Electrosurgical instrument and method
AssigneeSurgRx, Inc.
InventorsCsaba Truckai, John Shadduck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrosurgical working end and method for sealing and transecting tissue. An exemplary working end provides curved jaw members that are positioned on opposing sides of the targeted anatomic structure. The working end carries a slidable extension member having flange portions with inner surfaces that slide over the jaw members to clamp tissue therebetween. The working end carries an independent slidable cutting member that is flexible to follow the curved axis of the jaws. The electrosurgical surfaces of the jaws include partially-resistive bodies for carrying a current or load which modulates ohmic heating in the engaged tissue to prevent charring and desiccation of tissue to create a high strength thermal seal.
Claims32
A surgical instrument, comprising:
- an elongate introducer having a working end including openable-closeable first and second jaw members having curved distal portions that define a curved tissue-engaging axis;
- a flanged member that is slidably carried by the introducer, the flanged member moveable between a first non-extended position and second extended position wherein flanges slidably engage the jaw members to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position;
- and
- a flexible tissue-cutting member slidably carried by the introducer, the tissue-cutting member moveable between a first non-extended position and a second extended position that extends distally beyond the translatable member and flexes.
An electrosurgical working end, comprising:
- openable-closeable first and second jaw members having curved distal portions that close about a curved axis;
- a reciprocatable member having an I-beam cross-section configuration that is axially moveable in a channel in the jaw members between a first non-extended position and second extended position wherein flanges of the I-beam slidably engage outward-facing surfaces of the jaw members to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position;
- and
- a flexible tissue-cutting member that is axially moveable relative to the jaw members between a first non-extended position and a second extended position that extends distally beyond the second position of the I-beam member.
An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:
- an instrument having an openable-closeable jaw assembly with first and second jaw members;
- the first and second jaws having electrosurgical energy-delivery surfaces, wherein each jaw includes an opposing polarity conductive body coupled to an electrical source and wherein at least one jaw surface includes a partially resistive body selected from the class consisting of a body having a fixed resistance, a body having resistance that changes in response to pressure and a body having resistance that changes in response to temperature, the partially resistive body capable of load-carrying to prevent arcing in tissue about the energy-delivery surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.