Electrosurgical tissue sealer and cutter
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
- an end effector including a pair of jaw members having opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one of the jaw members configured to move with respect to the other jaw member from an open configuration for receiving tissue and a closed configuration for clamping tissue between the opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one jaw member defining an elongated cam slot;
a reciprocating member advanceable through a plurality of sequential sealing positions through the elongated cam slot to a distal end thereof to cam the pair of jaw members to the closed configuration, wherein advancement of the reciprocating member is configured to be interrupted at each of the plurality of sequential sealing positions, wherein the reciprocating member includes a blade for transecting tissue and a cam driver configured to engage the elongated cam slot and the blade is disposed proximal of the cam driver; and
a plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes supported by at least one of the tissue clamping surfaces of one of the pair of jaw members, each of the plurality of electrically insulated electrodes spaced along at least one respective tissue clamping surface and configured to selectively deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue, wherein the blade is disposed sufficiently proximal relative to the cam driver such that when the reciprocating member is in each of the plurality of sequential sealing positions, the blade is disposed proximal one of the electrically isolated electrodes of the plurality of electrically insulated electrodes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument comprises an end effector including a pair of jaw members configured to move with respect to one another between an open configuration and a closed configuration for clamping tissue. At least one jaw member includes an elongate cam slot extending in a longitudinal direction over a substantial a length a tissue clamping surface of the at least one jaw member. A plurality of electrically isolated, and longitudinally spaced electrodes is supported by the tissue clamping surface and is configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue. A reciprocating member engages the elongate cam slot and is extendable to a sealing position with respect to each of the electrodes to define a predetermined gap distance between a particular electrode and an opposing tissue clamping surface.
258 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector including a pair of jaw members having opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one of the jaw members configured to move with respect to the other jaw member from an open configuration for receiving tissue and a closed configuration for clamping tissue between the opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one jaw member defining an elongated cam slot; a reciprocating member advanceable through a plurality of sequential sealing positions through the elongated cam slot to a distal end thereof to cam the pair of jaw members to the closed configuration, wherein advancement of the reciprocating member is configured to be interrupted at each of the plurality of sequential sealing positions, wherein the reciprocating member includes a blade for transecting tissue and a cam driver configured to engage the elongated cam slot and the blade is disposed proximal of the cam driver; and a plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes supported by at least one of the tissue clamping surfaces of one of the pair of jaw members, each of the plurality of electrically insulated electrodes spaced along at least one respective tissue clamping surface and configured to selectively deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue, wherein the blade is disposed sufficiently proximal relative to the cam driver such that when the reciprocating member is in each of the plurality of sequential sealing positions, the blade is disposed proximal one of the electrically isolated electrodes of the plurality of electrically insulated electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector including a pair of jaw members having opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one of the jaw members configured to move with respect to the other jaw member from an open configuration for receiving tissue and a closed configuration for clamping tissue between the opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one jaw member defining an elongated cam slot; a reciprocating member advanceable through a plurality of sequential sealing positions through the elongated cam slot to a distal end thereof to cam the pair of jaw members to the closed configuration, wherein advancement of the reciprocating member is configured to be interrupted at each of the plurality of sequential sealing positions, wherein the reciprocating member includes a blade for transecting tissue and a cam driver configured to engage the elongated cam slot and the blade is disposed proximal of the cam driver; and a plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes supported by at least one of the tissue clamping surfaces of one of the pair of jaw members, each of the plurality of electrically insulated electrodes spaced along at least one respective tissue clamping surface and configured to selectively deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue, wherein the plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes includes a plurality of electrode sets, each electrode set including at least two electrically isolated electrodes of opposite polarity supported on respective opposing tissue clamping surfaces such that the electrically isolated electrodes of opposite polarity cooperate to induce electrosurgical current flow through tissue positioned between the tissue clamping surfaces.
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Specification