Electrosurgical instrument
First Claim
1. A working end of a surgical thermotherapy instrument, comprising:
- first and second jaw members moveable between an open position and a closed position, each jaw defining a jaw body and a jaw surface for engaging tissue;
a first body portion of said at least one jaw comprising a conductive electrode exposed in the jaw surface coupled to a voltage source, the first body portion for providing ohmic heating in engaged tissue; and
a second body portion of at least one jaw comprising a material exposed in the jaw surface having a fixed resistance to electrical flow therethrough, the second body portion for conducting heat from the jaw surface to engaged tissue.
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Accused Products
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 (i) a first surface conductive portion or a variably resistive matrix of a temperature-sensitive resistive material or a pressure-sensitive resistive material, and (ii) a second surface portion coupled to a fixed resistive material that coupled in series or parallel to a voltage source together with the first portion. In use, the engagement plane will apply active Rf energy to ohmically heat the captured tissue until the point in time that a controller senses an electrical parameter of the tissue such as impedance. Thereafter, the controller switches energy delivery to the second surface portion that is resistively heated to thereby apply energy to tissue by conductive heat transfer.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A working end of a surgical thermotherapy instrument, comprising:
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first and second jaw members moveable between an open position and a closed position, each jaw defining a jaw body and a jaw surface for engaging tissue;
a first body portion of said at least one jaw comprising a conductive electrode exposed in the jaw surface coupled to a voltage source, the first body portion for providing ohmic heating in engaged tissue; and
a second body portion of at least one jaw comprising a material exposed in the jaw surface having a fixed resistance to electrical flow therethrough, the second body portion for conducting heat from the jaw surface to engaged tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A working end of a surgical thermotherapy instrument, comprising:
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a working end defining an engagement surface for contacting tissue;
a first body portion of the working end comprising a conductive electrode exposed in the engagement surface coupled to a voltage source, the first body portion for providing ohmic heating in contacted tissue; and
a second body portion of the working end comprising a material exposed in the engagement surface having a fixed resistance to electrical flow therethrough, the second body portion for conducting heat from the engagement surface to contacted tissue. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for controlled thermotherapy of engaged tissue, comprising the steps of:
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providing a working end that defines an engagement surface that contacts tissue, the engagement surface having a first body portion comprising at least one conductor coupled to a voltage source for ohmic heating of tissue and a second body portion of a resistive material coupled to said voltage source for heating the mass of the working end;
engaging tissue with the engagement surface; and
delivering Rf energy to said first body portion to thereby ohmically heat the engaged tissue;
sensing a selected electrical parameter of the engaged tissue with controller system; and
switching energy delivery to the second body portion to thereby conductively heat the engaged tissue. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification