US 8,475,444 B2Granted

Heated hemostatic surgical blade system and method

AssigneeHemostatix Medical Technologies, LLC

InventorPhilip E. Eggers

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Abstract

A hemostatic surgical blade is described which is formed of five symmetrically disposed layers. A martensitic stainless steel core is provided with oppositely disposed faces which are bonded to hard pure copper thermal transfer layers which, in turn, are supported by buttressing layers of austenitic stainless steel. The blade is heated by a blade heater circuit which is provided as a flexible circuit carrying one or more resistor heaters and associated leads supported by a polyimide substrate. A thermally conductive and electrically insulative adhesive is used to bond the flexible circuit to a blade blank. The system employs a multi-lead cable which is removable from an instrument handle. One blade embodiment involves an elongate stem for accessing body cavities and another embodiment incorporates a controller function within an instrument handle.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A hemostatic surgical system, comprising:

a hemostatic surgical blade with a laminar cutting portion having a cutting edge carrying core of martensitic steel, oppositely disposed layers of thermally conductive metal structurally supported by austenitic steel buttressing layers, a blade stem portion formed of metallic material exhibiting low thermal conductivity fixed in supporting relationship with the laminar cutting portion, and a blade heating circuit having leads extending from a blade terminal assembly to one or more resistor heater components in thermal exchange relationship with a said buttressing layer and layer of thermally conductive metal;
a scalpel handle having a forwardly disposed engagement portion configured to removably receive and mechanically support said blade at said stem portion, a handle control circuit having an electrical contact assemblage engagable with the blade terminal assembly and extending in electrical engagement with a rearwardly located terminal assembled;
and
a cable having a forward end coupled with a handle receiving cable connector assembly removably engagable with said handle and said rearwardly located terminal assembly and said cable having a rearward end configured for receiving electrical energy from a source.

1 more element

The method of manufacturing a hemostatic scalpel blade having a laminar portion and a stem portion, comprising the steps:

providing a core strip of cutlery grade martensitic stainless steel having a widthwise extent effective for forming the laminar portion and a thickness defined between opposite faces;
providing thermal transfer strips of a substantially pure metallic material exhibiting high thermal conductivity, having a conduction thickness and shape for bonding against each face of the core strip;
providing two buttressing strips of austenitic stainless steel having a shape corresponding with the shape of the thermal transfer strips;
roll bonding a thermal transfer strip with a said face of the core strip and a buttressing strip with each thermal transfer strip to provide a symmetrical, five-layer laminar strip having a lamination thickness;
providing a stem sheet of metal exhibiting low thermal conductivity having a thickness corresponding with said lamination thickness and shape effective to form blade stem portions;
edge welding the stem sheet to the laminar strip to provide a composite sheet;
heat treating the composite sheet to an extent effective to harden the martensitic stainless steel;
cutting blade profile blanks from the composite sheet;
sharpening the martensitic stainless steel core of blanks to define a double-bevel scalpel edge;
providing heating resistor and lead circuits supported by a polymeric substrate;
and
bonding the circuits to blade blanks using an electrically insulative, thermally conductive adhesive.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/428,287Filed 23 Mar 2012 · division
Priority: 30 Oct 2007
Published: US 2012/0239027 A120 Sep 2012
Granted: 2 Jul 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

A61B 17/3211
Incision instruments: surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
A61B 18/082
By means of electrically-heated probes: probes or electrodes therefor
A61B 2017/00526
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: methods of manufacturing
A61B
Medical diagnosis and surgery

Family

Application11/980,310Parent of this division · filed 30 Oct 2007
US 2012/0239027 A1Pre-grant publication · published 20 Sep 2012
US 8,142,425 B2Parent of this division
US 2009/0112200 A1Published application
US 8,475,444 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.