Flexible boot with active electrode monitoring shield for flexible-wristed surgical devices
AssigneeEncision, Inc.
InventorsGregory Jude Trudel, Michael John Biggs, David W. Newton, Philip Schreiber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A boot for an electrosurgical instrument has a conductive boot shield substantially enclosed by one or more insulating layers. The boot shield has a flexible conductive medium. The flexible conductive medium has a plurality of conductive components suspended in at least one of a first liquid or a first gel, whereby the boot is configured to bend with a bend radius of about 10 millimeters or less without a loss in conductivity of the boot shield. A related method and system are also provided.
Claims20
A method of retrofitting an electrosurgical instrument, comprising:
- providing a boot, the boot having a conductive boot shield substantially enclosed by one or more insulating layers, wherein the conductive boot shield has a flexible conductive medium, the flexible conductive medium having a plurality of conductive components suspended therein, whereby the boot is configured to bend with a bend radius of about 10 millimeters or less without a loss in conductivity of the conductive boot shield;
- placing the boot on an electrosurgical instrument, comprising placing the boot over a portion of a shaft of the electrosurgical instrument and a portion of an active element of the electrosurgical instrument;
- electrically coupling the conductive boot shield to a monitor system;
- and
- bending the active element relative to the shaft without causing the conductive boot shield to lose conductivity.
A method for reducing unintentional energy transfer, comprising:
- providing an electrosurgical tool, the electrosurgical tool comprising an electrosurgical active element and a shaft;
- coupling the electrosurgical active element to the shaft using an active wrist or linkage;
- forming a flexible boot about the active wrist or linkage, wherein the flexible boot comprises:
- a first insulating layer;
- a second insulating layer positioned exterior of the first insulating layer;
- a boot shield at least partially positioned between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, wherein the first insulating layer is shaped and positioned to separate the boot shield from active current traveling through the electrosurgical tool, and wherein the second insulating layer is shaped and positioned to separate the boot shield from tissue, the boot shield comprising a highly conductive medium;
- providing a conductive element, wherein the conductive element comprises a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion coupled to an end effector and configured to couple to the shaft;
- and
- coupling, using the conductive element, the boot shield to a monitor to allow stray energy to couple to the boot shield as a byproduct of a conductive pathway comprising the highly conductive medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.