Bipolar medical coagulation instrument
First Claim
1. A bipolar medical instrument, comprising a forceps having two elongated legs each of which constitutes a coagulation electrode having a jaw and a first terminal remote from the jaw, said jaws being movable toward and away from each other and said forceps further comprising a first insulating carrier which insulates said terminals from each other;
- and a coupling device for connecting said first terminals with a source of electrical energy, including a pair of conductors having second terminals and a second insulating carrier which insulates said second terminals from one another, said device being movable with reference to said forceps by hand to and from at least one position in which each of said second terminals abuts one of said first terminals as long as said device continues to be held by hand in said at least one position so that the forceps can be used as a bipolar coagulation instrument only as long as said second terminals abut the respective first terminals because said device is held by hand in said at least one position, one of said insulating carriers defining a socket for the respective terminals and the terminals which are insulated from each other by the other of said carriers extending into said socket in said at least one position of said device, said one carrier having a surface surrounding said socket and having an at least substantially circular cross-sectional outline.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The legs of a forceps constitute two coagulation electrodes each of which has a jaw at one end and a terminal at the other end. The two terminals are electrically insulated from each other and constitute a projection having a spherical or frustoconical portion which can be inserted into a socket at the front end of a pistol-shaped coupling device serving to connect the electrodes with a source of high-frequency energy when the forceps is to be used as a coagulation instrument. The terminals of the legs can be moved into mere abutment with the terminals of conductors which are embedded in the insulating carrier of the coupling device. If the terminals of the coagulation electrodes form a projection with a spherical portion and a smaller-diameter cylindrical portion, the coupling device can be caused to swivel with reference to the forceps through angles of up to 40 degrees from a position in which the axis of the conical or frustoconical internal surface bounding the socket coincides with the axis of the cylindrical portion. The absence of the need for a positive connection between the terminals of the coagulation electrodes and the terminals of the conductors renders it possible to abruptly shift from utilization of the forceps as a separate mechanical instrument to utilization of the forceps as a part of a coagulation instrument or vice versa without any changes in the position of the forceps relative to the body of a patient.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A bipolar medical instrument, comprising a forceps having two elongated legs each of which constitutes a coagulation electrode having a jaw and a first terminal remote from the jaw, said jaws being movable toward and away from each other and said forceps further comprising a first insulating carrier which insulates said terminals from each other;
- and a coupling device for connecting said first terminals with a source of electrical energy, including a pair of conductors having second terminals and a second insulating carrier which insulates said second terminals from one another, said device being movable with reference to said forceps by hand to and from at least one position in which each of said second terminals abuts one of said first terminals as long as said device continues to be held by hand in said at least one position so that the forceps can be used as a bipolar coagulation instrument only as long as said second terminals abut the respective first terminals because said device is held by hand in said at least one position, one of said insulating carriers defining a socket for the respective terminals and the terminals which are insulated from each other by the other of said carriers extending into said socket in said at least one position of said device, said one carrier having a surface surrounding said socket and having an at least substantially circular cross-sectional outline.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
Specification