US 10,555,769 B2 · Flexible circuits for electrosurgical instrument

Abstract

The disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a flexible circuit electrode assembly and an apparatus manufactured by said method. According to the method, an electrically conductive sheet is laminated to an electrically insulative sheet. An electrode is formed on the electrically conductive sheet. An electrically insulative layer is formed on a tissue contacting surface of the electrode. The individual electrodes are separated from the laminated electrically insulative sheet and the electrically conductive sheet. In another method, a flexible circuit is vacuum formed to create a desired profile. The vacuum formed flexible circuit is trimmed. The trimmed vacuum formed flexible circuit is attached to a jaw member of a clamp jaw assembly.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A flexible circuit electrode formed by a process, comprising:

laminating a flexible electrically conductive sheet to a flexible electrically insulative sheet with adhesive therebetween to produce a flexible laminate;
forming at least one electrode on the flexible electrically conductive sheet, wherein the at least one electrode comprises at least two electrode segments connected by a flexure bearing, and wherein each of the two electrode segments has a tissue contacting surface;
forming at least one electrically insulative layer on the tissue contacting surface of at least one of the two electrode segments, wherein the at least one electrically insulative layer comprises a dielectric, nonstick element;
and
separating the at least one electrode from the flexible laminate.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flexible circuits for electrosurgical instrument

Life of this patent

Flexible circuits for electrosurgical instrument

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22