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:
Sep. 30, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 13, 1999
Michael R. Treat, New York, NY (US);
Fred H. Co, Santa Clara, CA (US);
George D. Hermann, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Thomas A. Howell, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Theodore R. Kucklick, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Michelle Y. Monfort, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Kenneth H. Mollenauer, Saratoga, CA (US);
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
An instrument and method are provided for sealing and joining or hemostatically dividing tissue, which is particularly suitable for laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. The instrument makes use of the controlled application of a combination of heat and pressure to seal adjacent tissues, to join adjacent tissues, or to anastomose tissues, whereby tissue is heated for an optimal time and at an optimal temperature under optimal pressure to maximize tissue seal strength while minimizing collateral tissue damage. The instrument of the present invention is lightweight and therefore portable, and is particularly useful in field conditions where a source of external power may not be readily available.