Drive mechanism for surgical instruments

Claim 2

A surgical instrument comprising: means for storing a plurality of binding devices; means for applying at least one of said binding devices to an object at a surgical work site; means for feeding said binding devices at least one at a time to said applying means, said means for feeding comprising: power source means having a power outer, said power source means being pre-loaded with sufficient energy to feed more than one said binding devices; a feeder member means for engaging at least one of said binding devices and for moving it into a position to be acted on by said applying means; a drive link means operatively connected to said power source means and said feeder member means for transmitting power from said power source means to said feeder member means; and means associated with said applying means for enabling said power source means to apply said power output to said drive link means at a predetermined time.

Claim 3

A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said applying means comprises a pair of squeezable handles and said enabling means comprises a portion of one of said handles adapted to cooperate with said power source means.

Claim 4

A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said power source means comprises a spring and said drive link means comprises a cylindrical body cyclically rotatable about its axis.

Claim 5

A surgical instrument according to claim 3 wherein said cylindrical body comprises: an annular groove perpendicular to the axis of said body and adapted to engage an inwardly extending annular rib on a surface portion of said power source means adjacent thereto; an annular cam groove inclined to the axis of said body and adapted to engage an inwardly extending cam connected to said feeder member means.

Claim 6

A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said power source means comprises a flat, wound coil spring having a drive coil portion and a take-up portion and said drive link comprises a flat plate cyclically reciprocable in a predetermined direction.

Claim 7

A surgical instrument according to claim 5 further comprising a transversely extending post secured to one end of said spring and wherein said drive link comprises an aperture for mateable engagement with said post.

Claim 8

In a surgical instrument for applying a binding device to a surgical work site, the instrument having a cartridge for storing a plurality of said binding devices, a jaw means for receiving a binding device, a means for feeding the binding devices to said jaw means, a handle for actuating the instrument to apply the binding device to a selected area at the work site, the improvement comprising: spring means having a drive coil and a take-up coil, each of said coils situated in a common plane; a post extending perpendicularly to said plane for being rotated by the drive coil of said spring means; a planar drive member situated in a plane parallel to said common plane and having a transverse slot for receiving said post therethrough, said drive member adapted to reciprocate longitudinally in response to rotary motion of said post; means for connecting said drive member to said feeding means; control means for enabling said drive member to move cyclically through a distal/proximal cycle at predetermined points relative to the position of the handles of the instrument.

Claim 9

In a surgical instrument for applying a binding device to a surgical work site, the instrument having a cartridge for storing a plurality of said binding devices, a jaw means for receiving a binding device, a means for feeding the binding devices to said jaw means, a handle for actuating the instrument to apply the binding device to a selected area at the work site, the improvement comprising: spring means having a drive coil and a take-up coil, each of said coils situated in a common plane; a post extending perpendicularly to said plane for being rotated by the drive coil of said spring means; a planar drive member situated in a plane parallel to said common plane and having a transverse slot for receiving said post therethrough, said drive member adapted to reciprocate longitudinally in response to rotary motion of said post; means for connecting said drive member to said feeding means; control means for enabling said drive member to move cyclically through a distal/proximal cycle at predetermined points relative to the position of the handles of the instrument.

Claim 10

In a surgical clip applier for applying ligating clips to a surgical work site, said applier comprising at least one clip for being applied to the surgical work site, a means for applying said clip to the surgical work site, and means for feeding a clip to said applying means, the improvement comprising: a pre-loaded energy source; and connecting means for operatively connecting said energy source to said means for feeding, said pre-loaded energy source being initially pre-loaded with enough energy to feed more than one ligating clip to said means for feeding one at a time.

Claim 11

In a surgical clip applier for applying ligating clips to a surgical work site, said applier comprising at least one clip for being applied to the surgical work site, a means for applying said clip to the surgical work site, and means for feeding a clip to said applying means, the improvement comprising: a pre-loaded energy source; and connecting means for operatively connecting said energy source to said means for feeding, said pre-loaded energy source being initially pre-loaded with enough energy to feed more than one ligating clip to said means for feeding one at a time.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of: controlling the operation of said power source means in a cyclical manner to produce a power output therefrom only at predetermined points in the operation of said instrument.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of: cocking said power source means in response to a predetermined position of said binding device applying means such that a change of said position then results in said production of a power output from said power source means.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of: providing a cylindrical drive link to transmit power from said power source means to said feeding means.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of: providing a planar drive link to transmit power from said power source means to said feeding means.

Claim 20

A surgical instrument comprising: means for storing a plurality of binding devices; means for applying at least one of said binding devices to an obect at a surgical work site; means for feeding said binding devices at least one at a time to said applying means, said means for feeding comprising: power source means having a power output, said power source means comprising a spring; a feeder member means for engaging at least one of said binding devices and for moving it into a position to be acted on by said applying means; a drive link means operatively connected to said power source means and said feeder member means for transmitting power from said power source means to said feeder member means, said drive link means comprising a cylindrical body cyclically rotatable about its axis; and means associated with said applying means for enabling said power source means to apply said power output to said drive link means at a predetermined time.

Claim 21

A surgical instrument comprising: means for storing a plurality of binding devices; means for applying at least one of said binding devices to an obect at a surgical work site; means for feeding said binding devices at least one at a time to said applying means, said means for feeding comprising: power source means having a power output, said power source means comprising a spring; a feeder member means for engaging at least one of said binding devices and for moving it into a position to be acted on by said applying means; a drive link means operatively connected to said power source means and said feeder member means for transmitting power from said power source means to said feeder member means, said drive link means comprising a cylindrical body cyclically rotatable about its axis; and means associated with said applying means for enabling said power source means to apply said power output to said drive link means at a predetermined time.

Claim 22

A surgical instrument according to claim 15 wherein said cylindrical body comprises: an annular groove perpendicular to the axis of said body and adapted to engage an inwardly extending annular rib on a surface portion of said power source means adjacent thereto; an annular cam groove inclined to the axis of said body and adapted to engage an inwardly extending cam connected to said feeder member means.

Claim 23

A surgical instrument comprising: means for storing a plurality of binding devices; means for applying at least one of said binding devices to an object at a surgical work site; means for feeding said binding devices at least one at a time to said applying means, said means for feeding comprising: power source means having a power output, said power source means comprising a flat, wound coil spring having a drive coil portion and a take-up portion; a feeder member means for engaging at least one of said binding devices and for moving it into a position to be acted on by said applying means; a drive link means operatively connected to said power source means and said feeder member means for transmitting power from said power source means to said feeder member means, said drive link comprising a flat plate cyclically reciprocable in a predetermined direction; and means associated with said applying means for enabling said power source means to apply said power output to said drive link means at a predetermined time.

Claim 24

A surgical instrument comprising: means for storing a plurality of binding devices; means for applying at least one of said binding devices to an object at a surgical work site; means for feeding said binding devices at least one at a time to said applying means, said means for feeding comprising: power source means having a power output, said power source means comprising a flat, wound coil spring having a drive coil portion and a take-up portion; a feeder member means for engaging at least one of said binding devices and for moving it into a position to be acted on by said applying means; a drive link means operatively connected to said power source means and said feeder member means for transmitting power from said power source means to said feeder member means, said drive link comprising a flat plate cyclically reciprocable in a predetermined direction; and means associated with said applying means for enabling said power source means to apply said power output to said drive link means at a predetermined time.

Claim 25

A surgical instrument according to claim 17 further comprising a transversely extending post secured to one end of said spring and wherein said drive link comprises an aperture for mateable engagement with said post.