement with a drive mechanism, said cartridge including: a fixed rack adapted for removable engagement with said drive mechanism, and a moving rack adapted for short stroke reciprocating motion longitudinally along said fixed rack and positioned in confronting relationship to feeding means of said drive mechanism; s .a short stroke motion capture pin on said moving rack .adapted for engagement with a portion of said drive mechanism. r0 ooB" 2. The cartridge of Claim 1 wherein: GO said fixed rack inclides a transversely extending flange adapted to snap into said tabs spaced along said drive mechanism to hold said fixed rack in position; •1 said fixed rack including first and second side walls and a base arranged to define a generally U-shaped space oo 25 therebetween; said fixed rack base including a pludra'ity of pairs of o ratchet fingers projecting into said U-shaped space and extending longitudinally along said fixed rack base; the upper periphery of said fixed rack side walls each including a rail along which said moving rack may reciprocate; 'H 513 aid moving rack including a base extending generally longitudinally of said fixed rack and two side walls extending from said moving rack base to define the general U-shaped space, a plurality of pairs of ratchet fingers projecting into said U-shaped space and extending longitudinally aIsOng said moving rack; said moving rack side lls including inwardly projecting portions engaging said fixed rack rails. 3. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said fixed rack further includes a transfer ramp at its forward end slanting from the base thereof toward said moving rack for S*a transferring clips from theplane of said fixed rack base 15 to the plane of said moving rack base and further to the l 4a 44d 4'4 a plane of the drive mechanism which said cartridge *444 removably engages. s44 4. The instrument of Claim 3 further including a 4 20 resilient transfer finger projecting from said transfer ramp toward said moving rack for transferring clips fro said cartridge to the plane of said moving rack. 8 ar The apparatus of Clamh 4 further including: at least two guide ri8bs each spaced transversely apart from said transfer finger on opposite sides thereof and each rising from said ramp at an increased angle toward the plane of said moving rack for guiding said drive mechanism into properly aligned engagement with said clip. ETH 513 6. The cartridge of Claim 2 wherein said moving rack includes 'two ratchet fingers projecting from the front end thereof, and the front portion of each said front projecting fingers includes a increased thickness portion to facilitate its engagement with a clip. 7. The apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said transfer ramp includes an exit portion slanting at an increased angle toward said moving rack to facilitate the exit of clips from said cartridge. 8. The cartridge of Claim 3 wherein the edges of said side walls of said fed rack taper at abq/ut the same angle as said transfer ramp from a point adjacent the 15 intersection of said transfer ramp and said fixed rack base to a side wall step; S«4 the edges'of said side walls extending generally parallel to said fixed rack base but offset therefrom from said step to the distal end of said fixed rack; said fixed rack side wall rail and said transversely o* extending flange stopping short of the distal end of said fixed rack and aligned approximately with said step. Y 9. The apparatus of Claim 8 further including locating pins adapted to engage corresponding slots in said drive v' mechanismi, for positioning said cartridge longitudinally with respect to said drive mechanism. The apparatus of Claim 4 wherein said transfer finger includes a multi-facet surface of successively decreasing slopes. ETH 513 11. The apparatus of Claim 2 wherein each pair of fingers on said fixed rack and on said moving rack further include cooperating tapers on the front face thereof to match the shape of clips used in said cartridge, each of said figers including a hinge by which it is attached to its respective rack, said hinge being aligned generally parallel to the tapered front face of said fingers; and, each finger including a generally triangular vertical cross-section. ee 12. The apparatus of Claim 3 