Controlled optical properties vitreous enamel composition for electrosurgical tool
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsXiaoming Cheng, William X. Siopes, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vitreous enamel coating for an electrosurgical metal cutting blade, in which incident light striking the vitreous enamel coating is diffusely reflected or absorbed, and the vitreous enamel coating exhibits a 60° gloss value less than 100 gloss units as measured according to ASTM D523-14, Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss. The coating reduces glare from light sources such as a nearby plasma-mediated discharge, operating theater lights or lights provided on an electrosurgery apparatus. The coating may also lessen interference with markers, sensors or other instruments designed to measure light emitted by or passing through nearby tissue such as by transillumination.
Claims19
An article comprising:
- (a) an electrosurgical cutting blade comprising a metal electrode, and
- (b) a visible vitreous enamel coating on at least a portion of the metal electrode,
- wherein incident light striking the vitreous enamel coating is diffusely reflected or absorbed, and the vitreous enamel coating exhibits a 60° gloss value less than 100 gloss units as measured according to ASTM D523-14, Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss, wherein the vitreous enamel coating contains crystallites in an amount that cause the coating to absorb or scatter incident light.
An article comprising:
- (a) an electrosurgical cutting blade comprising a metal electrode, and
- (b) a visible vitreous enamel coating on at least a portion of the metal electrode,
- wherein incident light striking the vitreous enamel coating is diffusely reflected or absorbed, and the vitreous enamel coating exhibits a 60° gloss value less than 100 gloss units as measured according to ASTM D523-14, Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss, and wherein a visible outer surface of the vitreous enamel coating is etched or otherwise roughened to cause the coating to not specularly reflect incident light.
An article comprising:
- (a) an electrosurgical cutting blade comprising a metal electrode, and
- (b) a visible vitreous enamel coating on at least a portion of the metal electrode,
- wherein incident light striking the vitreous enamel coating is diffusely reflected or absorbed, and the vitreous enamel coating exhibits a 60° gloss value less than 100 gloss units as measured according to ASTM D523-14, Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss, and wherein the vitreous enamel coating contains sufficient refractive inorganic pigment to cause the coating to absorb or scatter incident light, wherein the inorganic pigment is more refractive than the vitreous enamel coating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.