Seal & cut electrosurgical instrument
US6174309A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 11, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jan 16, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 11, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2018/1432
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An electrosurgical instrument has a handle and a body which position and close a jaw about a tissue site for simultaneously cutting and sealing relatively large tissue structures. The jaw includes an electrosurgical cutting member, which may be a blade or wire, against which tissue is biased along a cut line, and a clamping assembly that clamps a region adjacent to or surrounding the cut line. The clamping assembly includes sealing electrodes for heating the region and welding tissue along the side of the cut as the cutter parts the tissue. The clamping assembly preferably has first and second clamping jaws extending in parallel to grip the tissue as tension is released by the cut, allowing dependable and complete sealing of the cut ends over an extended time while the tissue is immobilized. Sealing electrodes formed of thermally conductive material may be covered by a thinner coating or thermally non-impeding or heat transfer cover, which preferably includes a material to assure biocompatibility and prevent sticking. The handle, body and jaw may be configured in the shape of a hemostat to allow simple positioning, or may be configured with an elongated body and a mechanism that op…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.