Electrosurgical instrument with replaceable cartridge

• US 20050159745A1
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: SurgRx, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Baker, James, Truckai, Csaba, Shadduck, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,632,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2945 Curved jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00619 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00755 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1432 curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1495 Electrodes being detachable from a support structure

Abstract

Various embodiments provide an electrosurgical instrument with a disposable electrosurgical cartridge. In one embodiment, the cartridge has first and second energy-delivery surfaces that carry first and second opposing polarity conductors coupled to a voltage source, together with first and second temperature-responsive variable impedance bodies exposed partly in the respective-delivery surfaces. The cartridge further carries a slidable blade member. The temperature-responsive variable impedance bodies are coupled to the voltage source by series and parallel circuitry. In use, the variable impedance bodies are adapted to modulate current flow and ohmic heating in engaged tissue by providing controlled current paths in the tissue and through the variable impedance bodies as the temperature-responsive bodies sense the temperature of adjacent engaged tissue. The engagement surfaces are capable of highly localized modulation of Rf energy application to engaged tissue to provide high and low temperatures, voltage and current in the tissue to create high strength welds.

Claims

1. A removable assembly for use with electrosurgical forceps having a pair of opposing jaw portions, the assembly comprising:

a housing;

a pair of electrosurgical energy-delivery elements coupled to the housing, the energy-delivery elements having opposing tissue-engagement surfaces that are removably engageable with the pair of opposing jaw portions to provide tissue-engagement surfaces in opposing relation to one another; and

a slidable blade member carried by the housing for slidable actuation relative to the energy delivery elements.

2. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein at least one energy-delivery element is coupled to the housing with a flexible structure.

3. A removable assembly as in claim 2, wherein the flexible structure comprises a polymer.

4. A removable assembly as in claim 1, further comprising a connector for coupling at least one energy-delivery element to a voltage source.

5. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein at least one energy-delivery element has an engagement surface carrying an electrode for ohmic heating of engaged tissue.

6. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein at least one energy-delivery element has an engagement surface carrying a temperature-responsive variable resistive body for responding to the temperature of engaged tissue.

7. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein each energy-delivery element has an engagement surface carrying an electrode for ohmic heating of engaged tissue.

8. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein each energy-delivery element has an engagement surface carrying a temperature-responsive variable resistive body for responding to the temperature of engaged tissue.

9. A removable assembly as in either claim 6 or 8, wherein the temperature-responsive variable resistive body comprises a composition having a positive temperature coefficient of resistance or a composition having negative temperature coefficient of resistance.

10. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein an energy-delivery element has an engagement surface carrying a temperature-responsive variable resistive body and at least one electrode.

11. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein an energy-delivery element has an engagement surface carrying a temperature-responsive variable resistive body and opposing polarity electrodes.

12. A removable assembly as in claim 11, wherein the engagement surface carries the temperature-responsive variable resistive body intermediate the opposing polarity electrodes.

13. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein the blade member is flexible.

14. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein the blade member has a distally-facing sharp edge.

15. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein the blade member has a proximally-facing sharp edge.

16. A removable assembly as in claim 1, wherein at least one energy-delivery element has a channel for slidably receiving the blade member.

17. An electrosurgical assembly for detachable coupling with opposing jaws of a surgical instrument, the assembly comprising:

a body carrying first and second energy-delivery elements for engaging tissue;

a first polarity electrode exposed in a surface portion of the first energy-delivery element for causing ohmic heating in engaged tissue; and

a temperature-responsive variable resistive body exposed in a surface portion of the second energy-delivery element for modulating energy delivery to adjacent ohmically heated tissue responsive to the temperature of the heated tissue.

18. An electrosurgical assembly as in claim 17, further comprising a second polarity electrode in an interior of the temperature-responsive variable resistive body of the second energy-delivery element.

19. An electrosurgical assembly as in claim 17, further comprising a second polarity electrode exposed in a surface portion of the second energy-delivery element.

20. An electrosurgical assembly as in claim 17, further comprising a temperature-responsive variable resistive body exposed in a surface portion of the first energy-delivery element.

21. An electrosurgical assembly as in claim 20, further comprising a second polarity electrode exposed in a surface portion of the first energy-delivery element.

22. An electrosurgical assembly as in claim 21, wherein the first and second polarity electrodes of the first energy-delivery element are separated by the temperature-responsive variable resistive body.

23. An electrosurgical assembly as in claim 17, further comprising a channel within a surface of at least one of the first or the second energy-delivery elements, the channel configured to receive a slidable blade member.

24. An electrosurgical assembly as in claim 17, further comprising a connector means coupled to the body, the connector means configured to couple the first and second energy-delivery elements to a voltage source.

25. An electrosurgical cartridge assembly for removable coupling with a surgical instrument having a pair of opposing jaw portions, the assembly comprising:

a cartridge body having an energy-delivery surface for engaging tissue;

at least one electrode exposed in a first portion of the energy-delivery surface for causing ohmic heating in engaged tissue; and

a temperature-responsive variable resistive body exposed in a second portion of the energy-delivery surface for modulating energy density in adjacent ohmically heated tissue responsive to the temperature of the heated tissue.

26. A removable assembly for use with electrosurgical forceps having a pair of opposing jaw portions, the assembly comprising:

a housing means;

a pair of electrosurgical energy-delivery elements coupled to the housing means, the energy-delivery elements having opposing tissue-engagement surfaces that are removably engageable with the pair of opposing jaw portions to provide tissue-engagement surfaces in opposing relation to one another; and

a slidable cutting means carried by the housing means.