Surgical clamp
First Claim
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1. A method for clamping tissue, the method comprising:
- positioning a surgical clamp near a target tissue, the surgical clamp including a pair of jaws extending from a shaft, the jaws being in an articulated position wherein the jaws are spaced apart with respect to each other at the shaft and are angled outwardly relative to the shaft;
articulating at least one of the jaws from the articulated position to place the jaws in an opened position wherein the jaws are spaced apart with respect to each other at the shaft and substantially parallel by the application of forces that are, at least in part, external to the surgical clamp, such that the target tissue interposes the substantially parallel jaws; and
clamping the target tissue between the jaws by moving at least one of the jaws relative to the shaft from the opened position such that the jaws close on the target tissue while remaining substantially parallel.
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Abstract
A novel surgical clamp having a pair of jaws, which may be used to ablate or create leisons in tissue. In embodiment, the jaws have an articulated position wherein the jaws are separated and not parallel to one another, an opened position wherein the jaws are separated and substantially parallel to one another, and a closed position wherein the jaws are adjacent and substantially parallel to one another. One or more of the jaws can articulate independent of the other jaw. Other embodiments are described in the attached specification.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for clamping tissue, the method comprising:
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positioning a surgical clamp near a target tissue, the surgical clamp including a pair of jaws extending from a shaft, the jaws being in an articulated position wherein the jaws are spaced apart with respect to each other at the shaft and are angled outwardly relative to the shaft; articulating at least one of the jaws from the articulated position to place the jaws in an opened position wherein the jaws are spaced apart with respect to each other at the shaft and substantially parallel by the application of forces that are, at least in part, external to the surgical clamp, such that the target tissue interposes the substantially parallel jaws; and clamping the target tissue between the jaws by moving at least one of the jaws relative to the shaft from the opened position such that the jaws close on the target tissue while remaining substantially parallel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for ablating tissue, the method comprising:
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engaging a target tissue with a pair of jaws mounted to and extending from a shaft, the pair of jaws being in a non-parallel configuration angled away from each other with respect to the shaft, and the jaws being spaced apart with respect to each other at the shaft during the engaging step; following the engaging step, positioning the jaws substantially parallel to each other by the application of forces that are, at least in part, external to the jaws, with the target tissue between the jaws; following the positioning step, clamping the target tissue with the jaws by moving at least one of the jaws towards the other of the jaws while maintaining the jaws substantially parallel; and ablating at least a portion of the clamped target tissue using at least one of the jaws. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification