Tissue welding and cutting apparatus and method

• US 7,918,848 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC (Getinge AB)
• Original Assignee: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC (Getinge AB)
• Inventors: Escano, Arnold M., Lau, Liming, McQuiston, Jesse, Jarrard, Jerry, Callas, Peter L., Dang, Kenny L., Barkman, Kimberly D., Ho, Sam, Abbott, Ryan C., Lin, Arthur M., Stewart, Michael C., Lamberti, Joseph N., Willis, Geoffrey H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen; Lee S
• Application Number:
  US11/090,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,202 Days
• Field of Search: 606 27- 34, 606205-211
• US Class Current: 606/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/085 Forceps, scissors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00353 one mechanical instrument performing multiple functions, e.g. cutting and grasping channel for multiple instruments A61B2017/3445; instrument channel A61B2017/22072; replaceable heads A61B2017/2931; suction A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00504 Tissue welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2912 transmission of forces to actuating rod or piston
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2936 Pins in guiding slots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2945 Curved jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3445 used as instrument channel for multiple instruments catheters A61B2017/22072
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00089 Thermal conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00607 Coagulation and cutting with the same instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00619 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1432 curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety

Abstract

A surgical apparatus and methods for severing and welding tissue, in particular blood vessels, include a pair of relatively movable jaws at a distal end of an elongated shaft. A first heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a first temperature and form a welded region within the tissue, while a second heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a second temperature and sever the tissue within the welded region. A force-limiting mechanism is provided to limit the pressure applied to the tissue by the jaws to ensure that the tissue is severed and the ends effectively welded within a short amount of time.

Claims

1. A surgical apparatus, comprising:

first and second relatively movable elongated jaws having facing surfaces;

an elongated shaft having a distal end, wherein the first and second relatively movable jaws are attached to the distal end of the elongated shaft;

a heating element disposed on the facing surface of one of the first and second jaws, the heating element operating at a temperature to weld tissue held between the facing surfaces of the jaws;

a control handle connected to the elongated shaft;

a control actuator carried by the control handle for alternatively separating and bringing together the facing surfaces of the elongated jaws; and

a passive filter mounted within the control handle and positioned to intercept gas passing in a proximal direction through a channel in the elongated shaft to passively filter the gas passing therethrough.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongated shaft has at least one port disposed within the control handle, and wherein the passive filter comprises a hollow permeable member arranged around the elongated shaft.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the passive filter comprises a tubular member sealed at both ends of the tubular member around the elongated shaft, the tubular member forming a hollow cavity adjacent the port.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cutting element coupled to one of the jaws for cutting tissue.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the heating element comprises a first portion and a second portion, and the cutting element is located between the first and second portions of the heating element.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cutting element comprises an electrode.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the heating element and the cutting element are secured to the first jaw.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a first distance between the heating element and the facing surface of the second jaw is longer than a second distance between the cutting element and the facing surface of the second jaw.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cutting element is configured to operate at another temperature that is higher than the temperature at which the heating element operates.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the heating element and the cutting element are integrally formed together.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first and the second jaws includes a core and a boot surrounding the core.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element is configured for operating at the temperature to weld a vessel that comprises the tissue.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a cutting element coupled to one of the jaws for cutting the vessel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the heating element comprises a first portion and a second portion, and the cutting element is located between the first and second portions of the heating element.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cutting element comprises an electrode.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the heating element and the cutting element are secured to the first jaw.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a first distance between the heating element and the facing surface of the second jaw is longer than a second distance between the cutting element and the facing surface of the second jaw.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cutting element is configured to operate at another temperature that is higher than the temperature at which the heating element operates.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the heating element and the cutting element are integrally formed together.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a force-limiting mechanism interposed between the control actuator and the jaws adapted to regulate a magnitude of a closing force of the jaws.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control handle is configured for holding by at least a portion of a palm, and the control actuator is configured for engagement by a finger that extends from the palm while the control handle is being held by the portion of the palm.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive filter is located distal to the control actuator.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive filter is configured to produce filtered gas that includes CO₂.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive filter is in fluid communication with an interior space defined by the control handle, wherein the interior space comprises mechanical components coupled to the control actuator.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control handle is configured for holding by at least a portion of an inner surface of a hand that extends from a wrist to base of fingers of the hand.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control handle comprises a housing for containing a plurality of components, the passive filter is located within the housing of the control handle, and filtered gas produced by the passive filter is allowed to pass through spacing that is between the plurality of components within the housing of the control handle.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control actuator comprises a thumb pad.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the thumb pad is moveable along a length of the control handle for alternatively separating and bringing together the facing surfaces of the elongated jaws.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive filter has a housing that is located within the control handle.