Technologies for non-conductive tissue clamp with conductive traces for energy-based surgical instruments

Abstract

A surgical instrument and associated method includes an end effector having an ultrasonic blade, a metallic jaw clamp, and a partially conductive tissue pad coupled to the jaw clamp. The tissue pad comprises a polymeric substrate with a conductive trace formed on the surface of the polymeric substrate. The polymeric substate may be formed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the surface of the PTFE substrate may be treated to improve adhesion of the conductive trace. The tissue pad is erodible during activation of the ultrasonic blade. The conductive trace may be a multilayer laminate. A method for constructing the surgical instrument includes forming the conductive trace on the surface of the polymeric substrate and securing the polymeric substrate to the metallic jaw clamp.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.