Non-stick electrosurgical forceps
First Claim
1. Electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
- first and second elongated and spaced-apart electrode arms adapted for conducting electrosurgical current there between during use in an electrosurgery procedure;
said first elongated electrode arm having a tip portion that is spaced apart from a tip portion of said second elongated electrode arm;
said first electrode arm having a first elongated metal core with said tip portion thereof having a first layer of a biocompatible metal with a thermal diffusivity equal to, or greater than, about 3.0×
10−
5 m2/s and with a layer thickness in the range of from about 0.01 to about 0.05-inch; and
said second electrode arm having a second elongated metal core with said tip portion thereof having a second layer of a biocompatible metal with a thermal diffusivity equal to, or greater than, about 3.0×
10−
5 m2/s and with a layer thickness in the range of from about 0.01 to about 0.05-inch.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electrosurgical forceps including two electrodes, each having a tip that is composed of a material that has the characteristics of electrical conductivity, high thermal diffusivity, and biocompatibility. Such characteristics allow the forceps to be used in medical applications to perform electrosurgery with a minimum of sticking to the tissue. These desired characteristics are found with pure silver and pure gold, as well as biocompatible alloys of silver and/or gold that are nearly entirely composed of silver and/or gold. The electrodes may include a thermal reservoir of this material spaced apart from a distal end of the electrode, with the thermal reservoir having a greater cross-sectional area than the distal end.
121 Citations
17 Claims
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1. Electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
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first and second elongated and spaced-apart electrode arms adapted for conducting electrosurgical current there between during use in an electrosurgery procedure;
said first elongated electrode arm having a tip portion that is spaced apart from a tip portion of said second elongated electrode arm;
said first electrode arm having a first elongated metal core with said tip portion thereof having a first layer of a biocompatible metal with a thermal diffusivity equal to, or greater than, about 3.0×
10−
5 m2/s and with a layer thickness in the range of from about 0.01 to about 0.05-inch; and
said second electrode arm having a second elongated metal core with said tip portion thereof having a second layer of a biocompatible metal with a thermal diffusivity equal to, or greater than, about 3.0×
10−
5 m2/s and with a layer thickness in the range of from about 0.01 to about 0.05-inch.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
first and second relatively large thermal reservoirs respectively formed as portions of said first and second layers of biocompatible metal.
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6. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 1 wherein said biocompatible metal is selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold.
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7. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 1 said biocompatible metal has a purity level of at least about 97%.
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8. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 1 wherein said biocompatible metal has a purity level of greater than about 99.95%.
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9. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second elongated metal cores are stainless steel, and wherein said first and second layers of biocompatible metal are selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold.
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10. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 9 wherein a purity level of said biocompatible metal is at least 97%.
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11. The electrosurgical forceps of claim 9 wherein a purity level of said biocompatible metal is greater than 99.95%.
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12. Electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
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first and second elongated and spaced-apart electrode arms adapted for conducting electrosurgical current there between during use in an electrosurgery procedure;
said first elongated electrode arm having a tip portion that is spaced apart from a tip portion of said second elongated electrode arm;
said first electrode arm having a first elongated metal core with said tip portion thereof having a layer of a biocompatible metal with a thermal diffusivity equal to, or greater than, about 3.0×
10−
5 m2/s and with a relatively large layer-thickness that is selected to allow heat generated during an electrosurgical procedure to be quickly dissipated throughout said layer-thickness; and
said second electrode arm having a second elongated metal core with said tip portion thereof having a layer of a biocompatible metal with a thermal diffusivity equal to, or greater than, about 3.0×
10−
5 m2/s and with a relatively large layer-thickness that is selected to allow heat generated during an electrosurgical procedure to be quickly dissipated throughout said layer-thickness.
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13. Electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
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first and second elongated and spaced apart electrode arms adapted for conducting electrosurgical current there between during use in an electro surgery procedure;
said first elongated electrode arm having a tip portion that is spaced apart from a tip portion of said second elongated electrode arm;
said first electrode arm having a first elongated stainless steel core having a tip portion that is coated with a strike layer of gold followed by a layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold that has a layer thickness in the range of from about 0.01 to about 0.05 inch; and
said second electrode arm having a second elongated stainless steel core having a tip portion that is coated with a strike layer of gold followed by a layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold that has a layer thickness in the range of from about 0.01 to about 0.05-inch. - View Dependent Claims (14)
first and second relatively larger thermal reservoirs respectively formed as portions of said layer of said selected metal said first and second electrode arms.
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15. Electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
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first and second spaced apart electrodes;
each of said electrodes including a distal end tip adapted for conducting electrosurgical current during use in an electrosurgery procedure;
each of said electrodes having a thermal reservoir that is integrally formed with said tip of a corresponding electrode;
each of said thermal reservoirs being physically spaced apart from and closely adjacent to said tip of a corresponding electrode;
each of said thermal reservoirs having a greater cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of said tip of a corresponding electrode, to thereby enhance heat flow from each of said tips to a corresponding thermal reservoir, and to thereby reduce a temperature of said tips during an electrosurgery procedure;
each of said tips including a relatively strong metal core that is coated with a biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold; and
each of said thermal reservoirs being composed of a biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold. - View Dependent Claims (16)
each of said tips is composed of a biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold having a purity level at least as high as about 97%.;
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17. Electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
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first and second elongated and spaced apart electrode arms adapted for conducting electrosurgical current there between during use in an electro surgery procedure;
said first elongated electrode arm having a tip portion that is spaced apart from a tip portion of said second elongated electrode arm;
said first electrode arm having a first elongated stainless steel core having a tip portion that is coated with a metallic strike layer followed by a layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold; and
said second electrode arm having a second elongated stainless steel core having a tip portion that is coated with a metallic strike layer followed by a layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of pure silver and pure gold.
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Specification