US 7,918,848 B2Granted

Tissue welding and cutting apparatus and method

AssigneeMaquet Cardiovascular LLC

InventorsLiming 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

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Abstract

A surgical apparatus and methods for severing and welding tissue, in particular blood vessels, include a pair of relatively movable jaws at a distal end of an elongated shaft. 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. A force-limiting mechanism is provided to limit 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.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A surgical apparatus, comprising:

first and second relatively movable elongated jaws having facing surfaces;
an elongated shaft having a distal end, wherein the first and second relatively movable jaws are attached to the distal end of the elongated shaft;
a heating element disposed on the facing surface of one of the first and second jaws, the heating element operating at a temperature to weld tissue held between the facing surfaces of the jaws;
a control handle connected to the elongated shaft;
a control actuator carried by the control handle for alternatively separating and bringing together the facing surfaces of the elongated jaws;
and
a passive filter mounted within the control handle and positioned to intercept gas passing in a proximal direction through a channel in the elongated shaft to passively filter the gas passing therethrough.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/090,330Filed 25 Mar 2005
Published: US 2006/0217697 A128 Sep 2006
Granted: 5 Apr 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

A61B 18/085
Probes or electrodes therefor: forceps, scissors
A61B 17/29
Surgical forceps: forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
A61B 18/082
By means of electrically-heated probes: probes or electrodes therefor
A61B 18/1445
Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps: at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod