Electrosurgical Forceps with Segmented Electrodes for Clean Tissue Severing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrosurgical forceps with mechanical cutting devices often result in unsatisfactory cuts and are difficult to operate, as the tissue dries out during coagulation, making it challenging to achieve a clean and efficient severing process.
Innovation Solution
The use of a cutting electrode applying a second HF current, with coagulation electrodes designed to avoid coagulation in the cut area by spacing them far enough apart to prevent current flow, and the inclusion of neutral electrodes to guide the current path and minimize tissue damage, ensuring sufficient moisture for efficient cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coagulation electrodes are used to coagulate tissue during HF surgery, then bleeding is stopped and vessels are closed, but the tissue dries out and becomes difficult to cut cleanly
Solution Approach 1:
The electrosurgical instrument divides the treatment area into distinct zones: coagulation zones where electrodes are placed to stop bleeding, and a cutting zone kept free of coagulation. The coagulation electrodes are positioned laterally on the jaw parts, creating separated current paths that confine coagulation to specific areas while preserving the central cutting area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tissue receive different treatments: the lateral regions undergo coagulation to stop bleeding, while the central incision area remains uncoagulated to allow clean cutting. The electrode arrangement ensures that coagulation current flows through lateral paths while the central area receives minimal current, creating localized quality differences in tissue preparation.
2Ease of operation
If a mechanical cutting device is used to sever tissue after coagulation, then cutting can be performed, but the device is difficult to operate and cuts are not always satisfactory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical cutting knife with an electrosurgical cutting electrode that uses high-frequency current to sever tissue. This substitution eliminates the complexity of mechanical cutting mechanisms while providing clean, precise cuts through electrosurgical separation of the uncoagulated central tissue area.
3Reliability
If coagulation electrodes are placed close together, then coagulation is effective, but current flows through the incision area causing tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode arrangement segments the current paths laterally, positioning coagulation electrodes on opposite sides of the jaw parts such that current flows through lateral tissue paths. This segmentation creates isolated coagulation zones that do not overlap in the central incision area, preventing harmful current flow through the cutting zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The central uncoagulated tissue area acts as an intermediary zone between the lateral coagulation electrodes. This intermediate area is deliberately kept free of coagulation current, serving as a protected pathway for the future incision while the lateral electrodes perform their coagulation function independently.
4Reliability
If HF current is applied for coagulation, then bleeding is stopped, but the tissue becomes dehydrated and difficult to sever
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment process is segmented into distinct phases and zones: lateral coagulation phases that stop bleeding through HF current application, and a central cutting phase that severs the uncoagulated tissue. The spatial segmentation ensures that dehydration from coagulation does not affect the cutting efficiency of the central area.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrosurgical instrument employs periodic action by first applying HF current for coagulation in lateral zones, then switching to cutting mode in the central zone. This temporal sequencing allows coagulation to occur without interfering with the subsequent cutting process, maintaining both hemostasis and cutting efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design allows for quick and efficient severing of tissue with minimal mechanical damage and optimal coagulation, preventing tissue drying and ensuring effective electrosurgical separation.
Implementation Method 1
a high-frequency current is passed through the tissue to be treated, causing it to change due to protein coagulation and dehydration
Implementation Method 2
a high-frequency current is passed through the tissue to be treated, causing it to change due to protein coagulation and dehydration
Implementation Method 3
a cutting electrode is used for this purpose, which applies a second HF current using the neutral electrode, so that the grasped tissue or the grasped hollow organ is severed
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
The present invention provides electrosurgical forceps for efficiently severing of hollow organs, in particular vessels. The electrosurgical forceps have a first branch and a second branch for gripping the hollow organ. The forceps have at least one neutral electrode on the second branch, at least one first coagulation electrode and a second coagulation electrode that is disposed on the first branch for applying a first HF current by means of the coagulation electrode, and at least one cutting device, which is arranged between the coagulation electrodes in order to sever the hollow organ in a cutting region. According to the application, the cutting device is intended to comprise at least one cutting electrode for applying a second HF current by means of the cutting electrode and the neutral electrode, wherein the coagulation electrodes are arranged spaced apart from one another in such a way that the first HF current does not flow through or only a minor amount of the same flows through the cutting region.