Conmed Corporation

Consolidated Medical Equipment, Inc.

Frank R Williams

John S Gentelia

William C Wheatley

Sharyn E Longo

Deborah E Forbey

Ernesto G Sevilla

Stephen J Roberts

William W Abraham

Maz Sutcu

James C Calenzo, Sr

Alfred Solan

Ronald E Eggan, Jr

A bipolar electrosurgical instrument including four shearing members is disclosed. The shearing members are movable to an open position for grasping tissue, a closed position for desiccating tissue by application of electrical current and a cutting position for shearing tissue. The electrical current may be applied in an X-shaped pattern to thereby localize desiccation to the maximum extent possible. A method of using the bipolar electrosurgical instrument is also disclosed.

Bipolar electrosurgical instrument with desiccation feature

A trocar assembly includes an elongate trocar device and a surrounding cannula. The trocar device incorporates an electrosurgical cutting element which is used to make a guide hole for the cannula and thus enables the remainder of the trocar assembly to enlarge the puncture. An electronic control circuit senses the current flow to the cutting element and, when the trocar device breaks through the wall of the organ being cut, this circuit cuts off the connection to the associated electrosurgical generator. Further control circuitry prevents a surgeon from resuming electrosurgery until a predetermined time period has elapsed. Multiple trocars of different diameters are provided for the same assembly.

Electrosurgical trocar assembly

A manual control device for laparoscopic patient treatment by use of electrical curetage or coagulation, with means for clearing the surgical sight by irrigation or suction, finger operated buttons controlling the various functions, and an interlock mechanism disabling the electrical functions when a push button is depressed to enable irrigation or suction.

Manual control device for laparoscopic instrument

A trocar assembly includes an elongate trocar device and a surrounding cannula. The trocar device incorporates an electrosurgical cutting element which is used to make a guide hole for the cannula and thus enables the remainder of the trocar assembly to enlarge the puncture. The cutting element comprises a bi-polar electrode assembly. An electronic control circuit senses the current flow to the cutting element and, when the trocar device breaks through the wall of the body cavity being cut into, this circuit cuts off the connection to the associated electrosurgical generator. Further control circuitry prevents a surgeon from resuming electrosurgery until a predetermined time period has elapsed. Multiple trocars of different diameters are provided for the same assembly.

Electrosurgical trocar assembly with bi-polar electrode

An electrosurgical probe is provided which reduces the likelihood of arcing from the probe. In addition, the probe provides the ability to place a fiber-optic cable through the probe for providing for laser surgery or for laproscopic examination of the patient. The electrosurgical probe comprises an electrosurgical tip, a cylindrical body attached to the tip, and a base attached to the cylindrical body. The tip may have many different shapes but a spatula shape is generally preferred. The tip has at least one notch in the periphery of the spatula shape for retaining a fiber-optic cable. The cylindrical body is substantially hollow so that suction, irrigation, and laparoscopy may be carried out through the probe. To aid the surgeon in determining dimensions of organs within a patient, the cylindrical body has a plurality of striped regions having a predetermined thickness spaced apart at predetermined intervals on an outer surface of the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body is composed of an insulative material for preventing accidental shock to a patient. To prevent accidental arcing, an insulative layer which substantially covers the electrosurgical tip with at most a 4 mm extension of the electrosurgical tip exposed with no insulative layer.

Electrosurgical probe

A suction and irrigation apparatus is provided for selectively delivering suction or irrigation fluid to a patient during surgery or the like. A pair of resilient tubes are provided which is connected with a suction source and irrigation source at one end and is connected through a Y-shaped connector at the other end with a handpiece having clamping valves thereon disposed between the ends of the resilient tubes. The handpiece has a housing with openings in the ends thereof to provide passageways for the resilient tubes. Clamping valves are mounted in the housing which are spring urged to close the resilient tubes. A bracket is slidably mounted on the sides of the handpiece housing and the bracket is slidable to a position overlying the clamping valves so as to maintain the clamping valves in an open position. When the clamping valves are held in an opened position by the bracket, the handpiece can be moved along the length of the resilient tubes to position the handpiece at any desired location. When the handpiece is located in the desired position, the bracket is removed from the handpiece to release the clamping valves to close the resilient tubes.

