SURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENT HAVING ELECTRICALLY HEATED CUTTING EDGE

• US 3,768,482 A
• Filed: 10/10/1972
• Issued: 10/30/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert F. Shaw
• Original Assignee: Robert F. Shaw
• Inventors: Shaw, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Medbery, Aldrich F.
• Application Number:
  US05/295,879
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 128/303.1,303.14,303.17 30/14X 219/233X
• US Class Current: 606/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00119 with metal oxide nitride

Abstract

A surgical cutting instrument includes an electrically heated cutting edge and a power supply system for maintaining the cutting edge at a constant high temperature for sterilizing the blade, cutting tissue, and cauterizing the incised tissue to reduce hemorrhage from the cut surfaces of the tissues (hemostasis).

Claims

1. A surgical instrument for cutting tissue with simultaneous hemostasis, the instrument comprising:

insulating support means having a tissue-cutting edge and including thereon an electrically-heatable element of electrically-conductive material disposed on said edge region defining a cutting edge to contact tissue and to conduct electrical current along a plurality of parallel current paths for directly heating the cutting edge in response to electrical signal applied thereto; and

connection means on said instrument providing electrical connections to said element for supplying electrical signal thereto to be conducted along a plurality of parallel current paths.

2. A surgical instrument as in claim 1 wherein said electrically-heatable element includes a substantially continuous conductive layer disposed adjacent the cutting edge;

and said connection means includes a pair of electrodes which are disposed in spaced relationship on opposite sides of said support means and which are connected to said conductive layer on opposite sides of the cutting edge for conducting current along a plurality of parallel current paths oriented substantially laterally across the cutting edge.

3. A surgical instrument as in claim 1 wherein:

said electrodes are disposed on opposite sides of said support means; and

the electrically-heatable element includes a plurality of discrete electrically-heatable elements disposed to traverse the cutting edge of said support means and connected at the ends thereof to electrodes on opposite sides of said support means.

4. A surgical instrument as in claim 1 wherein:

said electrically-heatable element on said support means is formed of electrically-conductive material which has positive-temperature coefficient of resistance; and

said connection means includes a source of substantially constant voltage connected to said pair of electrodes for maintaining the voltage across the element substantially constant as portions of said element contact tissue.