Coagulating devices

Claim 1

A high frequency alternating electric current tissuecoagulating device having an elongated means supporting two separate and spaced apart electrodes, and electrical insulator spacer means for insulating the electrodes from each other, and circuit means for connecting the electrodes to opposite poles of a source of high frequency alternating current, the improvement being: said electrical insulator spacer means being axially elongated along a longitudinal axis thereof, the electrical insulator spacer means having a first step defined therein at a distal end thereof and having a second step defined therein aT an interconnected and opposite proximal end thereof; the elongated means being further for positioning the electrodes at the distal end thereof, and said insulator spacer means being further for spacing the electrodes at said distal end of the elongated means; said electrodes including a first annular electrode mounted in juxtaposition to the second step onto said electrical insulator spacer means, and a second hemispherically shaped terminal-end electrode mounted on said first step onto said electrical insulator spacer means, and said electrical insulator spacer means and said electrodes being mounted on said distal end of the elongated means at said proximal end of the electrical insulator spacer means, each of the first annular electrode and the second hemispherically shaped terminal-end electrode in a mounted state having predetermined amounts of exterior exposed surface area, respectively for each, whereby tissue in contact with both the first annular electrode and the second hemispherically shaped terminal-end electrode becomes coagulated when the high frequency alternating electric current is passed through the contacted tissue between the electrodes.