Suction and irrigation apparatus

The present invention is directed to a self-contained, totally disposable apparatus for the collection and reinfusion of blood which is suitable for use with a chest drainage unit to provide for the autotranfusion of autologous blood and the method of using the apparatus. The blood collection and reinfusion apparatus is separate in structure from the chest drainage unit and comprises a rigid outer container and an inner flexible container in conjunction with portals for blood collection, reinfusion, and attachment to a vacuum source. The apparatus and method of the invention provides a closed system, requires minimal handling of the blood, and provides for greater patient safety in that no interruption of the operation of the chest drainage unit is required.

Apparatus for collecting blood from a chest drainage unit and reinfusion

A cannula is provided for laparoscopic surgery wherein the cannula comprises a housing and elongated tube with a passageway formed within the housing so that laparoscopic instruments may be passed through the housing and the elongated hollow tube into the abdominal cavity of a patient. A pair of rollers are mounted within the housing, the rollers being spring-urged together to close the passageway through the housing when an instrument is withdrawn. A slidable plate having apertures of different sizes are mounted in the housing with the apertures provided with slitted seals therein to close the passageway through the housing. The varying sized apertures in the slidable plate permit laparoscopic instruments of varying diameters to be used and to maintain an effective seal around the instrument. In another embodiment of the cannula a valve is provided which is closed when the rollers within the housing are in engagement with each other. When a laparoscopic instrument is passed through the housing to separate the rollers, the valve moves to an opened position to permit the laparoscopic instrument to pass therethrough.

Laparoscopic cannula

A cannula holder is provided to maintain a cannula in a fixed position on body tissue while also allowing the cannula to be reoriented with respect to an incision. The cannula holder comprises a pad having a large surface area with integral finger shaped projections extending from the pad. The fingers form a V shaped projection from the pad. There are concave regions formed on the outer circumference of the pad adjacent to the fingers for allowing the fingers to bend around the outer surface of a cannula. A means for securing the cannula holder to a patient's skin is provided by an adhesive layer that is attached to the pad. This adhesive layer is also on the fingers so that the fingers may be adhesively attached to the cannula. A removable paper layer is provided to cover the adhesive layer to prevent the adhesive layer from drying or accidently securing to objects.

Cannula holding device

The present invention is directed to a self-contained, totally disposable apparatus for the collection and reinfusion of blood which is suitable for use with a chest drainage unit to provide for the autotransfusion of autologous blood and the method of suing the apparatus. The blood collection and reinfusion apparatus is separate in structure from the chest drainage unit and comprises a rigid outer container and an inner flexible container in conjunction with portals for blood collection, reinfusion, and attachment to a vacuum source. The apparatus and method of the invention provides a closed system, requires minimal handling of the blood, and provides for greater patient safety in that no interruption of the operation of the chest drainage unit is required.

An electrical connector is provided for an electrode having a headed stud thereon in which a slot is provided between electrical contact plates mounted on the connector. The headed stud of the electrode fits within this slot and a slidable locking bar having a cam surface thereon is moved to a locking position wherein the headed stud is forced into a narrowed portion of the slot and is locked in contact with the electrical contact means.

Locking electrical connector

A disposable skin conducting electrode assembly and electrode therefor for use on a patient wherein the electrode assembly comprises an electrolyte pad, an electrode and an adhesive pad. In one embodiment of the invention the electrode is a thin stainless steel plate having a periphery shaped to provide a plurality of recesses in the contour thereof and the adhesive pad is a solid sheet having greater overall length and width dimensions than the electrode. Thus the adhesive pad extends over the recesses in the periphery of the electrode and provides greater adhesive area for adhering the electrode assembly to the skin of the patient. An external conductor is connectable to a conductive, single piece, solid metal stud or post attached to the electrode extending through an orifice in the adhesive pad. A pair of washers are mounted on the stud on either side of the adhesive pad for mechanically retaining the stud and electrode in position.

Growing community of inventors

Utica, NY, United States of America

Frank R Williams