US 11,806,021 B2
Endoscopic surgical clip applier with wedge plate
Gregory Sorrentino, Wallingford, CT (US); and Kenneth H. Whitfield, North Haven, CT (US)
Assigned to Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed by Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/501,062.
Application 16/260,372 is a division of application No. 15/145,192, filed on May 3, 2016, granted, now 10,231,738, issued on Mar. 19, 2019.
Application 17/501,062 is a continuation of application No. 16/260,372, filed on Jan. 29, 2019, granted, now 11,213,298.
Application 15/145,192 is a continuation of application No. 12/539,766, filed on Aug. 12, 2009, granted, now 9,358,015, issued on Jun. 7, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/092,804, filed on Aug. 29, 2008.
Prior Publication US 2022/0031332 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/128 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); A61B 17/04 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/1285 (2013.01) [A61B 90/03 (2016.02); A61B 17/0487 (2013.01); A61B 17/128 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00407 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0488 (2013.01); A61B 2090/034 (2016.02)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for application of surgical clips to body tissue, the apparatus comprising:
a handle assembly including a trigger;
a shaft assembly including a housing extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis;
a plurality of surgical clips disposed within the shaft assembly;
a pair of jaws mounted adjacent a distal end portion of the shaft assembly, the pair of jaws being movable between an open spaced-apart condition and a closed approximated condition, the pair of jaws including:
a first jaw defining a clip engaging feature therein, wherein the clip engaging feature of the first jaw is configured to support a first leg of a surgical clip of the plurality of surgical clips; and
a second jaw defining a clip engaging feature therein, wherein the clip engaging feature of the second jaw is configured to support a second leg of the surgical clip of the plurality of surgical clips;
a pusher bar reciprocally disposed within the housing of the shaft assembly and operatively connected to the trigger, wherein the pusher bar is actuated upon actuation of the trigger, the pusher bar configured to contact a distal-most surgical clip, of the plurality of surgical clips, to load the distal-most surgical clip into the pair of jaws during a distal movement of the pusher bar, whereby a first leg of the distal-most surgical clip is supported by the first jaw and a second leg of the distal-most surgical clip is supported by the second jaw,
wherein the pusher bar remains in a distally advanced position, and in contact with the distal-most surgical clip, during an approximation of the first jaw and the second jaw of the pair of jaws to thereby approximate the first leg and the second leg of the distal-most surgical clip; and
a connector plate reciprocally disposed within the shaft assembly, wherein the connector plate is detachably connectable to the pusher bar, wherein during an initial distal movement of the connector plate the pusher bar is distally advanced and during a further distal movement of the connector plate the connector plate is disconnected from the pusher bar.