Temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate and methods of manufacturing same

1. A method of manufacturing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate suitable for use in an electrosurgical jaw member, comprising:

providing an electrically-conductive substrate defining a longitudinal axis and having a planar bottom surface;

applying a first planar layer to the planar bottom surface of the electrically-conductive substrate, the first planar layer including an electrically-conductive material formed over one or more portions of an electrically-insulative material;

forming a first opening and a second opening in the first planar layer, the first and second openings laterally offset from one another on the planar bottom surface in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the electrically-conductive substrate, each of the first and second openings configured to receive at least a portion of a temperature sensor therein;

etching portions of the electrically-conductive material from the first planar layer to form a first electrically-conductive trace and a second electrically conductive trace, the first electrically-conductive trace associated with the first opening and the second electrically-conductive trace associated with the second opening; and

coupling first and second temperature sensors to the planar bottom surface of the electrically-conductive substrate, the first temperature sensor associated with the first opening and the second temperature sensor associated with the second opening.

2. The method of manufacturing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second temperature sensors is a thermocouple.

3. The method of manufacturing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate claim 2 , wherein the thermocouple is a J-type thermocouple formed utilizing vapor deposition.

4. The method of manufacturing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second temperature sensors is a thermistor.

5. The method of manufacturing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate of claim 1 , wherein forming the first and second openings in the first planar layer includes etching at least one of the first or second openings in the first planar layer.

6. The method of manufacturing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a third opening in the first planar layer configured to receive at least a portion of a pressure sensor therein; and

coupling at least two pressure sensors to the bottom planar surface of the electrically-conductive substrate, a first pressure sensor of the at least two pressure sensors associated with the third opening, a second pressure sensor of the at least two pressure sensors associated with the first or second opening.

7. The method of manufacturing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate of claim 1 , wherein providing the electrically-conductive substrate having the planar bottom surface includes the electrically-conductive substrate being rigid.

8. The method of manufacturing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate of claim 1 , wherein etching portions of the electrically-conductive material includes etching the first and second electrically conductive traces parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrically-conductive substrate.

9. A method of manufacturing a jaw member suitable for use in an electrosurgical end-effector assembly, comprising:

providing a structural support member;

providing a temperature-sensing electrically-conductive tissue-contacting plate defining a longitudinal axis and having a tissue-contacting surface and a planar bottom surface, the tissue-contacting plate being solid between the tissue-contacting surface and the bottom surface, the structural support member configured to mechanically engage the bottom surface;

applying a planar first layer formed of an electrically-insulative material to the bottom surface, the first planar layer including an electrically-conductive material formed over one or more portions of the electrically-insulative material;

forming a first and second opening in the first layer, the first and second openings each configured to receive at least a portion of a temperature sensor therein, the first and second openings laterally offset from one another in the first layer in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis;

etching portions of the electrically-conductive material from the first planar layer to form a first electrically-conductive trace and a second electrically conductive trace, the first electrically-conductive trace associated with the first opening and the second electrically-conductive trace associated with the second opening; and

coupling a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor to the bottom surface, each one of the first and second temperature sensors associated with a different one of the first and second openings and operably coupled to a different one of the first and second electrically-conductive traces.

10. The method of manufacturing a jaw member of claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the first or second temperature sensors is a thermocouple including one or more deposited layers formed utilizing vapor deposition.