阅读说明：本技术 双支撑钳口设计 (Dual support jaw design ) 是由 冈萨罗·乔斯·萨恩斯·维拉洛博斯 丹尼尔·康登 马丁·海因斯 丹尼尔·卡尔沃·卡马乔 戴安娜 于 2019-01-15 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于处理组织的装置,包括具有延伸通过其的通道(166)的胶囊(112),以及从近端延伸至远端的夹臂(106)。近端接收在通道(166)内并可在组织接收形态和组织夹紧形态之间移动,在组织接收形态下,臂(106)的远端分离,并且在组织夹紧形态下,臂(106)的远端朝向彼此移动。臂(106)包括近侧部分和远侧部分；近侧部分包括从近端延伸至远侧部分的纵向腿(126)。腿(126)所在的平面从包括远侧部分的平面绕臂(106)的纵向轴线旋转。装置还包括具有近侧部分和远侧部分的轭架(110)；远侧部分经由销(138)可释放地连结到腿(126)。销(138)插通远侧部分。(A device for treating tissue includes a capsule (112) having a channel (166) extending therethrough, and clamp arms (106) extending from a proximal end to a distal end. The proximal end is received within the channel (166) and is movable between a tissue receiving configuration in which the distal ends of the arms (106) are separated, and a tissue clamping configuration in which the distal ends of the arms (106) are moved toward each other. An arm (106) comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion; the proximal portion includes longitudinal legs (126) extending from the proximal end to the distal portion. The plane in which the legs (126) lie is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the arm (106) from a plane including the distal portion. The device further includes a yoke (110) having a proximal portion and a distal portion; the distal portion is releasably coupled to the leg (126) via a pin (138). A pin (138) is inserted through the distal portion.)

1. An apparatus for treating tissue, comprising:

a capsule extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end and including a channel extending therethrough;

clip arms extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal ends received within the channel of the capsule being movable between a tissue receiving configuration in which the distal ends of the clip arms are separated from one another and a tissue clamping configuration in which the distal ends of the clip arms are moved toward one another, the clip arms including proximal portions and distal portions, the proximal portions including pairs of longitudinal legs extending from the proximal ends to the distal portions, the legs lying in a plane that rotates about longitudinal axes of the clip arms from a plane that includes the distal portions; and

a yoke comprising a proximal portion configured to be connected to a control member and a distal portion releasably connected to the legs via a pin configured to be inserted through the distal portion in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the yoke.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the leg is rotated 90 degrees relative to the distal portion.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distal portion of the yoke comprises a pair of arms, each arm having two distal opposing portions defining a pin receiving space configured to releasably receive the pin.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the capsule comprises a strip extending across the distal end of the channel between the clamping arms such that when the clamping arms move proximally out of the channel, bending of the clamping arms slides along the strip forcing the clamping arms into the tissue receiving configuration.

5. The device of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a first one of the legs of each clamp arm comprises a locking mechanism configured to engage a locking feature on the capsule when the clamp arm is released from the yoke.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism is a lug.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the locking feature is a window.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the legs include slots at proximal ends thereof configured to receive the pins therethrough to releasably join the clamp arms to the yoke.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the proximal ends of the legs are configured to be received between the arms of the yoke.

10. A clamping device, comprising:

a proximal portion comprising a yoke and a control member extending from a proximal end to a distal end; and

a distal portion releasably coupled to the proximal portion such that the distal portion is deployable therefrom, the distal portion comprising:

a capsule extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end and including a channel extending therethrough; and

clip arms extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal ends received within the channel of the capsule being movable between a tissue receiving configuration in which the distal ends of the clip arms are separated from one another and a tissue clamping configuration in which the distal ends of the clip arms are moved toward one another, the clip arms including proximal portions and distal portions, the proximal portions including pairs of longitudinal legs extending from the proximal ends to the distal portions, the legs lying in a plane that rotates about longitudinal axes of the clip arms from a plane that includes the distal portions,

wherein the yoke includes a proximal portion configured to connect to the control member and a distal portion releasably coupled to the leg via a pin.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the leg is rotated 90 degrees relative to the distal portion.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the distal portion of the yoke comprises a pair of arms, each arm having two distal opposing portions defining a pin receiving space configured to releasably receive the pin in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the apparatus.

13. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the legs include slots at proximal ends thereof configured to receive the pins therethrough to releasably join the clamp arms to the yoke.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the opposing portions are separated at a distal end by a slot open to the pin receiving space, the slot having a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of the pin such that the pin is releasably locked therein once the pin moves through the slot into the pin receiving space.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein a first one of the legs of each clamp arm comprises a locking mechanism configured to engage a locking feature on the capsule when the clamp arm is released from the yoke.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to compression clips, and more particularly to compression clips that are delivered to a target site in vivo by a delivery device such as an endoscope to stop bleeding along a blood vessel of the gastrointestinal tract.

Background

Lesions of the Gastrointestinal (GI) system, including the esophagus, stomach, biliary tree, duodenum, colon tract and associated anatomical structures, are commonly treated by endoscopic surgery, many of which require active and/or prophylactic hemostasis to control internal bleeding. Catheter-based minimally invasive devices that deploy hemostatic clips via an endoscope are commonly used to stop internal bleeding by clipping the edges of a wound or incision together. The hemostatic clips grasp the tissue surrounding the wound and hold the wound edges together to allow the natural healing process to close the wound. A dedicated endoscopic clip device is used to deliver the clip to a desired location within the body and position and deploy the clip at the desired location within the body, after which the clip delivery device is withdrawn, leaving the clip in place within the body. A typical procedure involves closing a large injured area with more than one clip.

Hemostatic clips typically include a capsule containing a portion of the expanded length of the jaws; and a deployment mechanism that draws the clamp arms into and out of the capsule to open and close the clamp arms. Such a hemostatic clip includes a pair of arms serving as jaws, which are constituted by, for example, a metal plate formed in the shape of each arm. Many arms are relatively flat and exhibit reduced strength when in the open position, making them susceptible to deformation beyond their desired open position. There is therefore a need for stronger clip arms with a reduced risk of plastic deformation, in particular in the case of longer clip arms.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to a device for treating tissue. The device comprises a channel extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end and including a passage extending therethrough; clamping arms extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end received within the channel of the capsule being movable between a tissue receiving configuration in which the distal ends of the clamping arms are spaced apart from one another and a tissue clamping configuration in which the distal ends of the clamping arms are moved toward one another, the clamping arms including a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion including a pair of longitudinal legs extending from the proximal end to the distal portion, the legs lying in a plane that rotates about a longitudinal axis of the clamping arms from a plane including the distal portion; and a yoke including a proximal portion configured to be connected to the control member and a distal portion, the distal portion being releasably coupled to the leg via a pin, the pin configured to be inserted through the distal portion in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the yoke.

In one embodiment, the legs are rotated 90 degrees relative to the distal portion.

In one embodiment, the distal portion of the yoke includes a pair of arms, each arm having two distal opposing portions defining a pin receiving space configured to releasably receive a pin.

In one embodiment, the capsule comprises a strip extending beyond the distal end of the channel between the clamping arms such that when the clamping arms move proximally out of the channel, the bending of the clamping arms slides along the strip, forcing it into the tissue receiving configuration.

In one embodiment, a first of the legs of each clip arm includes a locking mechanism configured to engage a locking feature on the capsule when the clip arm is released from the yoke.

In one embodiment, the locking mechanism is a lug.

In one embodiment, the locking feature is a window.

In one embodiment, the legs include slots at proximal ends thereof configured to receive pins therethrough to releasably join the clamp arms to the yoke.

In one embodiment, the proximal ends of the legs are configured to be received between the arms of the yoke.

The invention also relates to a clamping device. The device includes a proximal portion including a control member and a yoke extending from a proximal end to a distal end; and a distal portion releasably coupled to the proximal portion such that the distal portion is deployable therefrom, the distal portion comprising: a capsule extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end and including a channel extending therethrough; and clamp arms extending from the proximal end to the distal end, the proximal end received within the channel of the capsule being movable between a tissue receiving configuration in which the distal ends of the clamp arms are separated from one another and a tissue clamping configuration in which the distal ends of the clamp arms are moved towards one another, the clamp arms including a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion including a pair of longitudinal legs extending from the proximal end to the distal portion, the legs lying in a plane that rotates about a longitudinal axis of the clamp arms from a plane including the distal portion, wherein the yoke includes a proximal portion configured to connect to a control member and a distal portion releasably joined to the legs via pins.

