Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
An electrosurgical instrument for tissue surgery, such instrument comprising an elongated surgical tool having a handle, a body and a jaw assembly, the handle and body being operable to position the jaw assembly about an intended site for cutting through tissue at the site, and wherein the jaw assembly includes an electrosurgical cutting member, and a clamping assembly formed of opposed jaw members and effective for clamping a plane region of tissue adjacent to a cut line, positioning the tissue against the cutting member along said cut line, said clamping assembly further including electrosurgical sealing electrodes for heating said plane region to seal along the length of a cut and said electrosurgical cutting member being movably biased against the cut line so that the cutting member automatically severs the tissue clamped in said plane region.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
An electrosurgical instrument for tissue surgery, such instrument comprising an elongated surgical tool having a handle, a body and a jaw assembly, the handle and body being operable to position the jaw assembly about an intended site for cutting through tissue at the site, and wherein the jaw assembly includes an electrosurgical cutting member, and a clamping assembly formed of opposed jaw members and effective for clamping a plane region of tissue adjacent to a cut line, positioning the tissue against the cutting member along said cut line, said clamping assembly further including electrosurgical sealing electrodes for heating said plane region to seal along the length of a cut and said electrosurgical cutting member being movably biased against the cut line so that the cutting member automatically severs the tissue clamped in said plane region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping assembly includes a first set of clamping jaw surfaces, and a second set of clamping jaw surfaces extending parallel to said first set of clamping jaw surfaces wherein said handle is operative to clamp said first and second set of clamping jaw surfaces so as to effectively prevent tissue movement as tension is released during cutting so that said tissue remains immobilized for effective sealing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 2 , wherein said movable cutting member is a spring biased blade or wire.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second set of clamping jaw surfaces form a split jaw of a hemostat, and said spring biased blade or wire is mounted in a split between the surfaces of the jaw.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 2 , wherein said cutting member and clamping assembly are dimensioned for coagulating and cutting mesentery tissue.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 2 configured as a hemostat with a pair of pivotally joined arms, and wherein one arm is a conductive arm forming a common RF electrode for said cutting member and said sealing electrodes, and the other arm carries said cutting member and said sealing electrodes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein said arms are joined by an electrically insulating pivot assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein said cutting member has a tissue cutting edge, and is insulated by an electrically insulating coating away from the edge thereby localizing current at said edge.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
65 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 6 , wherein said first and second sets of clamping jaw surfaces are defined by first and second sides of a pair of split jaw members, a first split jaw member carrying the cutting member in an elongated medial slot thereof, and the second split jaw member carrying a counter-block formed of insulating material in an elongated central slot.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 9 , wherein said second split jaw member is a conductive member connected as a RF common for electrosurgical energy applied to said cutting member and to the clamping jaw surfaces of said first split jaw member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping assembly includes sealing electrodes formed of thermally conductive material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 11 , wherein said thermally conductive material is covered by one or more of a) a thermally non-impeding cover and b) a non-stick cover.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said handle, body and jaw are configured as a hemostat.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising an energy ratio input element for proportioning electrosurgical energy to said cutting member and said coagulation electrodes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
56 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 14 , wherein the energy ratio input element i) matches output characteristics of an RF source to input impedances of said cutting member and of said sealing electrodes of the clamping assembly, and ii) provides an RF signal of higher voltage to said cutting member than to said sealing electrodes.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the body is an elongated body which configures the instrument for minimally invasive surgery such that the handle operates said clamping assembly through the body without spreading the body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising a thermochromic coating for visibly indicating temperature of said instrument.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
An electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said sealing electrodes seal along a single side of the cut to excise a tissue sample without denaturing the sample.