Electrosurgical tissue sealing augmented with a seal-enhancing composition

A method of electrosurgical tissue-sealing, comprising the steps of:

• providing an electrosurgical device having a set of opposing jaws configured to be able to close on a targeted tissue-sealing site, one or more electrodes disposed on a tissue-facing surface of each jaw, and a reservoir configured to hold a tissue seal-enhancing composition within the jaws, the electrosurgical device configured to deliver the tissue seal-enhancing composition from the reservoir to the tissue-sealing site during an electrosurgical procedure, the reservoir being arranged on top of one of the opposing jaws, wherein each jaw has a U-shaped configuration, the needle being arranged so as to protrude through a first jaw of the opposing jaws and toward a space between the legs of the U-shaped configuration of a second jaw of the opposing jaws, the needle extending completely through a space formed by the U-shaped configuration of the first jaw of the opposing jaws, extending from a top surface of the first jaw to the bottom surface of the first jaw, such that a distal end of the needle is directed at an angle relative to the second jaw of the opposing jaws;
• providing a composition delivery mechanism adapted to convey the tissue seal-enhancing composition from the reservoir to the tissue-sealing site, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises an injector in the form of a hollow needle configured to deliver the tissue seal-enhancing composition to the tissue-sealing site, the needle being operably connected to the reservoir, wherein the needle emerges from one of the jaws in proximity to the one or more electrodes;
• holding a seal-enhancing composition in the reservoir within the electrosurgical device;
• delivering the seal-enhancing composition to a tissue site targeted for electrosurgical sealing, the tissue-sealing site comprising two sheets of tissue, the tissue-sealing site thus having an external surface comprising the combined external surfaces of the two sheets of tissue, an intra-tissue space comprising a mass of the tissue between the jaws, and an internal space defined by facing surfaces of the two sheets of tissue;
• delivering radiofrequency energy from the jaws of the electrosurgical device to the tissue-sealing site;
• and
• forming a region of sealed tissue at the tissue-sealing site through a combination of effects of radiofrequency energy on both tissue at the tissue-sealing site and on the delivered seal-enhancing composition.

A method of electrosurgical tissue-sealing, comprising the steps of:

• providing an electrosurgical device having a set of opposing jaws configured to be able to close on a targeted tissue-sealing site, one or more electrodes disposed on a tissue-facing surface of each jaw, and a reservoir configured to hold a tissue seal-enhancing composition within the jaws, the electrosurgical device configured to deliver the tissue seal-enhancing composition from the reservoir to the tissue-sealing site during an electrosurgical procedure, the reservoir being arranged on top of one of the opposing jaws, wherein each jaw has a U-shaped configuration, the needle being arranged so as to protrude through a first jaw of the opposing jaws and toward a space between the legs of the U-shaped configuration of a second jaw of the opposing jaws, the needle extending completely through a space formed by the U-shaped configuration of the first jaw of the opposing jaws, extending from a top surface of the first jaw to the bottom surface of the first jaw, such that a distal end of the needle is directed at an angle relative to the second jaw of the opposing jaws;
• providing a composition delivery mechanism adapted to convey the tissue seal-enhancing composition from the reservoir to the tissue-sealing site, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises an injector in the form of a hollow needle configured to deliver the tissue seal-enhancing composition to the tissue-sealing site, the needle being operably connected to the reservoir, wherein the needle emerges from one of the jaws in proximity to the one or more electrodes;
• delivering a seal-enhancing composition from the electrosurgical device to a tissue-sealing site targeted for electrosurgical sealing, the seal-enhancing composition comprising a heat reformable protein;
• delivering radiofrequency energy from the jaws of the electrosurgical device to the tissue-sealing site;
• and
• forming a region of sealed tissue at the tissue-sealing site through radiofrequency energy induced heat effects on tissue of the tissue-sealing site and on the seal-enhancing composition at the tissue-sealing site.