THERMAL CAUTERY SURGICAL FORCEPS
First Claim
1. A thermocautery surgical forceps comprising:
- a surgical forceps body including a pair of elongate tine members extending from the forceps body to respective free end tip portions spaced from the forceps body, the tine members being mounted to the forceps body in a manner providing resilient compressible movement of the tine members between a normally open position wherein the tines are disposed in aligned, parallel, spaced-apart relationship and a squeezed closed position wherein the tip portions of the tine members are disposed in confronting abutting relationship;
power source leads configured to be electrically connectable to a power supply;
at least one of said tip portions of one of the tine members comprising a heater element connected to the power source leads and said heater element having a flat, gripping and heating surface defined on an inner facing surface of said at least one tip portion opposite the other of said tip portions; and
the tine members configured to be squeezed together toward their squeezed closed position to grippingly, squeezably engage tissue to be cauterized or a blood vessel to be sealed between the flat gripping and heating surface of said heater element and the opposed tip portion of the other tine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable, thermal cauterizing forceps device for use in surgery. The device incorporates a pair of ceramic heater elements mounted within the tips of the tines of a forceps. The forceps is used to grasp tissue or blood vessels and apply heat to effect cauterization. In the case of the first embodiment of the invention, the forceps instrument incorporates a battery and control electronics. The thermal-forceps is of a self-contained wireless, handheld disposable design. In a second embodiment of the invention, the forceps handpiece is connected to an external power source. Both embodiments of the forceps incorporate set of rapidly heating ceramic heater elements that may be composed of silicon nitride. An LED provides the operator feedback as to the operating level of the heaters and/or battery reserve. Enhancements to the second embodiment include a rechargeable power supply, variable control of the heater temperature, as well as a, digital display of the tip temperature.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A thermocautery surgical forceps comprising:
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a surgical forceps body including a pair of elongate tine members extending from the forceps body to respective free end tip portions spaced from the forceps body, the tine members being mounted to the forceps body in a manner providing resilient compressible movement of the tine members between a normally open position wherein the tines are disposed in aligned, parallel, spaced-apart relationship and a squeezed closed position wherein the tip portions of the tine members are disposed in confronting abutting relationship; power source leads configured to be electrically connectable to a power supply;
at least one of said tip portions of one of the tine members comprising a heater element connected to the power source leads and said heater element having a flat, gripping and heating surface defined on an inner facing surface of said at least one tip portion opposite the other of said tip portions; andthe tine members configured to be squeezed together toward their squeezed closed position to grippingly, squeezably engage tissue to be cauterized or a blood vessel to be sealed between the flat gripping and heating surface of said heater element and the opposed tip portion of the other tine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for thermocauterizing tissue, comprising the steps of:
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squeezably grippingly engaging tissue to be cauterized or a blood vessel to be sealed between tip portions of a thermocautery surgical forceps including a pair of spaced and opposed tine members each having tip portions, each tip portion including a heater element with a flat gripping and heating surface; and activating the heater elements to heat the flat gripping and heating surfaces thereof to tissue cauterizing or blood vessel sealing temperature and thereby applying substantially uniform pressure and heat to a tissue gripped between the gripping and heating surfaces.
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13. In a thermocautery device, the improvement comprising:
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a pair of elongate tine members having respective free end tip portions, the tine members providing resilient compressible movement of the tine members between a normally open position wherein the tines are disposed in a spaced-apart relationship and a squeezed closed position wherein the tip portions of the tine members are disposed in confronting abutting relationship; power source leads configured to be electrically connectable to a power supply; and at least one of said tip portions of the tine members comprising a heater element connected to the power source leads and said heater element including a flat, gripping surface. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification