Empty clip cartridge lockout
A surgical device for clipping tissue can include a replaceable cartridge comprising a stack of clips contained therein and a firing drive configured to reciprocatingly eject, or deploy, the clips from the cartridge. Aft…
Original patent title: “Empty clip cartridge lockout”
What this patent covers
The actual claim
A surgical device for clipping tissue can include a replaceable cartridge comprising a stack of clips contained therein and a firing drive configured to reciprocatingly eject, or deploy, the clips from the cartridge. After the clips have been deployed from the cartridge, a blocking member can be positioned to impede or block the firing drive. In at least one embodiment, the cartridge can include a biasing member configured to bias the blocking member into a firing chamber defined in the cartridge and/or surgical device. The surgical device can also include a crimping drive configured to deform a clip after it has been ejected from the cartridge. The blocking member can also be configured to impede or block the crimping drive after all of the clips from the cartridge have been used.
What this patent does NOT cover
The boundaries
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
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Patent Abstract
Patent abstract
A surgical device for clipping tissue can include a replaceable cartridge comprising a stack of clips contained therein and a firing drive configured to reciprocatingly eject, or deploy, the clips from the cartridge. After the clips have been deployed from the cartridge, a blocking member can be positioned to impede or block the firing drive. In at least one embodiment, the cartridge can include a biasing member configured to bias the blocking member into a firing chamber defined in the cartridge and/or surgical device. The surgical device can also include a crimping drive configured to deform a clip after it has been ejected from the cartridge. The blocking member can also be configured to impede or block the crimping drive after all of the clips from the cartridge have been used.
Patent Journey
From filing to today
Patent Filed
2016
Patent Granted
2023 · 7yr after filing
Highly Cited
9,416 patents cite this
Active Today
2026
Expires
2036
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claims
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assignee
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Citations
Patent lineage
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