Sealer divider

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12390299-B2
Application number	US-201917267741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Aug 10, 2018
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

A device comprising: a first jaw having a gripping surface; a second jaw having a gripping surface, the second jaw being spaced apart from the first jaw and being configured to move between an open position and a closed position, and a sealer divider having a plurality of stops including at least: one or more distal stops, one or more proximal stops; and one or more intermediate stops that are of an intermediate height when compared to a height of the one or more distal stops and a height the one or more proximal stops, and wherein the plurality of stops are non-conductive and are distributed on the gripping surface of the first jaw, the gripping surface of the second jaw, or both, and wherein the first jaw and the second jaw have a proximal end and a distal end and the plurality of stops produce a gap that is widest at the proximal end and tapers so that a gap at the distal end is narrower than the gap at the proximal end.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device comprising:
a first jaw having a gripping surface;
a second jaw having a gripping surface, the second jaw being spaced apart from the first jaw and being configured to move between an open position and a closed position; and
a sealer divider having a plurality of stops extending beyond the gripping surface of the first jaw or the gripping surface of the second jaw, the plurality of stops including at least:
one or more distal stops having a height;
one or more proximal stops having a height; and
a plurality of intermediate stops including at least a first intermediate stop located on the first jaw and a second intermediate stop located on the second jaw in an opposed position so that when the first jaw and the second jaw are closed, the first intermediate stop contacts the second intermediate stop to have a combined height that is greater than the height of the one or more distal stops and the height of the one or more proximal stops;

wherein the first and second jaws are flexible and configured to elastically deform during a gripping of tissue or an anatomical feature therebetween;
wherein the plurality of stops are non-conductive;
wherein the first jaw and the second jaw have a proximal end and a distal end; and
wherein contact between the first intermediate stop and the second intermediate stop produces a gap that is widest at the proximal end and narrowest at the distal end.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distal stops are made from a first material and the one or more proximal stops, the plurality of intermediate stops, or both are made from a second material that is different from the first material.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distal stops are made from a first material and the one or more proximal stops, the plurality of intermediate stops, or both are made from a second material that is a same material as the first material.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more distal stops, the one or more proximal stops, the plurality of intermediate stops, or a combination thereof are configured to prevent short circuiting of the first jaw and the second jaw.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein a height of the plurality of intermediate stops is greater than the height of the one or more distal stops.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first jaw includes one distal stop, two proximal stops, and two intermediate stops.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein all of the one or more distal stops and all of the one or more proximal stops have a same height.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of intermediate stops are located substantially equidistant between the one or more distal stops and the one or more proximal stops.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distal stops have a first diameter and the plurality of intermediate stops have a second diameter, with the first diameter being different from the second diameter.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distal stops, the plurality of intermediate stops, or both, are configured to enhance manipulation and gripping of tissue held between the first and second gripping surfaces.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least the plurality of intermediate stops are configured to prevent short circuiting of the first gripping surface and the second gripping surface.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distal stops provide a first compressibility and the plurality of intermediate stops, the one or more proximal stops, or both provide a second compressibility that is different from the first compressibility.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first compressibility is less than the second compressibility so that if the second compressibility is overcome the first compressibility prevents contact between the first jaw and the second jaw.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distal stops and the plurality of intermediate stops generally have a same compression.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distal stops and the one or more proximal stops are located on the first jaw.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more distal stops are located only on the first jaw and the one or more proximal stops are located only on the second jaw.

17. A device comprising:
a first jaw having a gripping surface, a proximal end, and a distal end;
a second jaw having a gripping surface, a proximal end, and a distal end, the second jaw being spaced apart from the first jaw and being configured to move between an open position and a closed position; and
a sealer divider having a plurality of stops that protrude beyond the gripping surface of the first jaw or the gripping surface of the second jaw, the plurality of stops including at least:
one or more distal stops having a height;
one or more proximal stops having a height; and
one or more intermediate stops located on the first jaw and the second jaw with some of the one or more intermediate stops being located in an opposed position so that when the first jaw and the second jaw are closed the some of the one or more intermediate stops on the first jaw contact the some of the one or more intermediate stops on the second jaw to have a combined height that is greater than the height of the one or more distal stops and the height of the one or more proximal stops, and to produce a gap that is widest at the proximal end of the first and second jaws and narrowest at the distal end of the first and second jaws;

wherein the plurality of stops are non-conductive and the one or more distal stops, the one or more proximal stops, or both are distributed on the gripping surface of the first jaw, the gripping surface of the second jaw, or both.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein some of the one or more intermediate stops are free of contact with another of the one or more intermediate stops.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the some of the one or more intermediate stops that are free of contact have a height equal to the combined height of the one or more intermediate stops that are opposed.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the some of the one or more intermediate stops that are free of contact have a height less than the combined height of the one or more intermediate stops that are opposed.

21. The device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more distal stops are made from a first material and the one or more proximal stops, the one or more intermediate stops, or both are made from a second material that is different from the first material.

Assignees

• Gyrus Acmi Inc

Inventors

• Nelson Jeffrey
• Batchelor Kester Julian
• Murdeshwar Nikhil M
• Boone Eric J
• Fiksen Christian J

Classifications

• A61B2018/1455

  having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws · CPC title

• A61B2018/126

  bipolar · CPC title

• A61B2018/0063

  Sealing · CPC title

• A61B2018/00083

  low, i.e. electrically insulating · CPC title

• A61B18/1445 Primary

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