Electro-surgical forceps having fully plated tines and process for manufacturing same
First Claim
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1. An electro-surgical forceps comprising:
- an insulated cap portion;
at least one terminal extending from and fixed to the cap portion; and
a pair of tines, each tine being generally elongated and having a tip and an opposite end fixed within the cap portion, at least one of the pair of tines electrically connected to the at least one terminal within the cap portion and further comprising;
a core comprising a metal layer formed of stainless steel, nickel or titanium, and an outer plating covering the core, comprising a material having a thermal conductivity or an electrical conductivity greater than the core, and wherein the outer plating covers substantially all of the core from the tip to the opposite end.
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Abstract
An electro-surgical forceps has a pair of tines. At least one of the tines has an inner core of a metal such as stainless steel, nickel, or titanium, and an outer plating of a material having a thermal conductivity and preferably also an electrical conductivity greater than the core material. The outer plating covers all or substantially all of the tine. The outer plating is suitably formed by an electroplating process.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An electro-surgical forceps comprising:
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an insulated cap portion;
at least one terminal extending from and fixed to the cap portion; and
a pair of tines, each tine being generally elongated and having a tip and an opposite end fixed within the cap portion, at least one of the pair of tines electrically connected to the at least one terminal within the cap portion and further comprising;
a core comprising a metal layer formed of stainless steel, nickel or titanium, and an outer plating covering the core, comprising a material having a thermal conductivity or an electrical conductivity greater than the core, and wherein the outer plating covers substantially all of the core from the tip to the opposite end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
forming a strip of metal into the pair of tines;
plating the at least one tine with the outer plating to cover the entire surface of the at least one tine; and
mounting the pair of tines and the at least one terminal to the insulated cap portion.
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12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plating step comprises electroplating the at least one tine.
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13. The method of claim 11, wherein the electroplating step comprises disposing the at least one tine in an electrolyte solution and applying a current between an anode and the strip, the strip comprising a cathode.
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14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one terminal is attached to the at least one tine prior to the plating step, and the at least one terminal is masked during the plating step.
Specification