Flexible circuits for electrosurgical instrument

• US 10,555,769 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon, LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Worrell, Barry C., Yates, David C., Dennis, Joseph D., Davison, Mark A., Strobl, Geoffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Donghai D
• Application Number:
  US15/050,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 29831, 29846, 29874, 600344
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/085 Forceps, scissors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1233 with circuits for assuring patient safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00398 using powered actuators, e.g. stepper motors, solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00077 high, i.e. electrically conducting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00101 low, i.e. thermally insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0013 non-sticking
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00136 with polymer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00345 Vascular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00529 Liver
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00607 Coagulation and cutting with the same instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00613 : Irreversible electroporation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 : Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00654 : with individual control of each of a plurality of energy emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 : using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 : Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00767 : Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00779 : Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00815 : measured by a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 : measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 : Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 : Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00898 : Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00922 : by switching or controlling the treatment energy directly within the hand-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00946 : slidable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00958 : for switching between different working modes of the main function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0097 : Cleaning probe surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 : having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1465 : Deformable electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/147 : Electrodes transferring energy by capacitive coupling, i.e. with a dielectricum between electrode and target tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1495 : Electrodes being detachable from a support structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 : abutting on parts of the device itself
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 : for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 : for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/067 : for measuring angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 : Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 : Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 : the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 : invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 : Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0313 : Organic insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/034 : containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0346 : containing N
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/09 : Use of materials for the conductive, e.g. metallic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0154 : Polyimide
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/05 : Flexible printed circuits [FPCs]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0011 : Working of insulating substrates or insulating layers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/061 : Etching masks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/10 : in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern

Abstract

The disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a flexible circuit electrode assembly and an apparatus manufactured by said method. According to the method, an electrically conductive sheet is laminated to an electrically insulative sheet. An electrode is formed on the electrically conductive sheet. An electrically insulative layer is formed on a tissue contacting surface of the electrode. The individual electrodes are separated from the laminated electrically insulative sheet and the electrically conductive sheet. In another method, a flexible circuit is vacuum formed to create a desired profile. The vacuum formed flexible circuit is trimmed. The trimmed vacuum formed flexible circuit is attached to a jaw member of a clamp jaw assembly.

Claims

1. A flexible circuit electrode formed by a process, comprising:

laminating a flexible electrically conductive sheet to a flexible electrically insulative sheet with adhesive therebetween to produce a flexible laminate;

forming at least one electrode on the flexible electrically conductive sheet, wherein the at least one electrode comprises at least two electrode segments connected by a flexure bearing, and wherein each of the two electrode segments has a tissue contacting surface;

forming at least one electrically insulative layer on the tissue contacting surface of at least one of the two electrode segments, wherein the at least one electrically insulative layer comprises a dielectric, nonstick element; and

separating the at least one electrode from the flexible laminate.

2. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein the flexible electrically conductive sheet is selected from any one of copper, gold plated copper, silver, platinum, stainless steel, or aluminum, or alloys thereof.

3. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein the flexible electrically insulative sheet is selected from any one of polyimide, polyester, fluorocarbon, or any polymeric material, or any combinations thereof.

4. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the at least one electrode on the flexible electrically conductive sheet comprises etching the at least one electrode on the flexible electrically conductive sheet.

5. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 4, wherein etching comprises:

screen printing a protective barrier on the flexible electrically conductive sheet; and

photoetching away any remaining material which does not make up a final shape of the at least one electrode.

6. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 5, wherein the at least one electrically insulative layer further defines the at least one electrode.

7. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrically insulative layer defines at least one electrically insulative element.

8. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 7, wherein the at least one electrically insulative element is configured as a spacer.

9. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the at least one electrically insulative layer comprises printing the dielectric, nonstick element on the at least one of the tissue contacting surfaces of the at least one of the two electrode segments.

10. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the at least one electrically insulative layer comprises bonding the dielectric, nonstick element on the at least one of the tissue contacting surfaces of the at least one of the two electrode segments.

11. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 10, further comprising forming a spacer by etching the dielectric, nonstick element bonded to the at least one of the tissue contacting surfaces of the at least one of the two electrode segments.

12. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the at least one electrically insulative layer comprising the dielectric, nonstick element comprises printing the dielectric, nonstick element on the at least one of the tissue contacting surfaces of the at least one of the two electrode segments.

13. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 12, wherein printing the dielectric, nonstick element comprises printing an annular wall on the at least one of the tissue contacting surfaces of the at least one of the two electrode segments, and wherein the annular wall defines a cavity.

14. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the at least one electrically insulative layer on the at least one of the tissue contacting surfaces of the at least one of the two electrode segments comprises printing the dielectric, nonstick element sized and configured to define a predetermined gap between opposing jaw members of a clamp jaw assembly.

15. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the at least one electrically insulative layer on the at least one tissue contacting surface of the at least one of the two electrode segments comprises printing at least one dielectric, nonstick pattern on the at least one tissue contacting surface of the at least one of the two electrode segments.

16. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein separating the at least one electrode comprises die cutting the at least one electrode from the flexible laminate.

17. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the at least one electrode comprises forming a distal electrode element on a distal end of the at least one electrode.

18. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 17, wherein forming the distal electrode element comprises forming a distal electrode element that is electrically coupled to the at least one electrode.

19. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 17, wherein forming the distal electrode element comprises forming a distal electrode element that is electrically isolated from the at least one electrode.

20. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the least two electrode segments connected by the flexure bearing comprises forming the at least two electrode segments spaced apart laterally relative to the flexure bearing on the at least one electrode.

21. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein forming the least two electrode segments connected by a flexure bearing comprises forming the at least two electrode segments are spaced apart longitudinally relative to the flexure bearing on the at least one electrode.

22. The flexible circuit electrode of claim 1, wherein:

forming at least one electrode on the flexible electrically conductive sheet comprises forming a plurality of electrodes on the flexible electrically conductive sheet; and

forming at least one electrically insulative layer comprising the dielectric, nonstick element on the at least one tissue contacting surface of the least one of the two electrode segments comprises forming the at least one electrically insulative layer comprising the dielectric, nonstick element on at least one of the tissue contacting surfaces of each of the plurality of electrodes.