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AssigneeOvesco Endoscopy AG
InventorsSebastian Schostek, Chi-Nghia Ho, Thomas Gottwald, Marc Schurr
Estimating the term…
The present invention is directed to an endoscopic implant cutting and/or fragmenting apparatus of the bipolar type, operating on direct current, comprising an endoscope instrument having at least two opposing electrodes at its distal instrument head forming a cutting gap inbetween for receiving an electrically conductive implant or implant section to generate punctiform physical contact with the implant, and a DC-impulse generator having or connected to a control device adapted to generate a direct current in a pulsed way being controlled by the control device such that in a first phase of physical contact, the current pulse is adjusted preferably by controlling the current value at the electrodes to induce electric energy into the implant material being sufficient to melt the implant material exclusively in the area of the contact portion and in a second phase of physical noncontact, the current pulse is adjusted preferably by controlling the voltage value at the electrodes to generate an electric arc between at least one electrode and the melted implant material being sufficient to cut the melted implant material.
A medical DC-impulse generator of a medical/surgical bipolar fragmentation device, operating on direct electric current, and adapted to fragment medical implants that are made of an electrically conductive material, comprising
A bipolar fragmentation device operating on direct electric current and being adapted to fragment implants that are made of an electrically conductive material such as metal, comprising an endoscopic instrument having at least two electrodes at its distal end and a DC-impulse generator, the DC-impulse generator comprising an electric current source and an electric current control device with the DC-impulse generator being adapted to be connected to the bipolar fragmentation device, the at least two electrodes being adapted to physically contact the medical implant, and to apply a direct electric current of predetermined or adjustable strength in a pulsed or timed way to the at least two electrodes, such that the electric current flows from one of the at least two electrodes to another of the at least two electrodes via the implant material and thereby applying electrical energy onto the implant material for cutting said material in a cutting process, wherein said electric current control device of the medical DC-impulse generator has a first control portion or an implemented first control process being adapted to apply in a first phase (t0−t1) an electric current after physical contact between the at least two electrodes and the medical implant is established for melting the implant material and a second control portion or an implemented second control process being adapted to maintain in a second phase (t1−t2) the current flow through the implant material after a loss of the physical contact between at least one of the at least two electrodes and the implant material maximal for a predetermined maintaining duration, wherein the predetermined maintaining duration is pre-adjusted or pre-adjustable to a value safely avoiding re-solidification of the implant material before the separation/dissection of the implant segments is completed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.