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:
May. 12, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 23, 1996
David Gloth, Boston, MA (US);
Jeffrey A Dann, Worcester, MA (US);
NEBL, Inc., Worcester, MA (US);
Abstract
A surgical instrument electrode having a tissue cutting edge disposed along a front portion and a gap having a depth extending along an axis passing through the front portion and a rear portion wherein the depth terminates in a region between the front portion and the rear portion. With such an arrangement, relatively deep gaps may be formed in the electrode without requiring a corresponding increase in the bluntness of the tissue cutting edge. In addition, the electrode has a cross-sectional shape substantially continuously changing along a portion of the electrode from a substantially circular cross-section at a distal end to a substantially rectangular cross-section along the tissue cutting edge. Due to the continuous nature of the change, undesirable electrical arcing due to the shape change is substantially reduced, and is in effect removed.