Combination ultrasonic and electrosurgical instrument having electrically insulating features
US10945779B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 1, 2018 |
| Grant date | Mar 16, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 23, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2090/0803
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A surgical instrument includes a shaft, an ultrasonic transducer, a waveguide, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade acoustically coupled with the waveguide, a clamp arm movable relative to the ultrasonic blade, a first RF electrode provided by the clamp arm, and a second RF electrode provided by the ultrasonic blade. The first RF electrode is electrically coupled with a first RF electrical path of the instrument, and the second RF electrode is electrically coupled with a second RF electrical path of the instrument. The RF electrodes are operable to seal tissue with bipolar RF energy. An electrically insulative layer is provided on at least a portion of at least one of the ultrasonic blade, the waveguide, the shaft, or the clamp arm, and is configured to prevent shorting between the first and second RF electrical paths.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.