ELECTROSURGICAL TISSUE SEALER AND CUTTER
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument comprises an end effector including a pair of jaw members configured to move with respect to one another between an open configuration and a closed configuration for clamping tissue. At least one jaw member includes an elongate cam slot extending in a longitudinal direction over a substantial a length a tissue clamping surface of the at least one jaw member. A plurality of electrically isolated, and longitudinally spaced electrodes is supported by the tissue clamping surface and is configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue. A reciprocating member engages the elongate cam slot and is extendable to a sealing position with respect to each of the electrodes to define a predetermined gap distance between a particular electrode and an opposing tissue clamping surface.
23 Citations
39 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A surgical instrument, comprising:
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an end effector including a pair of jaw members having opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one of the jaw members configured to move with respect to the other jaw member from an open configuration for receiving tissue and a closed configuration for clamping tissue between the opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one jaw member defining a knife channel extending longitudinally along a length of the tissue clamping surface, the knife channel including a blade slot and an elongated cam slot, the blade slot extending between the tissue clamping surfaces and the elongated cam slot; a plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes supported by at least one of the tissue clamping surfaces of one of the jaw members, each of the plurality of electrically insulated electrodes spaced along at least one respective tissue clamping surface and configured to selectively deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue; and a reciprocating member selectively extendable through the elongated cam slot to a distal end thereof to cam the jaw members to the closed configuration, each of the plurality of electrodes independently activatable as the reciprocating member extends through the elongated cam slot. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A surgical instrument comprising:
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an end effector including a pair of jaw members having opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one of the jaw members configured to move with respect to the other jaw member from an open configuration for receiving tissue and a closed configuration for clamping tissue between the opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one of the jaw members defining a knife channel formed therein, the knife channel including a blade slot and an elongated cam slot, the blade slot extending between the one of the opposing tissue clamping surfaces and the elongated cam slot; a plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes supported by at least one of the tissue clamping surfaces of one of the jaw members, each of the plurality of electrically isolated electrodes spaced along at least one respective clamping surface and configured to deliver electrosurgical energy the tissue; and a reciprocating member including a blade, the reciprocating member selectively extendable through the elongated cam slot to a distal end thereof to cam the jaw members to the closed configuration, each of the plurality of electrodes activatable at a sealing position as the reciprocating member extends through the elongated cam slot.
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Specification