Electrosurgical instruments and connections thereto

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12357374-B2
Application number	US-202318544022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2023
Priority date	Oct 1, 2010
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

An electrosurgical instrument includes jaws having an electrode configuration utilized to electrically modify tissue in contact with one or more electrodes. The instrument is removably connectable to an electrosurgical unit via an electrosurgical connector extending from the instrument and a receptacle on the electrosurgical unit. The electrosurgical instrument is rotatable without disrupting electrical connection to the electrodes of the jaws. One or more of the electrodes is retractable. The electrosurgical unit and instrument optimally seals and/or cuts tissue based on identifying the tissue and monitoring the modification of the tissue by the application of radio frequency energy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrosurgical system comprising
an electrosurgical instrument comprising:
an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end;
a first jaw connected to the elongate shaft, aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft and being stationary relative to the elongate shaft, the first jaw having a cut channel extending lengthwise along and through the first jaw, and the first jaw comprising a monolithic seal surface surrounding the cut channel;
a second jaw coupled to the elongate shaft, the second jaw comprising a first electrode, a second electrode and an insulator positioned between the first and second electrodes, the second electrode being on an upper portion of the second jaw and distal from the first jaw, and the first electrode being on a lower portion of the second jaw proximate to the first jaw; and
a cutting blade connected to a blade shaft disposed within the elongate shaft, the cutting blade arranged to fit within the cut channel of the first jaw, the blade shaft comprising a distal stop and a proximal stop, the distal stop arranged to interact with a first corresponding stop disposed along the elongate shaft and arranged to prevent distal movement of the blade shaft beyond a distal interaction point of the first corresponding stop of the elongate shaft interacting with the distal stop of the blade shaft when the blade shaft is moved distally and the proximal stop arranged to interact with a second corresponding stop disposed along the elongate shaft and arranged to prevent proximal movement of the blade shaft beyond a proximal interaction point of the second corresponding stop of the elongate shaft interacting with the proximal stop of the blade shaft when the blade shaft is moved proximally;

and an electrosurgical generator arranged to supply radiofrequency (RF) energy to the electrosurgical instrument removably coupled to the electrosurgical generator; wherein the generator is arranged to determine a phase value of the supplied RF energy between the first electrode and the first jaw and to determine when the determined phase value of the supplied RF energy equals or exceeds a predetermined phase value; wherein the generator, after determining the determined phase value of the supplied RF energy equals or has exceeded the predetermined phase value, is arranged to supply RF energy between the first jaw and the cutting blade instead of the first electrode and the first jaw; wherein the generator is arranged to determine a phase value of the supplied RF energy between the first jaw and the cutting blade to determine when the determined phase value of the supplied RF energy equals or exceeds a second predetermined phase value; wherein the generator, after determining the determined phase value of the supplied RF energy equals or has exceeded the second predetermined phase value, is arranged to supply RF energy between the first electrode and the first jaw; and wherein the generator is arranged to not determine when the determined phase value of the supplied RF energy equals or exceeds a predetermined phase value when the first and second jaws are in the intermediate state.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the generator is arranged to supply RF energy between the first jaw and the second electrode to coagulate tissue in front of the second jaw and tissue on at least one side of the second jaw.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the second electrode and the first jaw share a common electrical contact in that the generator supplies RF energy between the first electrode and the first jaw and between the first electrode, the second electrode and the first jaw.

4. The system of claim 3 between the open and closed position, wherein the intermediate state comprises a position of the first and second jaws between an open position and a closed position, the first electrode and the first jaw are electrically connected to assume a first and second polarity with the first and second jaws being in the intermediate state in that tissue positioned between and in contact with the first electrode and the first jaw are fused when a fusing operation is activated and cutting by the cutting blade is prevented.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the instrument further comprises an actuator connected to the elongate shaft, the actuator further comprises a blade trigger, a stationary handle and a movable trigger, the blade trigger being connected to the blade shaft and the movable trigger being movable towards the stationary handle to close the first and second jaws and movable away from the stationary handle to open the first and second jaws.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the instrument further comprises a spring connected to the blade shaft and biasing the blade shaft proximally and wherein the proximal stop and the second corresponding stop are arranged to prevent the spring from pulling the cutting blade proximally beyond the proximal interaction point and the spring, the proximal stop and the second corresponding stop arranged to hold the cutting blade stationary at the proximal interaction point.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the elongate shaft comprises a cover tube and the first and second corresponding stops are deformed portions on the cover tube, the deformed portions interacting with the distal and proximal stops of the blade shaft.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the instrument further comprises:
an internal switch disposed within the stationary handle and not externally accessible, the internal switch being activated by a flexible arm extending from the movable trigger and contacting with the internal switch when the movable trigger is moved towards the stationary handle; and
at least one external switch disposed on the actuator and an electrical connection being established with the at least one external switch and the internal switch being both activated;
wherein the generator is arranged to supply RF energy to the first jaw and the cutting blade with the internal switch being activated.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one external switch further comprises a first external switch to activate an electrosurgical activity and a second external switch to activate a different electrosurgical activity, the first external switch disposed proximate the second external switch.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the generator, after the at least one external switch is deactivated, is arranged to supply RF energy between the first electrode and the first jaw instead of the cutting blade and the first jaw.

11. An electrosurgical system comprising:
an electrosurgical instrument comprising:
an elongate shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end;
a first jaw connected to the elongate shaft, aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft and being stationary relative to the elongate shaft, the first jaw being conductive and having a cut channel extending lengthwise along and through the first jaw;
a second jaw connected to the elongate shaft, the second jaw comprising a first electrode, a second electrode and a cut channel extending along the second jaw, the second electrode being shaped like the first jaw and being on an upper portion of the second jaw and distal from the first jaw, and the first electrode being on a lower portion of the second jaw proximate to the first jaw and extending along an outer portion of a distal end of the second jaw, the first electrode being parallel with the second electrode;
a cutting blade connected to a blade shaft disposed within the elongate shaft, the cuttin

Assignees

• Applied Med Resources

Inventors

• Brustad John
• Falkenstein Zoran
• Linville-Engler Benjamin
• Wixey Matthew
• Johnson Gary
• Elliott Patrick

Classifications

• A61B2018/00178

  Electrical connectors · CPC title

• A61B2017/2932

  Transmission of forces to jaw members · CPC title

• A61B2017/2903

  transferring rotary motion · CPC title

• A61B2018/1412

  Blade · CPC title

• A61B2018/00892

  Voltage · CPC title