Articulating clip applier cartridge

1. An end effector for operative connection to a surgical handle assembly including an axially reciprocatable drive assembly having a flexible drive cable operatively connected to the end effector, the end effector comprising:

a distal housing portion defining a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis;

a knuckle portion extending proximally from the proximal end of the distal housing portion, the knuckle portion being bifurcated into a first geared portion and a second geared portion, the distal housing portion being rotatably mounted to the knuckle portion to allow the distal housing portion to rotate about the longitudinal axis with respect to the knuckle portion;

a proximal housing portion pivotably connected to the knuckle portion;

a gear train supported in the proximal housing portion, the gear train including:

a distal-most spur gear operatively engaged with the first geared portion and the second geared portion of the knuckle portion; and

a proximal-most spur gear supported in the proximal housing portion and operatively connected to the distal-most spur gear; and

a rack slidably supported in the proximal housing portion and operatively engaged to the proximal-most spur gear;

a jaw assembly supported on the distal housing portion, the jaw assembly including a first jaw and a second jaw extending distally from the distal housing portion and being movable between a spaced apart position and an approximated position;

a plurality of surgical clips loaded in the distal housing portion in a partially stacked fashion; and

a jaw closure mechanism disposed in the distal housing portion and operatively associated with the jaw assembly and the plurality of surgical clips,

wherein a distal end of the flexible drive cable is connected to the jaw closure mechanism so as to transmit an operative force to the jaw closure mechanism when the longitudinal axis of the distal housing portion is either axially aligned or angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the surgical handle; and

wherein the jaw closure mechanism feeds a clip into the jaw assembly and forms the fed clip upon a single complete stroke of the flexible drive cable.

2. The end effector according to claim 1 , wherein the rack defines at least one axial row of gear teeth, and wherein the axial row of gear teeth is engaged with the proximal-most spur gear of the gear train.

3. The end effector according to claim 2 , wherein axial displacement of the rack relative to the proximal-most spur gear results in articulation of the distal housing portion relative to the proximal housing portion.

4. The end effector according to claim 3 , wherein the knuckle portion includes a pivot structure that defines a pivot axis.

5. The end effector according to claim 1 , wherein the jaw closure mechanism provides an approximating force to the first jaw and the second jaw to close the jaw assembly, and an opening force to the first jaw and the second jaw to open the jaw assembly.

6. The end effector according to claim 5 , wherein the jaw closure mechanism includes a cam plate axially slidably supported in the distal housing portion, wherein the cam plate includes a camming aperture formed therein, wherein the camming aperture has a substantially “V” shaped profile, and wherein each of the first jaw and the second jaw includes a post extending therefrom and into the camming aperture of the cam plate;

wherein movement of the cam plate proximally relative to the first jaw and the second jaw engages an edge of the camming aperture against the posts of the first jaw and the second jaw to approximate the first jaw and the second jaw.

7. The end effector according to claim 6 , wherein the cam plate includes a protrusion extending distally into the camming aperture; wherein movement of the cam plate distally relative to the first jaw and the second jaw engages the protrusion of the camming aperture between the posts of the first jaw and the second jaw to separate the first jaw and the second jaw.

8. The end effector according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of clips are stacked in a non-collinear orientation with respect to the second longitudinal axis.

9. The end effector according to claim 8 , wherein the first jaw and the second jaw are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis.

10. The end effector according to claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of surgical clips has a pair of legs extending from a backspan, each of the plurality of surgical clips defining a clip axis extending in a direction substantially parallel to the pair of legs, each of the plurality of surgical clips being arranged within the base portion to define an angle between the clip axis and the longitudinal axis, each of the plurality of surgical clips being located adjacent to another of the plurality of surgical clips to form a partially overlapping stack.

11. The end effector according to claim 10 , wherein, when the plurality of clips are loaded in the distal housing portion, the clip axis is in a substantially parallel orientation to an angle of orientation of the first jaw and the second jaw.

