Electrosurgical instruments and connections thereto
View Patent ↗An electrosurgical instrument includes jaws having an electrode configuration utilized to electrically modify tissue in contact with one or more electrodes. The instrument is removably connectable to an electrosurgical unit via an electrosurgical connector extending from the instrument and a receptacle on the electrosurgical unit. The electrosurgical instrument is rotatable without disrupting electrical connection to the electrodes of the jaws. One or more of the electrodes is retractable. The electrosurgical unit and instrument optimally seals and/or cuts tissue based on identifying the tissue and monitoring the modification of the tissue by the application of radio frequency energy.
1. An electrosurgical system comprising a radio frequency (RF) amplifier configured to supply RF energy to coagulate and cut tissue and the RF amplifier supplying RF energy to tissue that is not sufficient to completely coagulate tissue prior to the supplying of RF energy to cut tissue;
wherein the RF amplifier is arranged to supply RF energy between a first electrode and a second electrode until an identified phase value equals or exceeds a first predetermined phase value, the first predetermined phase value being smaller than a second predetermined phase value identified to coagulate tissue; and
further comprising a third electrode and a fourth electrode on a first jaw to cut tissue between and outside the first jaw and a second jaw, the fourth electrode extending away from the first jaw and having a height smaller than a height of the third electrode, the fourth electrode including a distal portion that extends along a tip of the first jaw curving up along the tip and a lengthwise path of the third and fourth electrodes following a lengthwise shape of the first jaw.
2. The electrosurgical system of claim 1 wherein the RF amplifier is arranged to supply RF between the first electrode and the second electrode to cut tissue disposed between the first and second electrodes.
3. The electrosurgical system of claim 1 wherein the RF amplifier is arranged to supply RF energy between the first electrode and the second electrode to pre-cut tissue disposed between the first and second electrodes.
4. The electrosurgical system of claim 3 wherein the RF amplifier is arranged to supply RF energy between the first electrode and the third electrode to cut tissue disposed between the first and third electrodes.
5. The electrosurgical system of claim 1 wherein the first predetermined phase value is based on spacing between electrodes of the first and second jaws.
6. The electrosurgical system of claim 1 wherein RF energy supplied is at a first rate based on the first predetermined phase value.
7. The electrosurgical system of claim 1 further comprising an electrosurgical instrument comprising:
a first jaw including the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode and the fourth electrode disposed on the first jaw; and
a second jaw opposing the first jaw and coupled to the first jaw to capture tissue between the first and second jaws, a fifth electrode being disposed on the second jaw.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first electrode is disposed on the first jaw orthogonally relative to the fifth electrode and the first and fifth electrodes are electrically connected to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws with the first and second jaws being in a proximate position relative to each other.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein the first, second and third electrodes are electrically connected to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws with the first and second jaws being in a proximate position relative to each other, the second and third electrodes being disposed opposite of each other and on an outer surface of the first jaw.
10. The system of claim 7 wherein the second, third and fifth electrodes are electrically connected to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws with the first and second jaws being in a proximate position relative to each other, the second and third electrodes being disposed opposite of each other and on an outer surface of the first jaw.
11. The system of claim 7 wherein the first, second and third electrodes are electrically connected to cut tissue disposed between the first and second jaws with the first and second jaws being in a spaced position relative to each other, the second and third electrodes being disposed opposite of each other and on an outer surface of the first jaw.
12. The system of claim 7 wherein the second, third and fourth electrodes are electrically connected to cut tissue disposed outside the first and second jaws with the first and second jaws being in a spaced position relative to each other, the second and third electrodes being disposed opposite of each other and on an outer surface of the first jaw and the fourth electrode disposed on the first jaw orthogonally relative to the fifth electrode and extending away from the first and second jaws.
13. The system of claim 7 wherein the second and third electrodes are electrically connected to coagulate tissue disposed outside the first and second jaws with the first and second jaws being in a spaced position relative to each other, the second and third electrodes being disposed opposite of each other and on an outer surface of the first jaw.
14. The system of claim 7 wherein the electrosurgical instrument further comprises:
an actuator having:
a rotatable elongate shaft connected to the actuator and the first or second jaws to rotate the first and second jaws relative to the actuator;
at least one conductive connection surrounding a portion of the rotatable elongate shaft within the actuator; and
at least one stationary contact disposed within the actuator and electrically connectable to the at least one conductive connection, the at least one conductive connection electrically connected to the first electrode.