In one embodiment, the legs are rotated 90 degrees relative to the distal portion.

In one embodiment, the distal portion of the yoke includes a pair of arms, each arm having two distal opposing portions defining a pin receiving space configured to releasably receive a pin in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device.

In one embodiment, the legs include slots at proximal ends thereof configured to receive pins therethrough to releasably join the clamp arms to the yoke.

In one embodiment, the opposing portions are separated at the distal end by a slot open to the pin receiving space, the slot having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of the pin such that the pin is releasably locked therein once the pin moves through the slot into the pin receiving space.

In one embodiment, a first of the legs of each clip arm includes a locking mechanism configured to engage a locking feature on the capsule when the clip arm is released from the yoke.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the clamp assembly of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the clamp assembly in the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of a clamping arm of the clamp assembly of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the clip assembly of the system of FIG. 1 in a plane in which the clip arms rotate between tissue receiving and tissue clamping configurations;

FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a yoke of the clamp assembly of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows an enlarged, partially transparent side view of a portion of the clamp assembly of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 shows an enlarged, partially transparent side view of a portion of the clamp assembly of the system of FIG. 1; and

figure 9 illustrates an enlarged, partially transparent perspective view of a portion of the capsule and yoke of the clip assembly of the system of figure 1.

Detailed Description

The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The present invention relates to an endoscopic clamping system for treating tissue perforations, defects, and/or bleeding. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention describes a clip assembly that includes a pair of clip arms, each of the arms having two legs extending proximally and oriented parallel to a plane in which the clip arms rotate between open and closed positions. This arrangement reinforces the clip arms to reduce the risk of plastic deformation of the arms when they are opened. In addition, in force-based designs, the stronger clip arms prevent excessive bending that can lead to premature deployment. For example, an over-bent clamping arm requires more force to pull the deformed arm proximally into the capsule. This force required may exceed the threshold of the tension/force based deployment mechanism, causing the deployment mechanism to break before the arm is pulled in. It should be noted that as used herein, the terms "proximal" and "distal" are intended to refer to a user toward (proximal) and away from (distal) the device.

As shown in fig. 1 to 2, a clip assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a clip 102 that can be inserted into a living body through a working channel of an endoscope, for example, to access a target tissue to be treated. As understood by those skilled in the art, clip assembly 100 is sufficiently flexible to allow it to traverse tortuous paths through the body, for example, through the working channel of an endoscope that enters through a natural body orifice and is inserted through a natural body lumen. Clip 102 includes clip arms 106, proximal ends 108 of which are coupled to a yoke 110 slidably received within a capsule 112 such that clip arms 106 are rotatable between an open tissue receiving configuration and a closed tissue clamping configuration. The yoke 110 is configured to be coupled to a distal end 116 of the control member 114. For example, the enlarged distal end 116 of the control member 114 may be received within a cavity of the yoke 110 that is sized to prevent the distal end from being pulled proximally out of the yoke 110. Control member 114 is slidably received within insertion device 104 such that longitudinal movement of control member 114 relative to capsule 112 moves clamp arms 106 between tissue receiving and tissue clamping configurations. In this embodiment, each of the clamp arms 106 includes a proximal portion 122 having two legs 126, the two legs 126 being rotated 90 degrees from the distal head 120 of the clamp arm 106 such that they extend generally in a plane in which the arm 106 rotates between the open and closed configurations. The configuration of legs 126 reinforces clamp arms 106 to enhance their resistance to plastic deformation during clamping. The clip 102 is releasably attached to the insertion device 104 of the clip assembly 100 by any known mechanism that allows the clip to lock in place clamped to the target tissue when the insertion device 104 is removed from the body. As understood by those skilled in the art, the apparatus also includes a handle (not shown) that remains outside the body for use by the user when the insertion device 104 is inserted into the body to deploy the clip 102.

