| 摘要 |
An improved electro-surgical instrument (10), and method is disclosed for reducing smoke generation at a surgical site. The electrosurgical instrument comprises a metal body (20) having an outer insulating layer (30) to reduce thermal/electrical discharge from non-functional portions of the instrument. In one aspect of the invention, an insulating layer having a thermal conductance of about 1.2 W/cm<20>K, and a dielectric withstand strength of at least about 50 volts is employed. Such insulating layer may advantageously comprise silicon, and/or carbon. In another aspect of the invention, the metal body is provided to have a thermal conductivity of at least about 0.35 W/cm<0>K, and may advantageously comprise a metal selected from the group such as gold, silver, aluminum, and copper. Heat sink means (52) may be included in various embodiments to establish a thermal gradient away from functional portions of the instrument (i.e., by removing heat from the metal body). In one embodiment, the heat sink means may comprise a phase change material that changes from a first phase to a second phase upon absorption of thermal energy from the metal body.
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