Clip applicator for ligature clips
The invention relates to a clip applicator for ligature clips for an endoscopic clip applicator, particularly for laparoscopic surgical operations in accordance with the preamble of the main claim. 
     Such clip applicators are e.g. used according to Akt. Urol., 15 1984, pp.126 to 128 eg. in a construction in accordance with the company publication OP-INST 9 A of the Storz Company, Edition 5(89), in order to ligate vessels, such as e.g. an aorta with clips made from metal, such as silver or titanium, as well as resorbable material. 
     Although in many surgical fields clips are widely used due to their speed of application and accessibility in connection with difficultly accessible vessels in place of conventional ligature technology using suture material, in laparoscopic surgery difficulties have been encountered with the known clip applicators in that it is not possible to get hold of the vessels to be ligated and introduce same into the clip area from the outside, e.g. assisted by finger manipulation and also as a result of the fact that in laparocscopy the spatial identification of the vessels to be ligated is naturally reduced. For example, it is difficult to get hold of the cystic duct and cystic artery, particularly in the case of obese patients in cholecystectomy. 
     In order to obviate these difficulties, a novel clip applicator of the aforementioned type is produced, which is constructed in accordance with the characterizing part of the main claim and special embodiments are given in the subclaims. 
     It has surprisingly been found that the vessel in question can be drawn into the clip located in the jaws by the provision of a restoring or return wire which can be moved backwards and forwards. In a particularly preferred embodiment the restoring wire is also pivotable to a limited extent about its longitudinal axis. 
     In a particularly preferred embodiment the movement backwards and forwards and/or the rotating movement of the restoring wire can be performed in opposition to the tension of a spring, so that, under spring action, the restoring wire can be brought back into its starting position, namely in the immediate vicinity of the jaws. 
    
    
     The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to the drawings, wherein show: 
     FIG. 1--an overall view of the clip applicator according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2--a detail of the jaw construction of the clip applicator according to the invention. 
     FIG. 3--a view of the handle-side end of the clip applicator according to the invention. 
    
    
     The clip applicator shown in FIG. 1 comprises a rod system 2, a distal handle 4 and a proximal jaw 6, the terms distal and proximal relating to the patient&#39;s body. 
     The rod system 2 comprises an upper rod 8 and a lower rod 10, both of which have a semicircular cross-section and whose flat sides are so arranged with respect to one another that they form a tubular rod system. The upper rod 8 and the lower rod 10 are guided in their limited axial movement, by a hinge connection in the vicinity of the jaw 6 and a corresponding hinge connection in the vicinity of the handle 4, as will be described in detail hereinafter. 
     It is also possible to guide the upper rod 8 and the lower rod 10 by corresponding T-shaped or L-shaped projections in correspondingly shaped slots, or although in a preferred embodiment guidance by means of a pivotable connecting element 48 in the vicinity of the jaw 6 and a corresponding connecting element 16 in the handle area is completely adequate. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inventively essential restoring wire 30 is located in a slot 38 in the lower rod 10 and runs in the longitudinal direction of the latter. The restoring wire 30 has a hook-shaped end 32 with an upwardly open hook, whilst the rear end 34 of the restoring wire terminates in the vicinity of the handle 4 and passes into an operating lever 36, which projects out of the rod system 2. As desired, the operating lever 36 can be given a pin or stud-like construction, but can also be annular. 
     The restoring wire 30 is axially displaceable by means of the operating lever 36 and in a preferred embodiment can be returned to its inoperative position by a return spring 42, which is located in a chamber 40 for said spring in the lower rod 10. 
     In a preferred embodiment the restoring wire 30 can be rotated out of its starting position with the upwardly open hook about its longitudinal axis by up to approximately 45° on either side. For this purpose in a further chamber 44 is provided a restoring spring 46, which returns the hook to its vertically directed inoperative position. 
     In the construction of the handle part shown in FIG. 1, the outer handle part 20 is connected in materially integral manner with the lower rod 10 of the handle 4, whilst inner handle part 22 pivotable about a pivot pin 18 of the handle part is connected to a connecting element 16, which is in turn connected about a linch-pin 14 to a nose 12 of the upper rod. Thus, on tightening the inner handle part 22 there is a forward, axial movement of the upper rod 8, accompanied by a reliable guidance of the particular rod. 
     The jaw construction shown in detail in FIG. 2 is constructed in the same way. To make understanding easier therein, the spread-apart position of the jaws is shown in a somewhat exaggerated form. For laparoscopic operations, in which the apparatus is introduced through a trocar, the upper edge of the upper jaw 26 must be aligned with the upper edge of the upper rod 8 in the spread-apart position. 
     The lower jaw 24 is constructed in materially integral manner with the lower rod 10, in which is provided the slot 38 for the restoring wire 30. The upper jaw 26 is pivotably connected by means of a linch-pin 50 to the end of the upper rod 8, namely by means of a connecting element 48, which is anchored by means of a further linch-pin 52 in the lower rod 10. 
     On compressing the outer handle part 20 and the inner handle part 22, the upper rod 8 moves forwards or in the proximal direction so that the upper jaw 26 closes and compresses the previously inserted clip. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the rear end 34 of the restoring wire 30 is connected to an operating lever 36, which can be operated in opposition to the tension of the return spring 40 and is also pivotable about its longitudinal axis in opposition to the tension of the restoring spring 44. 
     When using the applicator, an open oriented clip is firstly inserted between the lower jaw 24 and the upper jaw 26 and following the corresponding insertion of the clip applicator into the operating area the restoring wire 30 is advanced until it grips the appropriate vessel, optionally accompanied by a rotating of the hook. By a corresponding manipulation of the operating lever 36, it is brought together with the grasped vessel into the mouth area of the jaw 6 and by corresponding handle operation the clip is placed around the vessel. 
     The endoscopic clip applicators according to the invention cannot only be used for cholecystectomy, but are in general always advantageous when it is necessary to clamp off vessels, such as e.g. in selective, proximal vagotomy, when mobilizing the esophagus, in hepatectomy, in lobectomy and segment resection, in lymphadenectomy and also for ligatures in pelviscopy.