The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 03, 1981
Filed:
Nov. 16, 1978
Andrew Herczog, Hammondsport, NY (US);
James A Murphy, Painted Post, NY (US);
Corning Glass Works, Corning, NY (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a surgical cutting instrument having a blade portion and cutting edge therefor with electric input elements located near the cutting edge for cutting the tissue and cauterizing the surfaces of the incision, thereby allowing surgery to be more rapidly performed. This is accomplished in accordance with the illustrated embodiments of this invention by providing electrodes of opposed polarity, applied to the blade, near the cutting edge. With an electrical potential applied, no current will flow between the electrodes and no heat is produced unless the electrode gap is bridged by a conducting medium such as a high conductivity physiological liquid from the incision. Heat is then generated by electric discharge below an arcing threshold in all areas where the blade is in contact with moist tissue. No electric discharge or heat occurs elsewhere. Moreover, if movement of the blade is halted, heat generation will automatically diminish as the cut tissue becomes dry as a result of cauterization.