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US 4,492,231 AGranted
Non-sticking electrocautery system and forceps
OwnerDavid C. Authinventor
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OwnerDavid C. Authinventor
Estimating the term…
A non-sticking electrocautery system having bipolar electrocautery forceps connected to an RF signal generator. The forceps includes a pair of electrically conductive arms movable toward and away from each other. The arms terminate in respective jaws which are adapted to grasp tissue to be cauterized. The arms have a thermal conductivity sufficiently high to remove heat from the jaws at a rapid rate. As a result, the surfaces of the jaws that are in contact with the tissue are maintained at a temperature sufficiently low to prevent the tissue from sticking to the jaws. The forceps also include an insulating stop for preventing the jaws from contacting each other. The forceps also include an internal switch which causes the RF signal generator to apply RF power to the forceps when the arms of the forceps are closed. The RF signal from the signal generator has a relatively low voltage so that sparking does not occur from the jaws to either each other or to the tissue. Additionally, the signal generator has an output impedance that delivers a relatively constant power to the tissue as the impedance of the tissue varies.
A non-sticking electrocautery forceps adapted for use with an RF signal generator producing an RF signal, said forceps comprising a pair of electrically conductive forceps arms electrically isolated from each other between which said RF signal is adapted to be applied, said forceps arms terminating in respective, closely spaced jaws, each having a tissue contact surface through which said RF signal is adapted to be applied to tissue positioned in contact with said jaws, each of said forceps arms having a volume of heat-absorbing material of at least about 6.5 mm.sup.3 for each mm.sup.2 area of said tissue contact surface, said heat-absorbing material having a thermal conductivity of at least 60 mW/mm.degree.C. such that said heat-absorbing material is capable of both transferring heat at a sufficient rate and absorbing heat in a sufficient quantity to maintain said tissue contact surface at a temperature low enough to prevent tissue from adhering to said tissue contact surface while said forceps delivers power to said tissue to raise the temperature of said tissue to a level sufficient to produce coagulation, said jaws having a relatively hard protective coating applied thereto, thereby chemically isolating tissue from said heat-absorbing material and mechanically protecting said jaws.
An electrocautery system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.