Electrosurgical bipolar treating apparatus

• US 5,281,216 A
• Filed: 03/31/1992
• Issued: 01/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Valleylab Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Klicek, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US07/860,816
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 606/42, 606/48, 606/50, 606/51
• US Class Current: 606/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery

Abstract

An electrosurgical bipolar treating apparatus comprising a handpiece to which is connected a first active electrode and a second return electrode having exposed distal ends which define a bipolar tip for electrosurgically treating tissue at an operational site on a patient, which tip is structured so that both distal ends simultaneously contact said tissue and wherein the active electrode has a higher tissue to electrode impedance than the return electrode.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical bipolar treating apparatus comprising a handpiece adapted to be connected to a generator which provides high frequency electrical energy for performing an electrosurgical operation, which handpiece has mounted thereon a first active electrode having a proximal end and a distal end and a second return electrode having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of each electrode being connected to the handpiece and the distal end of each electrode being exposed and being close to but spaced apart from the distal end of the other electrode, said exposed distal ends defining a bipolar tip for electrosurgically treating tissue at an operational site on a patient, which tip is structured so that both distal ends simultaneously contact said tissue and wherein the exposed distal end of the active electrode is substantially the same size as the exposed distal end of the return electrode and the exposed distal end of the active electrode is coated with a high impedance material so that the active electrode has a higher tissue to electrode impedance than the return electrode.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 which includes hand-operated switching means mounted on the handpiece for activating said electrodes.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which the electrosurgical operation includes blend and coag and said switching means also includes switches for activating the generator in the blend and coag modalities.