Covidien LP

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Todd Boucher

William E Robinson

Joe Don Sartor

James D Allen, Iv

Jennifer R McHenry

Monte S Fry

Michael C Barden

Kristen P Bradley

John F Harris

An electrosurgical system includes an electrosurgical instrument having an electrode with a polymeric dielectric coating; and an electrosurgical generator, which includes a power converter configured to generate RF energy; a sensor coupled to the power converter and configured to sense a parameter of the RF energy; and a controller coupled to the sensor and the power converter. The controller is configured to control the power converter to output an RF waveform to achieve conductor breakthrough through the polymeric dielectric coating. The controller is further configured to determine whether the conductor breakthrough occurred based on the parameter; and execute a treatment algorithm based on a determination of the conductor breakthrough.

Electrosurgical system for use with non-stick coated electrodes

An end effector assembly for use with an electrosurgical instrument is provided. The electrosurgical instrument includes a handle having a shaft that extends therefrom, an end effector disposed at a distal end of the shaft, at least one electrode operably coupled to the end effector and adapted to couple to a source of electrosurgical energy, a titanium nitride coating covering at least a portion of the electrode, a chromium nitride coating covering at least a portion of the electrode and/or titanium nitride coating, and a hexamethyldisiloxane plasma coating covering at least a portion of the chromium nitride coating.

Non-stick coated electrosurgical instruments and method for manufacturing the same

An end effector assembly for use with an electrosurgical instrument is provided. The electrosurgical instrument includes a handle having a shaft that extends therefrom, an end effector disposed at a distal end of the shaft, at least one electrode operably coupled to the end effector and adapted to couple to a source of electrosurgical energy, a chromium nitride coating covering at least a portion of the electrode, and a hexamethyldisiloxane plasma coating covering at least a portion of the chromium nitride coating.

A method for applying a polydimethylsiloxane coating having a thickness in the range of from about 35 nm to about 85 nm on a tissue sealing plate. The method includes: placing the electrically conductive component into a plasma deposition chamber; supplying an ionizable media into the plasma deposition chamber; igniting the ionizable media to generate a first plasma at a first power level to prepare the electrically conductive component to receive the coating; supplying the ionizable media and a precursor composition into the plasma deposition chamber; and igniting the ionizable media and the precursor composition to generate a second plasma at a second power level thereby forming the coating on the electrically conductive component.

Method for coating electrosurgical tissue sealing device with non-stick coating

An energy generator includes a connector port configured to couple to an electrosurgical instrument including an electrode having a polymeric dielectric coating; a power converter configured to generate energy; and a sensor coupled to the power converter and configured to sense a parameter of the energy. The energy generator also includes a controller coupled to the sensor and the power converter. The controller is configured to: control the power converter to output energy to modify an electrical property of the polymeric dielectric coating; and determine whether the electrical property of the polymeric dielectric coating has been sufficiently modified by the energy.

System and method of manufacturing non-stick coated electrodes

An electrosurgical instrument includes a jaw member having an electrically conductive tissue sealing plate configured to operably couple to a source of electrosurgical energy for treating tissue. A polydimethylsiloxane coating having a thickness in the range of from about 35 nm to about 85 nm is disposed on the tissue sealing plate.

Electrosurgical tissue sealing device with non-stick coating

A head gimbal assembly includes a slider assembly and a flexure tongue that cantilevers in a first direction and supports the slider assembly. The slider assembly cantilevers away from the flexure tongue in a second direction different than the first direction. A load beam imparts a force on the flexure tongue and generates a first net torque on the slider assembly. The cantilevering of the slider assembly decreases a magnitude of the first net torque on the slider assembly. The force on the flexure tongue can also generate a second net torque on the slider assembly that is oriented about a second axis different than the first axis. The slider assembly can cantilever in the second direction to decrease the magnitude of the second net torque on the slider assembly. Portions of the flexure tongue and the slider assembly can be spaced apart from one another to form a gap that is directly between the flexure tongue and the slider assembly. The flexure tongue can includes a tongue aperture and/or one or more notches that increase the deflection of the flexure tongue to decrease the first net torque.

Growing community of inventors

Longmont, CO, United States of America

Todd Boucher