Apparatus for effecting occlusion of the vas deferens

Claim 1

Apparatus for implanting locking clips to effect percutaneous occlusion of a target vessel comprising a. tissue penetration means including a forward face and a rearward face, said forward face including a barbshaped end portion for penetrating tissue upon forward movement of said tissue penetration means, and said rearward face defining at least a portion of a target vessel chamber, and including a rearwardly facing barb-shaped portion capable of penetrating tissue upon rearward movement of said tissue penetration means b. clip retaining means for retaining said locking clip in a predetermined location distal to said rearward face of said tissue penetration means, c. camming means disposed within said target vessel chamber for closing said locking clip, and d. slide means for obtaining relative slidable movement between said tissue penetration means and said clip retaining means, whereby said tissue penetration means can be used for penetrating tissue substantially entirely around said target vessel, and said tissue penetration means and said clip retaining means can be slidably moved between a first relative position in which said target vessel chamber and said clip retaining means are longitudinally separated from each other, a second relative position in which said target vessel chamber and said clip retaining means are substantially superimposed with each other such that said target vessel located within said target vessel chamber is substantially surrounded, at least in part within said locking clip, and a third relative position in which said locking clip is caused to close upon said target vessel by movement against said camming means so as to effect said occlusion thereof.

Claim 6

A method for implanting locking clips to effect percutaneous occlusion of a target vessel embedded within surrounding tissue comprising providing an elongated instrument including a barbed-shaped trocar at its distal end and clip retaining means located rearwardly of said barbed-shaped trocar, said method comprising a. providing a locking clip within said clip retaining means, b. isolating said target vessel by cutting trough said surrounding tissue with said barbed shaped trocar, c. slidably separating said barbed-shaped trocar and said clip retaining means so as to create a target vessel chamber therebetween, d. retaining said target vessel within said target vessel chamber, e. slidably bringing together said barbed-shaped trocar and said clip retaining means so as to enclose said target vessel with said locking clip, and f. further slidably bringing together said barbed shaped trocar and said clip retaining means so as to close said locking clip upon said target vessel in order to effect said occlusion thereof.

Claim 7

A method for implanting locking clips to effect percutaneous occlusion of a target vessel embedded within surrounding tissue comprising providing an elongated instrument including a barbed-shaped trocar at its distal end and clip retaining means located rearwardly of said barbed-shaped trocar, said method comprising a. providing a locking clip within said clip retaining means, b. isolating said target vessel by cutting trough said surrounding tissue with said barbed shaped trocar, c. slidably separating said barbed-shaped trocar and said clip retaining means so as to create a target vessel chamber therebetween, d. retaining said target vessel within said target vessel chamber, e. slidably bringing together said barbed-shaped trocar and said clip retaining means so as to enclose said target vessel with said locking clip, and f. further slidably bringing together said barbed shaped trocar and said clip retaining means so as to close said locking clip upon said target vessel in order to effect said occlusion thereof.