SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FOR HIGH-FREQUENCY SURGERY

• US 3,685,518 A
• Filed: 07/29/1970
• Issued: 08/22/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herbert Beuerle, Roland Haberlen
• Original Assignee: Herbert Beuerle, Roland Haberlen
• Inventors: Haberlen, Roland, Beuerle, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pace, Channing L.
• Application Number:
  US05/058,826
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 128/303.17,321,322,354
• US Class Current: 606/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps

Abstract

Surgical forceps or a similar instrument to be employed in HF surgery for coagulating tissue by means of HF currents in which at least the terminal parts of the jaws of the instrument which are adapted to clamp the tissue are designed so as to prevent them from overheating the tissue when an HF current is conducted to said instrument.

Claims

1. In a surgical instrument adapted to be used in high-frequency surgery, said instrument having a pair of electrically conductive elongated jaw members with spaced terminals for clamping tissue to be coagulated, said jaw members being connected remote from the terminals to an insulating member, means to connect the jaw members to the output of a high-frequency generator, the improvement which comprises as a means for preventing said tissue from being overheated by said terminals when high-frequency current is conducted to said terminals, said surfaces of said terminals have rounded edges so that, when the tissue is clamped by said terminals at said rounded edges, a high current density is prevented.

2. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1, in which at least the surfaces of said terminals which are adapted to engage with the tissue to be coagulated consist of a material having a higher thermal and electric conductivity than steel.

3. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 2, in which said material consists of a mixture of silver and cadmium oxide.

4. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1, in which at least said surfaces of said terminals consist of a material having a higher thermal and electric conductivity than steel.

5. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 1, in which said edges have a radius of curvature amounting to at least one-tenth of the width of said terminals at points spaced substantially 3 mm from the tips of said terminals.

6. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 2, in which said material consists of silver.

7. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 2, in which said material consists of an alloy of silver with at least one material of the group consisting of gold, copper, palladium, cadmium, and nickel.

8. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 2, in which all of the thermally and electrically conductive parts of said instrument including said surfaces consist of at least one material having a higher thermal and electric conductivity than steel.

9. A surgical instrument as defined in claim 8, in which all of said thermally and electrically conductive parts of said instrument consist of bronze.