Wound clip

Claim 1

A wound clip for use on wound flaps in surgical use comprising an elongated base member, said base member having a head portion at one end of said base member, said head portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, first tine means mounted in said head portion extending outwardly from said lower surface, said first tine means terminating in points disposed remote from said lower surface, said base member having a thin flat bridging member permanently secured to said head portion laterally thereof, said head portion being substantially thicker than said bridging member, said bridging member having an upper surface and a lower surface, a plurality of longitudinally aligned detents in said upper surface of said bridging member, a housing, said housing being substantially thicker than said bridging member, said housing having a horizontal slot extending laterally completely therethrough, said slot being dimensioned for telescopically receiving said bridging member whereby said bridging member may slide in said housing while being maintained in the same lateral orientation in said housing as it does outside said housing, said head portion having a leading face at its junction with said bridging, said leading face being dimensioned to be prevented from being telescopically received in said slot, said leading face being disposed between said first tine means and said housing, second tine means comprising a pair of tines extending from the lower surface of said housing and terminating in points thereof, a locking member mounted in said housing and projecting downwardly into said slot in the generally central area thereof, said locking member being positioned for selectively entering said detents as said bridging member slides in said slot for locking said housing and said base member together whereby said first and said second tine means may be anchored into the patient on opposite sides of a wound flap incision with said bridging member spanning the incision, said clip including resilient means to permit said locking member to selectively move into and out of said detents, and said locking member being a lug permanently fixed to said housing and located in said housing in the general area of said second tine means in line with and between said tines to confine the locking action in the vicinity of said thickened housing where said housing is anchored.