In use, once a portion of the target tissue is clamped with the clamp assembly 100, the control member 114 can be pulled proximally relative to the capsule 112 until a predetermined threshold force is exceeded, thereby releasing the yoke 110 from within the capsule 112 to deploy the clamp 102 within the body, as will be described in greater detail below.

As described above, the clamp 102 includes a pair of clamp arms 106, the proximal ends 108 of which are joined to a yoke 110 that is slidably received within a capsule 112. Each of the clamp arms 106 extends between a proximal end 108 connected to the yoke 110 and a distal end 118. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the clip arms 106 of this embodiment are movable towards the open tissue receiving configuration via a bar 161 at the distal end of the capsule 112, as will be described in further detail below. In particular, the clip arms 106 have a curvature that forces the clip arms 106 to an open tissue receiving configuration when the clip arms 106 slide distally out of the capsule 112. In the tissue receiving configuration shown in fig. 2, distal ends 118 of clip arms 106 are spread apart from one another to receive tissue therebetween. As the clip arms 106 are pulled into the capsule 112, the capsule 112 restrains the clip arms 106, thereby drawing their distal ends 118 together and holding them in a tissue gripping configuration, as depicted in fig. 3.

According to one exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 4, each of the clamp arms 106 includes a distal head 120 and a proximal leg 122. The head 120 is formed similar to current "flat" designs, with a tissue gripping distal end 118 and a curved head 120 extending from a leg 122 to the distal end 118. In this embodiment, the leg portion 122 includes two legs 126 that are parallel to each other and aligned with the side edges of the head 120. The legs 126 are also generally flat and can have any length as needed depending on the procedure and the desired size of the clip. However, as shown in fig. 5, the plane of each leg 126 is rotated 90 degrees from the plane of the head 120 about an axis parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the arm, such that the legs 126 are generally parallel to the plane a in which the arm 106 rotates between the open and closed configurations, and the thickness 127 of the legs (i.e., the thickness perpendicular to the plane in which the arm 106 rotates) is less than the width of the connecting side 129 (i.e., parallel to the plane in which the arm 106 rotates), thereby increasing the amount of bending force that the legs 126 can resist without plastic deformation. That is, because leg 126 has a greater extent in the direction of the applied bending force (i.e., in the plane in which arm 106 rotates), leg 126 is able to resist the greater force than if leg 126 were rotated 90 degrees about an axis parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the clamp arm (as compared to this design) to have a lesser extent in the direction of the applied bending force.

As understood by those skilled in the art, clip arms 106 can include optional gripping features configured to facilitate gripping of tissue therebetween. For example, distal ends 118 of clip arms 106 may include tips that extend laterally inward toward one another and/or teeth, projections, spikes, or other structures configured to clamp tissue between distal ends 118 of clip arms 106. One or both of clip arms 106 may also include a locking feature configured to lock clip arms 106 in a tissue gripping configuration after a target tissue is gripped via clip arms 106. In one embodiment, at least one of legs 126 of clip arm 106 includes a locking lug 128 extending laterally outward therefrom. The locking lugs 128 are configured to engage a portion of the capsule 112 when the clamp arms 106 have been released from the yoke 110, as seen in fig. 8. For example, the locking lugs 128 may be constrained against their natural bias to a position separated from the wall of the capsule 112 while the yoke is still connected to the clip 102. However, when the clip arms 106 are fully drawn into the capsule 112 and the yoke 110 has been released from the clips 102 (as will be described in more detail below), the locking lugs 128 are released to spring laterally outwardly so as to project through and engage recesses or locking windows 130 formed in the wall of the capsule 112 to lock the clip arms 106 in a tissue gripping configuration relative to the capsule 112, as will be described in more detail below.

