Ligation Clip Diagonal Ribs for Vessel Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ligation clips often experience movement issues relative to body vessels during surgical procedures, affecting their performance and patient safety due to inadequate retention characteristics.

Innovation Solution

The ligation clip design features a pivotable first and second jaw configuration with a hinge portion, locking elements, and diagonal ribs on clamping surfaces to securely clamp and retain body vessels, minimizing movement post-placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional smooth clamping surfaces are used, then the device structure is simple, but the clip may move relative to the body vessel during surgical procedures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclip retention stabilityVSAvoidclamping surface structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The clamping surfaces incorporate localized tissue retention features (ridges, grooves, or teeth) at specific regions where contact with the body vessel occurs. These features are not uniformly distributed but concentrated at critical contact zones, providing enhanced grip where needed while maintaining overall structural simplicity of the clip design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The clamping surface is divided into multiple functional zones including smooth portions for general contact and textured portions with retention features for secure grip. This segmentation allows different regions of the clamping surface to perform specialized functions, improving overall retention while managing complexity through functional zonation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If tissue retention features are added to clamping surfaces, then clip movement is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclip retention stabilityVSAvoidclamping surface fabrication
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The tissue retention features are integrated directly into the clamping surface structure during the molding or fabrication process, rather than being added as separate components. This merging of retention features with the base clamping surface reduces assembly steps and simplifies manufacturing while maintaining the reliability benefits of enhanced tissue grip.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The clamping surface utilizes composite structural characteristics combining smooth and textured regions within a single material component. This allows the retention features to be formed as part of the monolithic clip structure, enabling standard manufacturing processes to produce both simple and complex surface characteristics without requiring multiple materials or assembly operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP3517056B1Ligation clip with tissue rentention features
Publication Date: 2020.11.11 COVIDIEN LP
  • EP3517056B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3517056B1 patent drawingFigure 2~2A
  • EP3517056B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A ligation clip (10) defines a longitudinal axis and includes a first jaw (12), a second jaw (14), and a hinge portion (16) that pivotably couples the first jaw (12) to the second jaw (14). The first jaw (12) has a first clamping surface (22) that supports first ribs (60) that defines an angle β with the longitudinal axis. The second jaw (14) has a second clamping surface (28) in opposition to the first clamping surface (22) and supports second ribs (60) that define the angle β with the longitudinal axis. Each of the first and second ribs (60) includes a distal wall and a proximal wall and a wall in opposition to the opposing clamping surface. The distal wall of at least some of the first ribs is positioned in close proximity to the proximal wall of a respective one of the second ribs when the ligation clip is in the clamped position.