ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT AND METHOD OF USE

摘要

An electrosurgical medical device and method (Fig. 8A) for creating thermal
welds in engaged
tissue. In one embodiment, at least one jaw of the instrument defines a tissue
engagement plane
carrying a conductive-resistive matrix of a conductively-doped non-conductive
elastomer. The
engagement surface portions thus can be described as a positive temperature
coefficient material
that has a unique selected decreased electrical conductance at each selected
increased
temperature thereof over a targeted treatment range. The conductive-resistance
matrix can be
engineered to bracket a targeted thermal treatment range, for example about
60°C to 80°C, at
which tissue welding can be accomplished. In one mode of operation, the
engagement plane will
automatically modulate and spatially localize ohmic heating within the engaged
tissue from Rf
energy application-across-micron-scale portions of the engagement surface
(155A). In another
mode of operation, a conductive-resistive matrix can induce a "wave" of Rf
energy density to
sweep across the tissue to thereby weld tissue