A proximal portion of each leg 126 (e.g., distal to the locking lug at the proximal end 118) may include a slot 132 sized and shaped to receive a pin 138 of the yoke 110 therein such that the clamp arms 106 engage and align with the yoke 110, as can be seen in fig. 5. Thus, moving the yoke 110 relative to the capsule 112 correspondingly moves the clamp arms 106 relative to the capsule 112 such that the clamp arms 106 are movable between the tissue receiving and tissue clamping configurations via movement of the yoke 110. The slots 132 may be formed as generally oval shaped slots that allow the legs 126 to rotate when moving between the tissue receiving and tissue gripping configurations. Specifically, when the clamp arms 106 are in the closed configuration, each of the oblong slots 132 is angled with respect to a longitudinal axis parallel to the device longitudinal axis, as shown in fig. 5. In the tissue gripping configuration, the oblong slots 132 are angled in opposite directions, with the slots 132 of the lower arm 106 angled upward and the slots 132 of the upper arm angled downward. When clip arms 106 are rotated to the open tissue receiving configuration, slots 132 are rotated about pins 138 such that they are parallel to each other and pins 138 are positioned at the distal ends of both slots 132, as shown in fig. 7.

Yoke 110 shown in fig. 6 extends longitudinally from a proximal end 140 to a distal end 142 and includes a proximal portion 141 configured to connect to the enlarged distal end 116 of control member 114 and a distal portion 143 configured to connect to clamp arm 106. The distal portion 143 includes a pair of distally extending arms 145 having two distal opposing portions 149 configured to receive the pin 138 of the clip 102, the pin 138 passing through a proximal opening in the clip arm 106. The opposing portions 149 are separated at the distal ends by a slot 147 that opens into the pin receiving space 139, which pin receiving space 139 extends between the opposing portions 149. The distal slot 147 has a cross-sectional area (e.g., width) that is less than a cross-sectional area of the pin 138, wherein the opposing portion 149 of the arm 145 is configured to slidably receive the pin 138 within the pin receiving space 139. In an exemplary embodiment, the opposing portions 149 may be biased toward each other such that once the pin 138 is moved into the slot 147, the opposing portions 149 spring back to lock the pin within the pin receiving space 139. In this embodiment, the pin 138 extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the clip 102 and is generally cylindrical. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the pin 138 may have any cross-sectional shape so long as it is sized to releasably lock within the pin receiving space 139. Arms 145 are positioned on the sides of yoke 110 to form a clip receiving space 148 therebetween for receiving proximal ends 108 of clip legs 126, as shown in fig. 8. Specifically, the proximal ends of the clip legs 126 are slightly bent to fit within the clip receiving space 148 between the yoke arms 145, thereby preventing the locking lugs 128 from engaging the capsule 112. The yoke 110 also includes a longitudinal slot 144 extending from a proximal opening 146 at the proximal end 140 of the yoke 110 to a distal portion 150, as seen in fig. 5, the distal portion 150 being sized and shaped to receive the enlarged end 116 of the control member 114. In an exemplary embodiment, the enlarged distal end 114 may be configured to receive a ball within a correspondingly sized and shaped socket of the distal portion 150. In an embodiment, a proximal portion of the slot 144 may taper from the proximal opening 146 to a narrow opening 158 of the distal portion 150. The narrow opening 158 has a cross-sectional area (e.g., diameter) that is less than the cross-sectional area of the distal portion 150 of the slot 144 such that the enlarged end 116 locks within the distal portion 150, thereby coupling the control member 114 to the yoke 110. Thus, longitudinal movement of control member 114 relative to capsule 112 controls movement of clip arms 106 between tissue receiving and tissue clamping configurations.

Returning to fig. 2, capsule 112 extends longitudinally from a proximal end 160 to a distal end 164 and includes a channel 166 extending longitudinally therethrough. The channel 166 is sized and shaped to receive therein the yoke 110 and at least a proximal portion of the clamp arm 106. As described above, the capsule 112 includes a lug or strip 161 at the distal end 164. The strip 161 extends from a first side wall across the distal opening 163 of the capsule 112 to a second, opposite wall. As shown in fig. 7, strip 161 extends through the space between clamp arms 106. Thus, when the arms are pushed distally out of the capsule 112, the curved inner surfaces of the clipping arms 106 slide against the bars 161, thereby forcing the clipping arms 106 towards the tissue receiving configuration. As described above, the capsule 112 includes a locking feature 130 (e.g., a locking window) for engaging the locking lugs 128 of the legs 126 after deployment of the clip 102. In one embodiment, the capsule 112 includes a pair of diametrically opposed windows 130 for engaging the legs. In another embodiment, the pair of opposing windows 130 may be positioned within a first half of the circumference of the capsule 112. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the capsule 112 may include any number of features, such as recesses or windows, for receiving any number of corresponding engagement features of the clamp arms/legs 106.

