Valleylab, Inc.

Sherwood Services Ag

Covidien Ag

S Wade Lukianow

Steven Paul Buysse

Michael J Lands

Jenifer Serafin Kennedy

Thomas Patrick Ryan

Donald Robert Loeffler

Kristin D Johnson

Gary M Couture

Dale Francis Schmaltz

Kate Ryland Lawes

Lap P Nguyen

Donald R Loeffler

Thomas P Ryan

A laparoscopic bipolar electrosurgical instrument for sealing tissue includes a handle having an elongated tube affixed thereto. The tube includes first and second jaw members having electrically conductive sealing surfaces attached to a distal end thereof which are movable from a first position for approximating tissue to a second position for grasping tissue therebetween. The handle includes a fixed handle and a handle which is movable relative to the fixed handle to effect movement of the jaw members from the first position to the second position for grasping tissue. The jaw members connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the opposable sealing surfaces are capable of conducting electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween. A stop is included for maintaining a minimum separation distance between opposing sealing surfaces. A ratchet is also included to maintain a closure force in the range of about 7 kg/cmto about 13 kg/cmbetween opposing sealing surfaces.

Laparoscopic bipolar electrosurgical instrument

A clamping force mechanism and its method of use with electrosurgery allow a user to seal and/or join patient's particular vascular tissue; the mechanism is elongate with user and patient ends. An actuator is at the user end and the effectors are at the patient end. Each effector has a face of an area to contact the particular vascular tissue. A lost motion connection transfers user actuation to the effectors to hold a predetermined clamping force during electrosurgical tissue sealing. A yielding member in the loss motion connection clamps the particular tissue between the faces with a predetermined force. The yielding member is a spring, slip clutch or hydraulic coupling possibly near the actuator. An active electrode is carried on one end effector and a return electrode contacts the tissue so an electrosurgical energy supply connected thereacross delivers energy therebetween. A feedback circuit responds to parameters of energy delivered to tissue. A temperature sensor on one face and an impedance monitor respond to energy delivered. A control applies energy to held tissue to seal and/or join it. The method transfers user actuation of the effectors with the lost motion connection, maintains clamping force while sealing and applying electrosurgical energy to seal and/or join held tissue. Energy is applied to a temperature or an impedance. The method shifts the yielding member so the opposing faces clamp the particular tissue therebetween with the force from the spring via a transfer rod or by the hydraulic coupling or the slip clutch for a range of pressure.

Vascular tissue sealing pressure control and method

Method of vascular tissue sealing pressure control

Electrosurgical energy is used in combination with a surgical tool to seal vessels and vascular tissue of a patient. One of the important advances of the present system is that it can effectively seal vessels of a patient without leaving any foreign material in the body of the patient. The present system is also capable of sealing vessels as large as ten millimeters in diameter. Another advantage of the present system is that the surgeon can visually inspect the integrity of the seal. The invention works with a combination of pressure and controlled application of electrosurgical energy to achieve the desired result. A surgical tool is used to grasp and apply an appropriate amount of closure force to the tissue of the patient. The tool is capable of conducting electrosurgical energy to the tissue concurrently with the application of the closure force. A method for sealing vessels and vascular tissue of a patient includes the steps of applying pressure to the vessels and other tissues of the patient; applying a first level of electrosurgical power to the vessels and other tissue sufficient to melt proteins in the tissue; applying a second level of electrosurgical power to the vessels and other tissue sufficient to cause desiccation without charring; reducing the electrosurgical power substantially to zero for a length of time sufficient to allow the vessels and other tissues to cool into a new compressed form; and relieving the pressure on the tissue.

Energy delivery system for vessel sealing

A clamping force mechanism for use with electrosurgery allow a user to seal and/or join patient's particular vascular tissue; the mechanism is elongate with user and patient ends. An actuator is at the user end and the effectors are at the patient end. Each effector has a face of an area to contact the particular vascular tissue. A lost motion connection transfers user actuation to the effectors to hold a predetermined clamping force during electrosurgical tissue sealing. A yielding member in the loss motion connection clamps the particular tissue between the faces with a predetermined force. The yielding member is a spring, slip clutch or hydraulic coupling possibly near the actuator. An active electrode is carried on one end effector and a return electrode contacts the tissue so an electrosurgical energy supply connected thereacross delivers energy therebetween. A feedback circuit responds to parameters of energy delivered to tissue. A temperature sensor on one face and an impedance monitor respond to energy delivered. A control applies energy to held tissue to seal and/or join it.

Vascular tissue sealing pressure control

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

S Wade Lukianow