Electrosurgical instrument
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical instrument including:
- two articulated limbs which can be actuated in the manner of a cutting or clamping tool,electrode parts with coagulation surfaces positioned opposite each other at distal ends of the limbs for gripping tissue and adapted to pass a coagulating current through said tissue to cause its coagulation, at least one electrode part defining one open region adapted as a guide gap for a cutting instrument whereby said one electrode part is divided into at least two areas and said cutting instrument can be applied to clamped tissue for a cutting procedure, andcurrent supply devices for supplying the coagulation current to said electrode parts from a HF generator, and whereinsaid at least two areas of said at least one electrode part define respective separation surfaces that are arranged opposite each other and that taper in the direction of said coagulation surfaces such that a width of said guide gap increases substantially continuously from a portion of said guide gap substantially adjacent to said clamped tissue to a portion of said guide gap most distal from said clamped tissue.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to an electrosurgical instrument comprising two limbs that have an articulated connection and that can be actuated in the manner of a cutting or a clamping tool. The instrument also comprises opposing electrode parts with coagulation surfaces on distal ends of its limbs for holding a vessel or tissue and for passing a current through said vessel or tissue to cause it to coagulate. At least one electrode part has an open region that acts as a guide gap for a cutting instrument, so that the electrode part(s) is/are divided into at least two areas and the cutting instrument can be applied to the clamped vessel or tissue to execute a cutting operation. In addition, current supply devices supply the coagulation current from a high-frequency generator to the electrode parts. The improved configuration of said electrosurgical instrument allows the open region on the electrode part(s) to afford optimal guidance of a cutting instrument, whereby said open region can be easily prepared for additional cutting operations and/ or be subjected to an after-treatment. To achieve this, the two or more open regions of the electrode part(s) comprise respective opposing separation surfaces that taper in the direction of the coagulation surfaces.
115 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An electrosurgical instrument including:
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two articulated limbs which can be actuated in the manner of a cutting or clamping tool, electrode parts with coagulation surfaces positioned opposite each other at distal ends of the limbs for gripping tissue and adapted to pass a coagulating current through said tissue to cause its coagulation, at least one electrode part defining one open region adapted as a guide gap for a cutting instrument whereby said one electrode part is divided into at least two areas and said cutting instrument can be applied to clamped tissue for a cutting procedure, and current supply devices for supplying the coagulation current to said electrode parts from a HF generator, and wherein said at least two areas of said at least one electrode part define respective separation surfaces that are arranged opposite each other and that taper in the direction of said coagulation surfaces such that a width of said guide gap increases substantially continuously from a portion of said guide gap substantially adjacent to said clamped tissue to a portion of said guide gap most distal from said clamped tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An electrosurgical instrument including:
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two articulated limbs which can be actuated in the manner of a cutting or clamping tool, electrode parts with coagulation surfaces positioned opposite each other at distal ends of the limbs for gripping tissue and adapted to pass a coagulating current through said tissue to cause its coagulation, at least one electrode part defining one open region adapted as a guide gap for a cutting instrument whereby said one electrode part is divided into at least two areas and said cutting instrument can be applied to clamped tissue for a cutting procedure, and current supply devices for supplying the coagulation current to said electrode parts from a HF generator, and wherein said at least two areas of said at least one electrode part define respective separation surfaces that are arranged opposite each other and that taper in the direction of said coagulation surfaces such that said guide gap comprises a generally V-shaped portion, said V-shaped portion of said guide gap being narrowest at a location substantially adjacent to said clamped tissue.
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Specification