15. An electrosurgical system comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) amplifier configured to supply RF energy to coagulate and cut tissue and the RF amplifier supplying RF energy to tissue that is not sufficient to completely coagulate tissue prior to the supplying of RF energy to cut tissue; and
wherein the RF amplifier is arranged to supply RF energy between a first electrode and a second electrode until an identified phase value equals or exceeds a first predetermined phase value, the first predetermined phase value being smaller than a second predetermined phase value identified to coagulate tissue; and
an electrosurgical instrument comprising:
a first jaw including the first and second electrodes, the first electrode extendable from a first position within the first jaw to a second position outside the jaw and electrically connected to the second electrode, the second electrode being stationary; and
a second jaw opposing the first jaw to capture tissue between the first and second jaws.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first electrode is curvilinear or blunt.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein the first electrode is pointed.
18. The system of claim 15 wherein the first electrode is a hook and the first electrode is extendable from the distal most end of the first jaw.
19. The system of claim 15 further comprising a controller determining a tissue type of the tissue grasped between the first and second jaws and identifying the first predetermined phase value based on the determined tissue type.
20. The system of claim 15 wherein the electrosurgical instrument further comprises an actuator coupled to the first and second jaws, the actuator having a trigger to move the first and second jaws between spaced and proximate positions relative to each other and wherein extension of the first electrode from the first position within the first jaw to the second position outside the first jaw occurs when the first and second jaws are moved to the proximate position.
21. The system of claim 15 wherein the electrosurgical instrument further comprises an actuator coupled to the first and second jaws, the actuator having a trigger to move the first and second jaws between spaced and proximate positions relative to each other and wherein retraction of the first electrode from the second position outside the first jaw to the first position within the first jaw occurs when the first and second jaws are moved to the spaced position.
22. The system of claim 15 wherein the electrosurgical instrument further comprises an actuator coupled to the first and second jaws, the actuator having a trigger to move the first and second jaws and movement of the first electrode between the first and second positions occur in relation to movement of the first and second jaws.
23. The system of claim 15 wherein the electrosurgical instrument further comprises an actuator coupled to the first and second jaws, the actuator having a trigger to move the first and second jaws and a lever separate for the trigger, the lever moving the first electrode between the first and second positions independent of movement of the first and second jaws.
24. An electrosurgical system comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) amplifier configured to supply RF energy to coagulate and cut tissue captured between a first jaw and a second jaw, the RF amplifier supplying RF energy to a first electrode and a second electrode, both electrodes being disposed on the first jaw;
an electrosurgical instrument electrically coupled to the RF amplifier and including the first and second jaws connected to an actuator and a third electrode and a fourth electrode on the first jaw to cut tissue between and outside the first and second jaws, the fourth electrode extending away from the first jaw and having a height smaller than a height of the third electrode, the fourth electrode including a distal portion that extends along a tip of the first jaw curving up along the tip and a lengthwise path of the third and fourth electrodes following a lengthwise shape of the first jaw;
wherein the RF amplifier is arranged to supply RF energy between the first electrode and the second electrode until an identified phase value of the supplied RF energy equals or exceeds a first predetermined phase value, the first predetermined phase value being smaller than a second predetermined phase value, the second predetermined phase value being a phase value predefined to cause coagulation of tissue; and the RF amplifier is arranged to subsequently supply RF energy between the first electrode and the second electrode to cut tissue disposed between the first and second electrodes when an identified phase value of the supplied RF energy equals or exceeds the first predetermined phase value.
25. The system of claim 24 wherein RF energy supplied is supplied at a first rate based on the first predetermined phase value.
26. The system of claim 25 wherein the first rate is increased after the identified phase value has exceeded the first predetermined phase value.
27. The system of claim 24 wherein voltage of the supplied RF energy is increased after the identified phase value has exceeded the first predetermined phase value.
28. The system of claim 24 further comprising a controller determining a tissue type of the tissue grasped between the first and second jaws and identifying the first predetermined phase value based on the determined tissue type.
29. The system of claim 24 further comprising a controller determining permittivity of the tissue grasped between the first and second jaws and identifying the first predetermined phase value based on the determined tissue permittivity.
30. The system of claim 24 further comprising a controller determining conductivity of the tissue grasped between the first and second jaws and identifying the first predetermined phase value based on the determined tissue conductivity.
31. The system of claim 24 wherein the RF amplifier is arranged to subsequently supply RF energy between the first and second electrode to coagulate the tissue after supplying RF energy between the first electrode and the second electrode to cut the tissue.