Surgical clip for clamping small blood vessels in brain surgery and the like

A miniature surgical clip made of a single continuous length of spring material comprising, in combination, first and second operating members arranged at an acute angle with respect to one another connected together at a common apex, the first operating member having an inwardly bent base leg which defines a guide element and a first jaw member which extends from the base leg in a direction away from the common apex. The second operating member includes a portion defining a second jaw member which extends adjacent to and beyond the guide element in a direction away from the common apex and substantially parallel to the first jaw member to form cooperating jaws which are straight and parallel. The second jaw member includes an additional portion which is sharply bent back along the second jaw member and slidingly grasps the guide element between the second jaw member and the additional portion, whereby the operating members are outwardly sprung with respect to one another for biasing the first and second jaw members resiliently into clamping engagement such that when a mutually inward force is applied to the operating members, the first and second jaw members are spread apart for engagement of a blood vessel between them, and such that, when the mutually inward force is released, the second jaw member is guided by the guide element towards the first jaw member and into directly opposed clamping engagement with the blood vessel.