In this embodiment, the clip assembly includes a catheter 170, a flexible member 172 extending proximally from the catheter 170, and a control member 114 extending longitudinally through the flexible member 172 and the catheter 170. In this embodiment, the proximal end of the flexible member 172 is connected to the handle portion, as described above. Conduit 170 extends longitudinally from a proximal end 174 connected to a flexible member 172 to a distal end 176 configured to releasably couple to capsule 112. The catheter 170 includes engagement features at its distal end that engage with engagement features of the capsule 112. For example, in one embodiment, the engagement feature may be configured as a lug extending laterally outward from the distal end 176 (e.g., extending away from the longitudinal axis of the catheter 170). The lugs of the engagement features are sized and shaped to correspond, for example, to grooves at the proximal end of the capsule, such that the lugs can be received within the grooves via a snap fit. The control member 114 extends from the enlarged distal end 116 through the catheter 170 and the flexible member 172 to the proximal end of the actuator connected to the handle portion. The flexible member 172 may be formed as a coil or wire that is sufficiently flexible to pass through living organisms and even tortuous paths, and in this embodiment is sized and shaped to pass through the working channel of an endoscope or other insertion device. However, the flexible member 172 may be formed of any other suitable flexible structure as long as the flexible member 172 is capable of providing a compressive force sufficient to counteract the tension force exerted on the control member 114 by the clip assembly 102.

The exemplary embodiment describes and illustrates a capsule 112 that abuts against the conduit 170 as the clip assembly moves from tissue receiving to tissue gripping configuration, such that the yoke 110 breaks/disengages from the pin 138 to deploy the clip 102. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the capsule 112 and the conduit 170 may be releasably coupled to one another in any of a variety of ways. For example, in some embodiments, the capsule 112 may be released from the catheter 170 via fracture/detachment of the enlarged distal end 116 from the remainder of the control member 114, thereby deploying the clip 102.

In use, the clip 102 is inserted through the working channel of an endoscope (or any other insertion device) and into the body (e.g., through a natural body cavity) to a location adjacent a target portion of tissue to be clamped. The clip 102 is inserted into the target tissue in an insertion configuration so that it passes through the working channel. Upon reaching the site of the target tissue, clip 102 is pushed out of the distal end of the working channel, and clip arms 106 extend out of capsule 112 to move clip arms 106 to the tissue receiving configuration. Once the target tissue is received between clip arms 106, clip assembly 102 can be moved toward the tissue gripping configuration such that the target tissue is gripped between its distal ends 118. Clip arms 106 are moved toward the tissue gripping configuration by pulling control member 114 proximally relative to capsule 112. Once clip assembly 102 is in the tissue-gripping configuration, control member 114 may be pulled further proximally to lock clip arms 106 relative to capsule 112 and deploy clip 102, as described below.

To deploy the clip assembly 102, the control member 114 is pulled further proximally until the connection between the yoke 110 and the pin 138 is broken. Specifically, when the force applied to the yoke 110 by the control member 114 is greater than a predetermined threshold, the opposing portion 149 yields, thereby disengaging the yoke 110 from the pin 138. Disengagement of the yoke 110 from the pins 138 releases the proximal ends of the legs 126, which are free to move radially away from the central axis such that the locking lugs 128 engage the windows 130 in the capsule 112, as depicted in fig. 9. This engagement acts as a locking mechanism that prevents the clamping arms from disengaging the capsule 112 when the clip 102 is in place. The control member 114 is pulled proximally until the catheter 170 is completely separated from the capsule 112, thereby releasing the clip 102. The catheter 170, yoke 110 and control member 114 can then be removed from the body.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is also to be understood that structural features and methods associated with one of the embodiments may be incorporated into other embodiments. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.