Surgical Forceps Capable of Adjusting Seal Plate Width Based on Vessel Size

• US 20110190653A1
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Harper, Jennifer S., Dunne, J. Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,556,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/282 Jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/04 by heating by applying electromagnetic radiation A61B18/18; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields, radiation or ultrasound A61N
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0063 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1465 Deformable electrodes

Abstract

A surgical forceps includes a housing having a shaft attached thereto and an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector assembly includes first and second jaw members having opposed seal plates, each of the seal plates having a width. At least one of the jaw members is moveable from an open position to a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween. A sensing component is configured to determine an output relating to a diameter of tissue or a composition of tissue disposed between the opposed seal plates of the first and second jaw members. An expanding component is configured to expand the width of at least one of the opposed seal plates according to the determined output.

Claims

1. A surgical forceps, the forceps comprising:

a housing having a shaft attached thereto and an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end thereof, the end effector assembly including;

first and second jaw members having opposed seal plates, each having a width, at least one jaw member moveable from an open position to a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween;

a sensing component configured to determine an output relating to a diameter of tissue or a composition of tissue disposed between the opposed seal plates of the first and second jaw members; and

an expanding component configured to expand the width of at least one of the opposed seal plates according to the determined output.

2. The surgical forceps according to claim 1, wherein the sensing component includes a pair of electrodes operably associated with the jaw members, the electrodes configured measure at least one electrical characteristic of tissue disposed between the jaw members, thereby determining the cross-sectional diameter of tissue or the composition of tissue disposed therebetween.

3. The surgical forceps according to claim 2, wherein the electrical characteristic is impedance.

4. The forceps according to claim 1 further comprising a processing component that converts the output into a seal plate width according to user-input data, the processing component communicating with the expanding component such that the expanding component expands the seal plate width according to the width determined by the processing component.

5. The forceps according to claim 1, wherein the expanding component includes a shape memory alloy, the shape memory alloy configured to expand the width of the seal plates when heated and configured to allow the seal plates to return to an un-expanded width when cooled.

6. The forceps according to claim 1, wherein the expanding component includes an expandable substrate disposed within each jaw member, each expandable substrate defining a lumen therethrough for introduction of a fluid therein for expanding the expandable substrate, thereby expanding the respective widths of the seal plates.

7. The forceps according to claim 1, wherein the expanding component includes a gear assembly configured to expand a portion of each jaw member to expand the widths of the seal plates.

8. The forceps according to claim 1, wherein the expanding component includes an expandable scaffold assembly disposed within each jaw member, each expandable scaffold assembly configured to expand to expand the widths of the seal plates.

9. The forceps according to claim 1, further comprising at least one handle that moves the jaw members between the open and closed positions.

10. The forceps according to claim 9, wherein pulling the at least one handle applies a pre-determined seal pressure to seal tissue disposed between the jaw members.

11. A method of sealing tissue, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a forceps including a pair of jaw members having opposed seal plates, at least one jaw member moveable relative to the other from an open to a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween;

determining an output relative to a diameter of tissue or a composition of tissue disposed between the jaw members;

adjusting a width of at least one of the opposed seal plates according to the determined output; and

moving the at least one jaw member from the open to the closed position to apply a seal pressure to seal tissue disposed between the jaw members.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the width of the at least one seal plate is adjusted according to the output and user-input data.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein moving the jaw members from the open to the closed position applies a pre-determined seal pressure to seal tissue disposed between the jaw members.