Integrated grounding electrodes for electrocautery vessel harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11172982-B2
Application number	US-201816026156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2018
Priority date	Jul 3, 2018
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

An endoscopic vessel harvester cuts and cauterizes side branches from a target vessel using a cutter member that extends at a distal end of an insertion member. The cutter member has a plate defining a slit for receiving a side branch. A cutting electrode is disposed at a base of the slit and a pair of grounding electrodes are each mounted to an outer surface of the plate on opposite sides of the slit. Each grounding electrode has a raised longitudinal ridge adjoining a portion of the slit including the base of the slit and has a spot cautery wing extending laterally away from the slit with a surface configured to engage a surface of the tunnel. The longitudinal ridges each have an upright jamb surface configured to contact the side branch remotely from the cutting electrode so that it is unnecessary to make a grounding contact on the tunnel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endoscopic vessel harvester comprising:
a longitudinal insertion member having a distal end adapted for insertion into a tunnel dissected along a target vessel within a body of a patient;
a vessel keeper extendably mounted at the distal end of the insertion member comprising a capture frame with an opened position to admit the target vessel and having a closed position to slidably capture the target vessel; and
a cutter member extendably mounted at the distal end of the insertion member comprising a plate defining a slit for receiving a side branch to the target vessel, a cutting electrode disposed at a base of the slit, and a pair of grounding electrodes each mounted to an outer surface of the plate on opposite sides of the slit, wherein the slit has sides which are configured to guide the side branch to the cutting electrode, wherein each grounding electrode has a raised longitudinal ridge adjoining a portion of the slit including the base of the slit and has a spot cautery wing extending laterally away from the slit with a surface configured to engage a surface of the tunnel, wherein the longitudinal ridges each have an upright jamb surface configured to contact the side branch remotely from the cutting electrode;
wherein the upright jamb surfaces are substantially parallel with each other and with the sides of the slit, and wherein the upright jamb surfaces are configured to contact the side branch upon exiting the slit, and wherein the upright jamb surfaces are configured to establish electrical continuity to the side branch so that a high-frequency current between the cutting electrode and the grounding electrodes flows in the side branch and not in the tunnel.

2. The harvester of claim 1 wherein each upright jamb surface has a height of 0.5 mm or greater.

3. The harvester of claim 1 wherein each upright jamb surface is located within 0.3 mm of an upright profile of the slit.

4. The harvester of claim 1 wherein an upper edge of each upright jamb surface has a radius of at least 0.1 mm.

5. The harvester of claim 1 wherein each longitudinal ridge has a ramped leading edge and a ramped trailing edge.

6. The harvester of claim 1 wherein the cutting electrode and the grounding electrodes are comprised of stainless steel.

7. The harvester of claim 1 further comprising:
an electrode extension welded to at least one of the grounding electrodes and extending through the insertion member for connecting to a bipolar power source.

8. The harvester of claim 1 wherein the surface of each spot cautery wing defines a curved planar surface for contacting the tunnel.

Assignees

• Terumo Cardiovascular Sys Corp

Inventors

• Fujii Tatsunori
• Siddiqui Safi
• Kadykowski Randal J

Classifications

• A61B2018/00601

  Cutting · CPC title

• A61B2018/00428

  Severing · CPC title

• A61B2018/162

  located on the probe body · CPC title

• A61B2018/00404

  Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart · CPC title

• A61B18/1482 Primary

  having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy · CPC title