Electrosurgical instruments and connections thereto

摘要

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.

主权项

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.