12. An articulating surgical clip applier, comprising:

a handle assembly having a housing and a trigger, the handle assembly including an axially reciprocatable drive assembly having a flexible drive cable operatively connected to and actuatable by the trigger; and

an end effector operatively connected to the handle assembly, the end effector comprising:

a distal housing portion defining a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis;

a knuckle portion extending proximally from the proximal end of the distal housing portion, the knuckle portion being bifurcated into a first geared portion and a second geared portion, the distal housing portion being rotatably mounted to the knuckle portion to allow the distal housing portion to rotate about the longitudinal axis with respect to the knuckle portion;

a proximal housing portion pivotably connected to the knuckle portion at a pivot axis, wherein the flexible drive cable extends from the handle assembly to the distal housing portion of the end effector and across the pivot axis of the end effector;

a gear train supported in the proximal housing portion, the gear train including:

a distal-most spur gear operatively engaged with the first geared portion and the second geared portion of the knuckle portion; and

a proximal-most spur gear supported in the proximal housing portion and operatively connected to the distal-most spur gear; and

a rack slidably supported in the proximal housing portion and operatively engaged to the proximal-most spur gear;

a jaw assembly supported on the distal housing portion, the jaw assembly including a first jaw and a second jaw extending distally from the distal housing portion and being movable between a spaced apart position and an approximated position;

a plurality of surgical clips loaded in the distal housing portion in a partially stacked fashion; and

a jaw closure mechanism disposed in the distal housing portion and operatively associated with the jaw assembly and the plurality of surgical clips,

wherein a distal end of the flexible drive cable is connected to the jaw closure mechanism so as to transmit an operative force to the jaw closure mechanism when the longitudinal axis of the distal housing portion is either axially aligned or angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the handle assembly; and

wherein the jaw closure mechanism feeds a clip into the jaw assembly and forms the fed clip upon a single complete stroke of the flexible drive cable.

13. The surgical clip applier end effector according to claim 12 , wherein the rack of the end effector defines at least one axial row of gear teeth, and wherein the axial row of gear teeth is engaged with the proximal-most spur gear of the gear train.

14. The surgical clip applier according to claim 13 , wherein axial displacement of the rack of the end effector relative to the proximal-most spur gear results in articulation of the distal housing portion relative to the proximal housing portion.

15. The surgical clip applier according to claim 14 , wherein the knuckle portion includes a pivot structure that defines a pivot axis.

16. The surgical clip applier according to claim 12 , wherein the jaw closure mechanism of the end effector provides an approximating force to the first jaw and the second jaw to close the jaw assembly, and an opening force to the first jaw and the second jaw to open the jaw assembly.

17. The surgical clip applier according to claim 16 , wherein the jaw closure mechanism of the end effector includes a cam plate axially slidably supported in the distal housing portion, wherein the cam plate includes a camming aperture formed therein, wherein the camming aperture has a substantially “V” shaped profile, and wherein each of the first jaw and the second jaw includes a post extending therefrom and into the camming aperture of the cam plate;

wherein movement of the cam plate proximally relative to the first jaw and the second jaw engages an edge of the camming aperture against the posts of the first jaw and the second jaw to approximate the first jaw and the second jaw.

18. The surgical clip applier according to claim 16 , wherein the cam plate of the end effector includes a protrusion extending distally into the camming aperture; wherein movement of the cam plate distally relative to the first jaw and the second jaw engages the protrusion of the camming aperture between the posts of the first jaw and the second jaw to separate the first jaw and the second jaw.

19. The surgical clip applier according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of clips of the end effector are stacked in a non-collinear orientation with respect to the second longitudinal axis.

20. The surgical clip applier according to claim 19 , wherein the first jaw and the second jaw of the end effector are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis.

21. The surgical clip applier according to claim 20 , wherein each of the plurality of surgical clips of the end effector has a pair of legs extending from a backspan, each of the plurality of surgical clips defining a clip axis extending in a direction substantially parallel to the pair of legs, each of the plurality of surgical clips being arranged within the base portion to define an angle between the clip axis and the longitudinal axis, each of the plurality of surgical clips being located adjacent to another of the plurality of surgical clips to form a partially overlapping stack.

22. The surgical clip applier according to claim 21 , wherein, when the plurality of clips are loaded in the distal housing portion, the clip axis is in a substantially parallel orientation to an angle of orientation of the first jaw and the second jaw.