US 12,661,175 B2 · Medical device with a bilateral jaw configuration for nerve stimulation

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for a single surgical instrument configured to grasp, seal, and/or cut tissue through application of therapeutic energy, and also detect nerves through application of non-therapeutic electrical energy. A medical device may include two jaws at an end effector, used to apply therapeutic energy and to perform surgical procedures. The therapeutic energy may be in the form of ultrasonic vibrations or higher voltage electrosurgical energy. One of the jaws may be configured to cut tissue through application of the blade. In addition, one or both of the two jaws may be configured to apply nontherapeutic energy for nerve stimulation probing. The application of therapeutic energy may be disabled while the nontherapeutic nerve stimulation energy is applied, and vice versa. The nontherapeutic nerve stimulation energy may be applied to the use of one or more probes positioned near one or both of the jaws.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of operating a surgical instrument, the method comprising:

moving (i) a first jaw coupled to a distal end of a first jaw arm and (ii) a second jaw coupled to a distal end of a second jaw arm of the surgical instrument from an open configuration to a closed configuration to capture tissue positioned between the first jaw and the second jaw, wherein a proximal end of the first jaw arm is coupled to a first jaw handle and a proximal end of the second jaw arm is coupled to a second jaw handle, and wherein moving the first and second jaws comprises rotating each of the first and second jaws about a pivot joint located between the respective distal and proximal ends;
energizing an electrode of the surgical instrument to deliver a first energy to tissue positioned between the first jaw and the second jaw;
moving a probe of the surgical instrument from a retracted configuration in which the probe is retracted into a housing of the first jaw arm or a housing of the second jaw arm to an extended configuration;
and
energizing the probe to deliver a second energy to the tissue.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Medical device with a bilateral jaw configuration for nerve stimulation

Life of this patent

Medical device with a bilateral jaw configuration for nerve stimulation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19