Electrosurgical jaw structure for controlled energy delivery
US7186253B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 29, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 6, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 29, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2018/00809
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A working end of a surgical instrument that carries first and second jaws for delivering energy to tissue. In a preferred embodiment, at least one jaw of the working end defines a tissue-engagement plane that contacts the targeted tissue. The cross-section of the engagement plane reveals that it defines a surface conductive portion that overlies a variably resistive matrix of a temperature-sensitive resistive material or a pressure-sensitive resistive material. An interior of the jaw carries a conductive material or electrode that is coupled to an Rf source and controller. In an exemplary embodiment, the variably resistive matrix can comprise a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material, such as a ceramic, that is engineered to exhibit a dramatically increasing resistance (i.e., several orders of magnitude) above a specific temperature of the material.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.