SNAP-ON SURGICAL CLIP CARTRIDGE

A surgical clip cartridge, assembly, and method are provided for the storage, delivery, and loading of clips, such as those used in a surgical ligating process. The surgical clip cartridge includes a base portion extending in a longitudinal direction, the base portion having a bottom surface and defining a mounting groove for attaching the base portion onto a surgical instrument shaft. The base portion further includes a plurality of dividers extending from the base portion in a direction opposite of the bottom surface, and the plurality of dividers may be used to retain individual surgical clips therebetween for subsequent retrieval and loading onto a clip applier. The attachment of the surgical clip cartridge to the surgical instrument shaft enables the surgical clip cartridge to be deployed intracorporeally for use in surgical operations requiring applications of multiple surgical clips.