Electrosurgical forceps for grasping, treating, and/or dividing tissue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12508066-B2
Application number	US-202418735358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2024
Priority date	May 12, 2017
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

A knife configured for use with an electrosurgical forceps having curved jaw members and a method of manufacturing the same. The knife includes a distal body having an inner side and an outer side, a first etching on the outer side of the distal body defining a distal cutting edge and a second etching on the outer side of the distal body extending along a portion of a length of the distal body to define relatively protruded and relatively recessed surfaces extending along a portion of the length of the distal body on the outer side thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A knife configured to translate through curved jaw members of an electrosurgical forceps, the knife comprising:
a distal body having an inner lateral side and an outer lateral side; a first etching on the outer lateral side of the distal body, the first etching defining a distal cutting edge comprising:
a main cutting segment having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
a lower cutting segment extending from the first end of the main cutting segment at an angle to the main cutting segment; and
an upper cutting segment extending from the second end of the main cutting segment at an angle to the main cutting segment; and
a second etching on the outer lateral side of the distal body such that the outer lateral side of the distal body includes a relatively protruded surface portion and a relatively recessed surface portion, wherein the relatively protruded surface portion includes a tapered proximal section that tapers in height in a distal direction and a constant-height distal section extending distally from a distal end of the tapered proximal section toward the distal cutting edge defined by the first etching.

2 . The knife according to claim 1 , wherein a distal-most end of the constant-height distal section is spaced proximally from the distal cutting edge defined by the first etching.

3 . The knife according to claim 1 , wherein a distal-most end of the constant-height distal section is rounded.

4 . The knife according to claim 1 , wherein the inner lateral side of the distal body is continuously flat.

5 . The knife according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the relatively recessed surface portion is disposed between the distal cutting edge defined by the first etching and a distal-most end of the constant-height distal section.

6 . The knife according to claim 1 , wherein the tapered proximal section tapers in height from a full height of the distal body in a distal direction.

7 . A knife configured to translate through curved jaw members of an electrosurgical forceps, the knife comprising:
a distal body having an inner lateral side and an outer lateral side, the inner lateral side being continuously flat; a first etching on the outer lateral side of the distal body, the first etching defining a distal cutting edge comprising:
a main cutting segment having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
a lower cutting segment extending from the first end of the main cutting segment at an angle to the main cutting segment; and
an upper cutting segment extending from the second end of the main cutting segment at an angle to the main cutting segment; and
a second etching on the outer lateral side of the distal body such that the outer lateral side of the distal body includes a relatively recessed surface portion and a relatively protruded surface portion, the relatively protruded surface portion having a distal-most end spaced proximally from the distal cutting edge defined by the first etching.

8 . The knife according to claim 7 , wherein the relatively protruded surface portion includes a tapered proximal section that tapers in height in a distal direction and a constant-height distal section extending distally from a distal end of the tapered proximal section toward the distal cutting edge defined by the first etching.

9 . The knife according to claim 8 , wherein a distal-most end of the constant-height distal section is rounded.

10 . The knife according to claim 8 , wherein the tapered proximal section tapers in height from a full height of the distal body in a distal direction.

11 . The knife according to claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the relatively recessed surface portion is disposed between the distal cutting edge defined by the first etching and the distal-most end of the constant-height distal section.

12 . A knife configured to translate through curved jaw members of an electrosurgical forceps, the knife comprising:
an inner lateral side and an outer lateral side; a first etching on the outer lateral side, the first etching defining a distal cutting edge comprising:
a main cutting segment having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
a lower cutting segment extending from the first end of the main cutting segment at an angle to the main cutting segment; and
an upper cutting segment extending from the second end of the main cutting segment at an angle to the main cutting segment; and
a second etching on the outer lateral side such that the outer lateral side includes a relatively protruded surface portion and a relatively recessed surface portion, wherein a portion of the relatively protruded surface tapers in height in a distal direction.

13 . The knife according to claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the relatively protruded surface portion extends at a constant-height along the outer lateral side of the knife.

14 . The knife according to claim 12 , wherein the inner lateral side is continuously flat.

15 . The knife according to claim 12 , wherein a distal-most end of the relatively protruded surface portion is rounded.

16 . The knife according to claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the relatively recessed surface portion is disposed between the distal cutting edge defined by the first etching and a distal-most end of the relatively protruded surface portion.

17 . The knife according to claim 12 , wherein the portion of the relatively protruded surface that tapers in height in the distal direction tapers in height from a full height of the outer lateral side of the knife in the distal direction.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Goodman Kelley D
• Keffeler David Michael
• Krastins Craig V
• Lee Jennifer E
• Mccullough Jr Robert F
• Mercier Daniel W
• Sims Grant T

Classifications

• A61B18/1442

  Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps · CPC title

• B23K2101/20

  Tools · CPC title

• B23K26/30

  of three-dimensional [3D] seams · CPC title

• B23K26/32

  taking account of the properties of the material involved · CPC title

• B23K26/0006

  taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence) · CPC title