# US 2014/0194876 A1 · Apparatus and method for regulating tissue welder jaws > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194876 A1 - Document ID: US20140194876A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/148,671 - Filed: 2014-01-06 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-25 - Assignees: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC - Applicants: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC - Inventors: Liming Lau; Arnold M. Escano; Jerry Jarrard; Sam Ho; Ryan C. Abbott; Arthur M. Lin; Jesse McQuiston; Peter L. Callas; Geoffrey H. Willis; Michael C. Stewart; Kimberly D. Barkman; Joseph N. Lamberti; Kenny L. Dang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194876A1 ## CPC - A61B 18/085: {Forceps, scissors} - A61B 17/29: Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery - A61B 18/082: {Probes or electrodes therefor} - A61B 18/1445: {at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod} - A61B 90/03: {Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety} - A61B 2017/00084: {Temperature} - A61B 2017/00353: {one mechanical instrument performing multiple functions, e.g. cutting and grasping} - A61B 2017/00504: {Tissue welding} - A61B 2017/2912: {transmission of forces to actuating rod or piston} - A61B 2017/2936: {Pins in guiding slots} - A61B 2017/2945: {Curved jaws} - A61B 2017/3445: {used as instrument channel for multiple instruments} - A61B 2018/00089: {Thermal conductivity} - A61B 2018/00601: {Cutting} - A61B 2018/00607: {Coagulation and cutting with the same instrument} - A61B 2018/00619: {Welding} - A61B 2018/1432: {curved} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A surgical apparatus and methods for severing and welding tissue, in particular blood vessels. The apparatus includes an elongated shaft having a pair of relatively movable jaws at a distal end thereof. A first heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a first temperature and form a welded region within the tissue, while a second heating element on one of the jaws is adapted to heat up to a second temperature and sever the tissue within the welded region. The first and second heating elements may be provided on the same or opposite jaws. A control handle provided on the proximal end of the elongated shaft includes controls for opening and closing the jaws, and may include an actuator for sending current through the first and second heating elements. The first and second heating elements may be electrically connected in series, and the first heating element may be bifurcated such that it conducts about one half of the current as the second heating element. A force-limiting mechanism provided either within the control handle, in the elongated shaft, or at the jaws limits the pressure applied to the tissue by the jaws to ensure that the tissue is severed and the ends effectively welded within a short amount of time. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-28. (canceled) ### Claim 29 A surgical method of severing a target tissue while welding the severed ends using a surgical apparatus, the surgical apparatus comprising a shaft and first and second jaws extending from a distal end of the shaft, wherein the first jaw is relatively movable with respect to the second jaw; the surgical apparatus further comprising a first electrode and a second electrode electrically connected in series, wherein the first electrode is operatively associated with one of the first and second jaws and is adapted to weld tissue, and wherein the second electrode is operatively associated with one of the first and second jaws and is adapted to sever tissue, the method comprising: welding and severing a target tissue by: closing the jaws upon the target tissue; and electrically energizing the first and second electrodes to form a welded region in the target tissue and sever the target tissue within the welded region. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, further comprising maintaining parallelism between the jaws during the act of closing the jaws upon target tissue. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein the surgical apparatus further includes a control handle having a control actuator for opening and closing the jaws, and structure between the control actuator and the jaws for completely decoupling relative movement of the control actuator and the jaws at a predetermined closing force, the method comprising: during the act of closing the jaws upon the target tissue, closing the jaws until the predetermined closing force has been reached so that movement of the jaws is decoupled from further movement of the control actuator. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, further comprising: filtering gas created by the act of welding and severing a target tissue before it is released to (i) the interior of a control handle connected to the shaft or (ii) the environment. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein the surgical apparatus further includes a control handle having a control actuator for opening and closing the jaws, and structure between the control actuator and the jaws for influencing relative movement of the control actuator and the jaws at a predetermined closing force, the method comprising: during the act of closing the jaws upon the target tissue, closing the jaws until the predetermined closing force has been reached so that the closing force applied by the jaws on the target tissue remains constant even with further movement of the control actuator. ### Claim 34 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein the act of welding and severing a target tissue further comprises: limiting the magnitude of a closing force the jaws impart to the target tissue to a value calibrated to ensure the heating element effectively severs and welds tissue held within the facing surfaces of the jaws within a predetermined time frame. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, wherein the predetermined time frame is of about 5 seconds or less. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, wherein the act of limiting the magnitude of closing force of the jaws comprises: regulating the magnitude of closing force of the jaws to between about 1-3 lbs (0.45-1.36 kg). ### Claim 37 A surgical method of severing a target tissue while welding the severed ends using a surgical apparatus, the surgical apparatus comprising an elongated body having a distal end and a proximal end; first and second jaws operably extending from the distal end, at least one of the first and second jaw configured to move with respect to the elongated body; a control handle operably connected to the proximal end, the control handle comprising an actuator that causes relative movement of the first jaw with respect to the second jaw; a first heating element disposed on the first jaw and a second heating element disposed on one of the first and second jaws and wherein at least a portion of the first heating element comprises two welding portions that are spaced apart from one another and electrically connected in parallel, the method comprising: welding and severing a target tissue by: closing the jaws upon the target tissue; and electrically energizing the first heating element and second heating element to form a welded region in the target tissue and sever the target tissue within the welded region. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, further including: maintaining parallelism between the jaws during the act of closing the jaws upon target tissue. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the surgical apparatus further includes a control handle having a control actuator for opening and closing the jaws, and structure between the control actuator and the jaws for completely decoupling relative movement of the control actuator and the jaws at a predetermined closing force, the method comprising: during the act of closing the jaws upon the target tissue, closing the jaws until the predetermined closing force has been reached so that movement of the jaws is decoupled from further movement of the control actuator. ### Claim 40 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, further comprising: filtering gas created by the act of welding and severing a target tissue before it is released to (i) the interior of a control handle connected to the shaft or (ii) the environment. ### Claim 41 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the surgical apparatus further includes a control handle having a control actuator for opening and closing the jaws, and structure between the control actuator and the jaws for influencing relative movement of the control actuator and the jaws at a predetermined closing force, the method comprising: during the act of closing the jaws upon the target tissue, closing the jaws until the predetermined closing force has been reached so that the closing force applied by the jaws on the target tissue remains constant even with further movement of the control actuator. ### Claim 42 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the act of welding and severing a target tissue further comprises: limiting the magnitude of a closing force the jaws impart to the target tissue to a value calibrated to ensure the heating element effectively severs and welds tissue held within the facing surfaces of the jaws within a predetermined time frame. ### Claim 43 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39, wherein the predetermined time frame is of about 5 seconds or less. ### Claim 44 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39, wherein the act of limiting the magnitude of closing force of the jaws comprises: regulating the magnitude of closing force of the jaws to between about 1-3 lbs (0.45-1.36 kg). ### Claim 45 A surgical method of severing a target tissue while welding the severed ends using a surgical apparatus, the surgical apparatus comprising a shaft having a proximal region and a distal region; first and second jaws extending from the distal region of the shaft, wherein the first jaw is relatively movable with respect to the second jaw; a first electrode portion operatively associated with one of the first and second jaws and is adapted to weld tissue; a second electrode portion operatively associated and fixedly attached with one of the first and second jaws and configured to have a different electrical resistance value than the first electrode portion, the second electrode portion is adapted to sever tissue upon the application of current therethrough; and a control handle operably connected to the proximal region of the shaft; wherein the first and second electrodes portions are connected in series, the method comprising: welding and severing a target tissue by: closing the jaws upon the target tissue; and electrically energizing the first electrode portion and second electrode portion to form a welded region in the target tissue and sever the target tissue within the welded region. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, wherein the first electrode portion comprises two welding portions that are spaced apart from one another and electrically connected in parallel; and wherein the surgical apparatus further includes a control handle having a control actuator for opening and closing the jaws, and structure between the control actuator and the jaws for influencing relative movement of the control actuator and the jaws at a predetermined closing force, the method comprising: during the act of closing the jaws upon the target tissue, closing the jaws until the predetermined closing force has been reached so that the closing force applied by the jaws on the target tissue remains constant even with further movement of the control actuator. ### Claim 47 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, wherein the act of welding and severing the target tissue further comprises: limiting the magnitude of a closing force the jaws impart to the target tissue to a value calibrated to ensure the heating element effectively severs and welds tissue held within the facing surfaces of the jaws within a predetermined time frame. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, wherein the predetermined time frame is of about 5 seconds or less. ### Claim 49 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, wherein the act of limiting the magnitude of closing force of the jaws comprises: regulating the magnitude of closing force of the jaws to between about 1-3 lbs (0.45-1.36 kg).