Electrosurgical coagulation instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12349960-B2
Application number	US-201615575621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

An electrosurgical instrument for the electrocoagulation of tissue includes a jaw part which has two instrument branches. At least one instrument branch is movable in relation to the other instrument branch such that the jaw part can be brought into an open position or into a closed position. Facing sides of the instrument branches, respectively intended as grip faces, are configured for the clamping hold of tissue to be coagulated in the closed position. Each instrument branch has at least one electrode face. The grip faces have an electrically insulating design. Each electrode face is arranged in the grip face of the respective instrument branch and is recessed in the grip face on at least one of the instrument branches.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrosurgical instrument for the electrocoagulation of tissue comprising:
a first instrument branch comprising a first electrode; and
a second instrument branch comprising a second electrode,
the second instrument branch movable on a hinge relative to the first instrument branch between an opened position and a closed position,
the first instrument branch and the second instrument branch being operable to clamp and hold tissue in the closed position for electrocoagulation of tissue,
the first instrument branch comprising a flat perforated plate formed of electrically insulating material,
the perforated plate defining a plurality of apertures arranged in a grid, the grid comprising a plurality of rows, wherein each row comprises two or more of said plurality of apertures,
the perforated plate further comprising lands that surround each of the plurality of apertures and that form a grip face configured to contact tissue,
the perforated plate positioned over the first electrode so that the first electrode is recessed in the first instrument branch under the perforated plate, with the first electrode being partially covered by the lands and partially exposed through the plurality of apertures,
the first instrument branch comprising a proximal end extending toward the hinge, a distal end opposite the proximal end, and two sides extending longitudinally between the proximal end and the distal end,
the first instrument branch defining a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end and centered between the two sides,
at least one of the plurality of rows of apertures centered between the two sides and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis to expose the first electrode through the perforated plate along the longitudinal axis.

2. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode in the closed position ranges from 20 μm to 200 μm, and/or a distance between the first electrode and the grip face ranges from 10 μm to 100 μm.

3. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged to be equally recessed in the first instrument branch and the second instrument branch, respectively.

4. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrode comprises a second electrode face that is aligned with a second grip face of the second instrument branch.

5. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein at least one segment of the grip face is provided with a surface profile or a surface structure.

6. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises a first electrode face, the first electrode face being fully surrounded by the grip face.

7. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first instrument branch includes an electrically insulating outer housing which is formed in one piece with the grip face.

8. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the grip face comprises a grip face rim portion which is peripheral on a side of the first instrument branch that faces the second instrument branch.

9. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 further comprising a housing around the first instrument branch, wherein the first electrode is embedded in the housing by 2K-CIM technology.

10. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises a plurality of electrode faces exposed through the apertures, and wherein each of said plurality of electrode faces has a perimeter completely surrounded by the grip plate.

11. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 10 , wherein, each of the plurality of electrode faces is rectangular and surrounded on four sides by the perforated plate.

12. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 10 , wherein the perforated plate is bounded by an outer perimeter, and the outer perimeter is enclosed by a grip face rim portion.

13. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of electrode faces are separate and insulated from the grip face rim portion by the perforated plate.

14. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first instrument branch further comprises a peripheral rim portion that forms a boundary around the grip face.

15. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the second instrument branch comprises a second perforated plate formed of electrically insulating material, the second perforated plate defining a second plurality of apertures arranged in a second grid.

16. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 15 , wherein the second grid comprises a second plurality of rows, wherein each of the second plurality of rows comprises two or more of said second plurality of apertures.

17. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 15 , wherein the second perforated plate comprises second lands that surround each of the second plurality of apertures and form a second grip face configured to contact tissue.

18. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 15 , wherein the second perforated plate is positioned over the second electrode so that the second electrode is recessed in the second instrument branch behind the second perforated plate, with the second electrode being partially covered by the second lands and partially exposed through the second plurality of apertures.

19. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode consists of a single unitary electrode comprising a first section covered by the perforated plate and a second section exposed through the plurality of apertures.

20. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 19 , wherein the perforated plate and the first section of the first electrode covered by the perforated plate define a matrix shape.

Assignees

• Aesculap Ag

Inventors

• Weisshaupt Dieter
• Rothweiler Christoph

Classifications

• A61B2018/00589

  Coagulation · CPC title

• A61B2017/0088

  ceramic · CPC title

• A61B2018/00136

  with polymer · CPC title

• A61B2018/00083

  low, i.e. electrically insulating · CPC title

• A61B2018/0063

  Sealing · CPC title