Vessel sealing instrument with seal plates for directing the flow of energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12053229-B2
Application number	US-202016917566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2020
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

Jaw members of end effector assemblies include sealing plates configured to direct the amount and flow of energy through the sealing plates. The sealing plates may have a height varying from a minimal height to a maximum height along a width or a length of the sealing plate and/or a sealing surface including at least two impedance zones having different impedance values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
a first jaw member having a first sealing plate including a first tissue-contacting sealing surface configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue and an outwardly facing surface, the outwardly facing surface including legs extending from the first tissue-contacting sealing surface and tapering towards one another to converge at an apex, the sealing plate having a length, a width, and a thickness, the thickness varying from a minimal thickness to a maximum thickness along the width of the sealing plate; and
a second jaw member opposing the first jaw member and having a second sealing plate including a second tissue-contacting sealing surface configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue, at least one of the first or second jaw members being movable toward the other jaw member in a direction of motion to grasp the tissue between the first and second tissue-contacting sealing surfaces, wherein the tissue-contacting sealing surfaces of the first and second sealing plates face the direction of motion, the first jaw member including an insulator supporting the first sealing plate thereon, the outwardly facing surface of the first sealing plate affixed to the insulator and the insulator extending laterally outwardly beyond outer edges of the first tissue-contacting sealing surface, wherein the apex is recessed within the insulator and the legs taper towards one another within the insulator.

2. The jaw member according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the sealing plate varies across the width of the first sealing plate and is consistent along the length of the first sealing plate.

3. The jaw member according to claim 2 , wherein the maximum thickness of the first sealing plate extends from the first tissue-contacting sealing surface to the apex.

4. The jaw member according to claim 3 , wherein the legs extend from outer edges of the first sealing plate to the apex.

5. The jaw member according to claim 4 , wherein the legs are equal in length such that the apex is disposed in a central portion of the first sealing plate.

6. The jaw member according to claim 4 , wherein the legs have different lengths such that the apex is disposed in a side portion of the first sealing plate.

7. The jaw member according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the legs is non-linear.

8. The jaw member according to claim 3 , wherein a minimum thickness of the first sealing plate is defined at an outer edge of the sealing plate.

9. The jaw member according to claim 3 , wherein the maximum thickness of the sealing plate is a majority of a thickness of the first jaw member.

10. The jaw member according to claim 9 , wherein the maximum thickness of the first sealing plate is about 90% to about 98% of the thickness of the first jaw member.

11. The jaw member according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum thickness of the first sealing plate extending from the first tissue-contacting sealing surface to the apex.

12. The jaw member according to claim 1 , wherein the first sealing plate is offset in a height direction relative to the insulator.

13. An electrosurgical forceps, comprising:
a first jaw member including:
an insulative support base;
an insulator supported within the insulative support base; and
a first sealing plate supported on the insulator, the sealing first plate including a first sealing surface configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue and an outwardly facing surface affixed to the insulator and tapering within the insulator from the first sealing surface toward an apex recessed within the insulator, the first sealing plate having a length, a width, and a thickness, the thickness varying from a minimal thickness to a maximum thickness along the width of the first sealing plate, the first sealing plate defining an inner surface of the first jaw member and the insulative support base defining an outer surface of the first jaw member; and

a second jaw member opposing the first jaw member and having a second sealing plate including a second sealing surface configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to the tissue, at least one of the first or second jaw members being movable toward the other jaw member in a direction of motion to grasp the tissue between the first and second sealing surfaces, wherein the first and second sealing surfaces of the first and second sealing plates face the direction of motion.

14. The jaw member according to claim 13 , wherein the maximum thickness of the first sealing plate extends from the first sealing surface to the apex.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Tobey Samuel W
• Allen Iv James D
• Bonn Kenlyn S
• Mchenry Jennifer R
• Robinson William E

Classifications

• A61B2018/126

  bipolar · CPC title

• A61B2018/0063

  Sealing · CPC title

• A61B2018/00428

  Severing · CPC title

• A61B2018/00083

  low, i.e. electrically insulating · CPC title

• A61B18/1445

  at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod · CPC title