Bonding of soft biological tissues by passing high frequency electric current therethrough

Apparatus for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising:

• forceps adapted to grip a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision;
• electrodes adapted to contact said tissue portion;
• an electrical power source for providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• clamping means for applying force with said forceps to compress said tissue portion, said force being set to different levels in two time periods, respectively, while said high frequency electrical signal is being passed through said tissue portion.

Apparatus for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising:

• forceps adapted to grip a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision;
• electrodes adapted to contact said tissue portion;
• an electrical power source for providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• control means for providing a constant voltage level of said signal during at least a portion of a time period when said high frequency electrical energy is passed through said tissue portion, and for modulating said constant level by a low frequency signal.

Apparatus for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising:

• forceps adapted to grip a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision;
• electrodes secured to said forceps for contacting said tissue portion;
• an electrical power source for providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• wherein said electrodes are dimensioned relative to size of said tissue portion to be an effective heat sink for conducting heat away from said tissue and thereby prevent sticking of tissue to said electrodes.

Apparatus for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising:

• forceps adapted to grip a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision;
• electrodes adapted to contact said tissue portion;
• an electrical power source for providing an electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• means for predetermining impedance variation in said tissue portion as a function of time while said electrical signal passes through said tissue portion, and to provide a preselected impedance value;
• means for measuring impedance of said tissue portion to provide a measured impedance signal as a function of time while said electrical signal passes through said tissue portion;
• and
• means for stopping said electrical signal from being passed through said tissue portion when a value of the measured impedance signal reaches a preset impedance value relative to said preselected impedance value, said preselected impedance value being specific in particular to the biological tissue being bonded.

A method for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising the steps of:

• gripping a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision with forceps;
• contacting said tissue portion with electrodes;
• providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• providing said electrodes with one voltage signal during a first of two stages, and another voltage signal during a second of said two stages.

A method for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising the steps of:

• gripping a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision with forceps;
• contacting said tissue portion with electrodes;
• providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• applying force with said forceps to compress said tissue portion, said force being set to different levels in two time periods, respectively, while said high frequency electrical signal is being passed through said tissue portion.

A method for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising the steps of:

• gripping a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision with forceps;
• contacting said tissue portion with electrodes;
• providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• providing a constant voltage level of said signal during at least a portion of a time period when said high frequency electrical energy is passed through said tissue portion, and modulating said constant level by a low frequency signal.

A method for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising the steps of:

• gripping a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision with forceps;
• contacting said tissue portion with electrodes;
• providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• dimensioning said electrodes relative to size of said tissue portion to be an effective heat sink for conducting heat away from said tissue and thereby prevent sticking of tissue to said electrodes.

A method for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising the steps of:

• gripping a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision with forceps;
• contacting said tissue portion with electrodes;
• providing an electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• predetermining impedance variation in said tissue portion as a function of time while said electrical signal passes through said tissue portion, and providing a preselected impedance value;
• measuring impedance of said tissue portion to provide a measured impedance signal as a function of time while said electrical signal passes through said tissue portion;
• and
• stopping said electrical signal from being passed through said tissue portion when a value of the measured impedance signal reaches a preset impedance value relative to said preselected impedance value, said preselected impedance value being specific in particular to the biological tissue being bonded.

Apparatus for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising:

• forceps adapted to grip a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision;
• electrodes adapted to contact said tissue portion in an electrode/tissue contact area;
• an electrical power source for providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• wherein said electrodes are dimensioned relative to size of said tissue portion to maintain uniformity in said electrode/tissue contact area.

A method for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising the steps of:

• gripping a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision with forceps;
• contacting said tissue portion with electrodes in an electrode/tissue contact area;
• providing a high frequency electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• and
• dimensioning said electrodes relative to size of said tissue portion to maintain uniformity in said electrode/tissue contact area.

Apparatus for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising:

• forceps adapted to grip a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision;
• electrodes adapted to contact said tissue portion;
• an electrical power source for providing an electrical signal to said electrodes to be passed through said tissue portion;
• means for measuring impedance of said tissue portion as a function of time while said electrical signal passes through said tissue portion;
• means for determining and storing a minimal value of tissue impedance while said electrical signal passes through said tissue portion;
• means for determining a ratio of said measured tissue portion impedance to said minimal value of tissue impedance while said electrical signal passes through said tissue portion after said impedance reaches its minimal value;
• and
• means for stopping said electrical signal from being passed through said tissue portion when said impedance ratio reaches a preset value, said preset value being specific for each bonded biological tissue.

A method for bonding soft biological tissue having an incision therein, comprising the steps of:

• gripping a portion of the tissue on both sides of the incision with forceps;
• contacting said tissue portion with electrodes;
• providing a gradually rising voltage to said electrodes for passing electric current through said tissue portion, the rate of the voltage rise being specific for each bonded biological tissue;
• measuring impedance of said tissue portion as a function of time while said voltage is provided to said electrodes;
• determining and storing a minimal value of said impedance;
• stabilizing the high frequency voltage at a level corresponding to said minimal impedance value;
• determining a ratio of said measured tissue portion impedance to said minimal value;
• and
• stopping said high frequency voltage from being passed through said electrodes when said impedance ratio reaches a preset value, said preset value being specific for each bonded biological tissue.