Device and method for through the scope endoscopic hemostatic clipping

1. A medical device for causing the hemostasis of a blood vessel for use through an endoscope, said medical device comprising:

a clip, the clip having at least two clip legs;

a breakable link adapted to couple a control wire to the clip and adapted to be broken by a first predetermined tensile force applied by the control wire;

the control wire reversibly operable both to open the at least two clip legs and to close the at least two clip legs when the control wire is coupled to the clip;

an axially rigid sheath enclosing the control wire, the sheath able to communicate a first force opposing a second force of the control wire;

a handle coupled to the axially rigid sheath; and

an actuator coupled to the control wire, the control wire engageable by the actuator to open the at least two clip legs, to close the at least two clip legs, and to uncouple the control wire from the clip;

wherein when the breakable link is broken, the control wire uncouples from the clip.

2. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein:

the actuator comprises a lever; and

the lever able to transmit a fraction of an amount of an operator's movement of the lever into linear movement of the control wire, the fraction being less than one.

3. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein:

the control wire is able to be coupled to the clip by a j-hook;

the j-hook is able to be straightened by the first predetermined tensile force; and

when the j-hook is straightened, the control wire uncouples from the clip.

4. The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising a lock sleeve, wherein the control wire is able to be pulled in a proximal direction to pull the clip through the lock sleeve, thereby closing the clip legs.

5. The medical device of claim 4 , wherein the control wire is able to be pushed in a distal direction to push the clip out of the lock sleeve, thereby opening the clip legs.

6. The medical device of claim 4 , further comprising:

a retainer, the retainer release ably coupled to the lock sleeve; and

a retainer release arrangement, the retainer release arrangement able to engage the retainer to uncouple the retainer from the lock sleeve.

7. The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising a lock arrangement for locking the at least two clip legs in a closed position.

8. The medical device of claim 7 , wherein the lock arrangement comprises:

at least two lock holes, the number of lock holes corresponding to the number of clip legs, each of the at least two lock holes situated on a corresponding clip leg;

a lock sleeve; and

at least two lock pawls, the number of lock pawls corresponding to the number of clip legs, each of the at least two lock pawls situated on the lock sleeve;

wherein the at least two lock holes are engageable by the at least two lock pawls.

9. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the axially rigid sheath is torsionally rigid, the sheath transmitting a rotational force from the handle to the clip at a ratio of approximately 1 to 1.

10. The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a lock sleeve, the lock sleeve radially surrounding the clip legs;

wherein a distal compressive force applied to the lock sleeve moves the lock sleeve relative to the at least two clip legs, causing the at least two clip legs to close.

11. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein a proximal tensile force on the control wire is opposable by a distal compressive force on the outer sheath, the distal compressive force on the outer sheath able to close and lock the at least two clip legs.

12. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein a distal termination of the control wire comprises:

a frangible link, wherein the frangible link is at least one of a wire reversibly deformed into a j-hook and the breakable link,

wherein the j-hook is able to be straightened by the first predetermined tensile force; and

wherein the breakable link is able to be broken by the first predetermined tensile force.

13. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the device is disposable.

14. A medical device for causing the hemostasis of a blood vessel for use through an endoscope, said medical device comprising:

a clip, the clip having at least two clip legs;

an outer sleeve, the outer sleeve reversibly movable with respect to the clip both to open the at least two clip legs and to close the at least two clip legs;

a control wire coupled to the outer sleeve for moving the outer sleeve relative to the clip;

an axially rigid sheath enclosing the control wire, the sheath couplable with, and uncouplable from, the clip;

a handle coupled to the axially rigid sheath;

an actuator coupled to the control wire, the control wire engageable by the actuator to move the outer sleeve to open the at least two clip legs, to close the at least two clip legs, and to uncouple the clip from the sheath; and

a breakable link adapted to be broken by a predetermined tensile force applied by the control wire,

wherein when the breakable link is broken, the control wire uncouples from the clip.

15. A method of providing and using a medical device to deploy a clip for causing the hemostasis of a blood vessel, said method comprising:

(i) providing a medical device comprising:

a clip, wherein the clip has at least two clip legs;

a control wire coupled to the clip, the control wire reversibly operable both to open the at least two clip legs and to close the at least two clip legs, the control wire being uncouplable from the clip;

an axially rigid sheath enclosing the control wire, the sheath able to communicate a force opposing a force of the control wire;

a handle coupled to the axially rigid sheath; and

an actuator coupled to the control wire, the control wire engageable by the actuator to open the at least two clip legs and to close the at least two clip legs and to uncouple the control wire from the clip;

(ii) advancing the medical device so that the clip is located at the desired deployment location; and

(iii) moving the actuator to close the clip legs, and optionally to reopen and reclose the clip legs, and to uncouple the clip from the control wire;

wherein the control wire is adapted to be coupled to the clip by a breakable link;

wherein the breakable link is adapted to be broken by a first predetermined tensile force applied by the control wire; and

wherein when the breakable link is broken, the control wire uncouples from the clip.