wherein the forward portion 15 of the base of said moving rack includes a tapered portion so that the forward portion of said base is thinner than the remainder of said base. *s*ee* d 13. A cartridge as defined in Claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings. Dated this 3rd day of February 198S eo 4 ETHICON, INC. By their Patent Attorney S* GRIFFITH,HASSEL FRAZER ETH 513 7) MEMM" base 140 to the end of forward section IbU. blae wa-±LZ ETH 5,13 995/833 0000 0 00 0000 0 00 0000 00 0. ~9 99 9 9 0 9 0 99 00 9 0q 0 99 *0 9* 0 q. 0* 9 99 9 99 V in a proper axial position in ca~rtridge receiving channel ~proce 8. Returning to Figure 3, extending from base 140,1-!' fixe. rack 130 are flanges 150 which extend beyond the conf r periphery of rail5 144. The edge 152 of flan~qes 150 snap 120. uinder snap tabs 86 in side wall 82 and 84 to hold along cartridge 12 in U-shaped channel 8 (see Figure in f-r aga in ETH 513 -ETH 513 B SB. S SB. S 0@ S S S 5 S S 55 S S S 0 B B 0 S S S S S S 5 5 S 5 5 55 0 S 0 @0 S S S S 005. *Sb @00 S S @0005 5 B 555 S @5 S 0 FIG. I. ro PWIla9/ OFF( z Z. Proceeds through three separate levels in the cartridge. wit At the first level the clip is maintained between the transf confronting surfaces of fixed rack 130 and moving rack bosses 120. (See clip 11 in Figure As a clip is,,advanced 562, 2 along fixed rack 130, it moves to a second plane directly '35 edges in front of moving rack 120 where it is held in position f ixed against the adjacent surface of pusher fingers 104 by f orw a ETH 513 ETH 513 *0. 0 0 0 00 0 00 0 S S 0 0 0 0 0 SO 0 0 0 5 0 0 00 S 0 00 0 0 0 0 000 0 0S 0000. 000 0 OS S 0 FIG. I. 00 0000 04. 00 0 05 0000 00 @0 0 @000 0 0'SSO *0.O~ S 04~ 00 SO CN S 00 00 0 0 00 05 0 0* @0 00 0 0 00 00 0 05 00 Tt24 7N/ZZ OF F76 Z c/6Z IZ A S S. S ~JO 555 *5S 555 SR S S ~0 S S S S S 5 5 5 OS 0 0 5 S S S S S *5 5 5 5 5 5 5 S S S 1 S S S C 55 54 55 S 55 5 5' 5 5*5 5 S clock Referring now to Figure 8, one can see that as ring handle sprin 2 continues to close toward ring hanidle 4, pusher fingers relea 104 will move all the way back rearwardly of clip llc and relea transfer firi~er 200 will transfer clip llc to the plane of come pusher 100 directly in front of pusher 100. The V-shaped count ETH 513 ETH 513 Q, 6 Osee S gee S. SC C0 C0 60g 0 0 C 0 0 0 S S S 0@ S CC oC 0 e.g OSS 6S*@ ego FIG. 2. /Z. spring 43 to open jaw 26 away from anvil 3aw it ano release, the closed clips. As the user continues to release ring handle 2 away from ring handle 4, cam 50 will come out of the dwell mode and begin to pivot in the counter-clockwise direction about pivot bore 52 so as to ETH 513 *i 5 0 S 0 S S 5 0 0 o S S S S .r 0 Se 6 104 Tne ±ong stro~e motion or PUSne~r _UU UJLUV.LU-_MLLJd m- for feeding clips from the forward-most ppsition in fi:d rack 11AO to nose section 6. The interact n of ratchet slot 112 and ratchet pin 122 allows a portion of this long stroke motion to be captured to provide the short stroke ratcheting motion for moving rack 120 for indexing clips ETH 513 ETH 513 ~J S. 5 0 *0.S 0* 0 *5*5 S S 5* 0 S 5050 0 SO S S *0 S S 00 S0 S 05 0 S S S 55 00 S 0 0 5* ETH 513 0 0 000 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0S 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0* 0 0 000 000 000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 000 0 00 0 0 FIG. 4A. FIG. 4. -0A /34? FIG. 3. recipr TH 513 a 0 00 0ee**S a S S S *0 S 55 5 5 5 5 5* See 55 5 IY4 LO 6 E FIG. 4. -51A 5* a 0555 55 5 0 S* a a.. 05 aa a as.. S 550a a 555a55 a 977~~ S* 05 S S 200 a PS 0 S *5 5w 0 so 00 S a a 5 PO S* S 50 S SO S S 0 S /1 S 555 S 55 5 S 5 S S S S 555a 5 0 5< S S SO a5 0 5 0 0 0 S S 5- 5 0 S S 005 @55 .55 *5S 5 60 5* S FIG. 5A. FIG. FIG. ±4! 454F S 5 See. 00 0* 000 00 0 0 SOSS 0 0O 0 5 S 0 0 5O S0 S S 5 0.0 S. 0@ S S S00 egg 5S0 S SS S FIG. FIG. ETH 513 ETH 513 S S OS o S S 5555 0 0 5 S SO S SO S S S S e.e.. OS S S FIG. FIG. 55 5 0 SSSS S. S 5* 5.5. C S S. C S.C. S COSO S SOS C SC OS 5 0 S 05 5 S. 55 S S 05 CC S 0@ SO 55 5* SC ETH 513 S3 a a. a a a. a a a. a S OaSaaa a so *0So a. a @4 S. a. S a a a S* S S 0 0: So *00 0* 0 0.0 5. 000 SOS FIG. 6. @9 0 a 105 I_ l I t w 6 91.d z '911 S S StO S VS S Se S S S S tS S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S 4 5 5 S S S S 45 *4 5 S S S S S S S S 54 5 4 5 5 554 5 S S