Electro-surgical forceps having recessed irrigation channel
AssigneeKirwan Surgical Products, Inc.
InventorLawrence T. Kirwan, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electro-surgical forceps has a recessed irrigation channel. The forceps includes a pair of blades mounted in a cap portion. A groove is recessed in the inner surface of a first blade of the pair of blades. Tubing is disposed in the groove. The tubing terminates at a location spaced from the termination of the groove to provide an outlet from the groove. The depth of the groove and the outer diameter of the tubing are selected such that the tubing is substantially recessed below the inner surface of the first blade sufficiently that a surgeon's view of the inner faces of the tips of the blades is not obstructed by the irrigation channel. The blades may be covered with an insulating material if desired.
Claims10
An electro-surgical forceps comprising:
- an insulated cap portion;
- at least one terminal extending from and fixed to the cap portion;
- a pair of blades, each blade being generally elongated and having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a tip portion and having an end opposite the tip portion fixed within the cap portion, at least one of the blades electrically connected to the at least one terminal within the cap portion;
- and
- an irrigation channel comprising:
- a groove recessed in the inner surface of a first blade of the pair of blades, the groove extending continuously along substantially the length of the first blade from an origination proximate the cap portion to a termination proximate the tip of the first blade;
- tubing disposed in the groove continuously along substantially the length of the first blade, the tubing including an inlet segment extending from an inlet in the cap portion to the origination of the groove, the tubing terminating at a location spaced from the termination of the groove to provide an outlet from the irrigation channel, the depth of the groove and the outer diameter of the tubing selected such that the tubing is substantially recessed below the inner surface of the first blade to provide a surgeon with an unobstructed view of inner faces of the tip portions of the blades;
- and
- an inlet in the cap portion configured to connect to a source of irrigation fluid, the tubing inlet segment in fluid communication with the inlet in the cap portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.