Surgical instrument with auto-regulating heater and method of using same

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An instrument for use in surgery comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a working end connected to the distal end of the shaft for manipulating and coagulating tissue, the working end having a working surface for contacting tissue and a cross-section extending perpendicularly to the working surface, the working end integrally formed of a heating element, the working surface maintained at an auto-regulated temperature by conducting a current throughout the entire cross-section of the working end, the heating element comprising a material having a skin depth extending substantially throughout the cross-section of the working end responsive to the temperature of the heating element and that decreases as the temperature of the heating element falls below the auto-regulated temperature;

first and second electrode leads connected to the proximal end of the shaft; and

means connecting the first and second electrode leads to the working end.

2. An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the material of said heating element further comprises a material that exhibits a Curie transition in permeability.

3. An instrument as defined in claim 2 wherein the material further comprises a ferromagnetic material.

4. An instrument as defined in claim 3 wherein the material further comprises an element selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel and cobalt.

5. An instrument as defined in claim 3 wherein the material further comprises an alloy of iron and nickel.

6. An instrument as defined in claim 5 wherein the alloy further comprises nickel having a concentration in the range of approximately 35 percent to approximately 55 percent by weight.

7. An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the working surface further comprises a tapered edge for thermally-enhanced cutting of tissue at a temperature in the range of the auto-regulated temperature, wherein the tapered edge defines an apex having an angle in the range of approximately 15 to approximately 50 degrees.

8. An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the working surface further comprises a coating of electrically-insulating non-stick material to reduce the accumulation of coagulum on the working surface.

9. An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein the shaft has a distal region adjacent to the distal end, the instrument further comprising a heater support member adjacent to the distal end and interposed between the working end and the electrode leads, the heater support member having a low thermal conductance so that conduction of heat from the working end to the distal region of the shaft is reduced.

10. An instrument as defined in claim 9 wherein the heater support member further comprises a material having a low electrical resistance.

11. The instrument as defined in claim 1 in combination with a power source that provides a substantially constant current output to the instrument at a selectable level, the substantially constant current output of the power source substantially independent of the deviation of the working surface temperature from the auto-regulation temperature during surgery.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the power source has a current level selectable from the range of 1 to 10 amperes.

13. A working end for use in a surgical instrument comprising:

a substrate integrally formed of a heating element and having both a high-temperature working surface region for manipulating and coagulating tissue, and a low-temperature region for disposing the heating element adjacent a distal end of a shaft, the high-temperature working surface region having a working surface and a cross-section extending perpendicularly to the working surface, the working surface maintained at an auto-regulated temperature by conducting a current throughout the entire cross-section, the substrate comprising a material having a skin depth extending throughout the cross-section of the high-temperature working surface region responsive to the temperature of the high-temperature working surface region and that decreases as the temperature of the high-temperature working surface region falls below the auto-regulated temperature; and

an overlayer disposed on the low-temperature region of the substrate, the overlayer having a low thermal conductance for reducing the conduction of heat from the high-temperature working surface region to the low-temperature region of the substrate.

14. A working end as defined in claim 13 wherein the overlayer further comprises a material having a low electrical resistance.

15. A working end as defined in claim 14 wherein the material further comprises a ferromagnetic material that exhibits a Curie transition in permeability.

16. A working end as defined in claim 15 wherein the material further comprises an alloy of iron and nickel, wherein the alloy further comprises nickel having a concentration in the range of approximately 35 percent to approximately 55 percent by weight.

17. A working end as defined in claim 13 wherein the substrate has a thickness approximately eight to ten times the skin depth of the substrate at working surface temperatures below the auto-regulation temperature.

18. A working end as defined in claim 13 wherein the working surface further comprises a tapered edge for thermally-enhanced cutting of tissue at a temperature in the range of the auto-regulated temperature.

19. A working end as defined in claim 13 wherein the working surface further comprises a coating of electrically-insulating non-stick material to reduce coagulum accumulation on the working surface.

20. An instrument for use in surgery comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a working end connected to the distal end of the shaft for manipulating and hemostatically cutting tissue, the working end having a working surface for contacting tissue and a cross-section extending perpendicularly to the working surface, the working end integrally formed of a heating element, the working surface maintained at an auto-regulated temperature by conducting a current throughout the entire cross-section of the working end, the working surface including an atraumatic edge that becomes capable of cutting tissue when heated to a temperature in the range of the auto-regulated temperature, the heating element comprising a material having a skin depth extending substantially throughout the cross-section of the working end responsive to the temperature of the heating element and that decreases as the temperature of the heating element falls below the auto-regulated temperature;

first and second electrode leads connected to the proximal end of the shaft; and

means connecting the first and second electrode leads to the working end.

21. An instrument as defined in claim 20 wherein the material of said heating element further comprises a material that exhibits a Curie transition in permeability.

22. An instrument as defined in claim 21 wherein the material further comprises a ferromagnetic material.

23. An instrument as defined in claim 20 wherein the atraumatic edge comprises a tapered edge defining an apex having an angle in the range of approximately 15 to approximately 50 degrees.

24. An instrument as defined in claim 20 wherein the working surface further comprises a coating of electrically-insulating non-stick material to reduce accumulation of coagulum on the working surface.

25. An instrument as defined in claim 20 wherein the shaft has a distal region adjacent to the distal end, the instrument further comprising a heater support member adjacent to the distal end and interposed between the working end and the electrode leads, the heater support member having a low thermal conductance and low electrical resistance so that conduction of heat from the working end to the distal region of the shaft is reduced.

26. The instrument as defined in claim 20 in combination with a power source that provides a substantially constant current output to the instrument at a selectable level, the substantially constant current output of the power source substantially independent of the deviation of the working surface temperature from the auto-regulation temperature during surgery.

27. Apparatus as defined in claim 26 wherein the power source has a current level selectable from the range of 1 to 10 amperes.

28. A working end for use in a surgical instrument comprising:

a substrate integrally formed of a heating element and having both a high-temperature working surface region for manipulating and hemostatically cutting tissue, and a low-temperature region for disposing the heating element adjacent a distal end of a shaft, the high-temperature working surface region having a working surface and a cross-section extending perpendicularly to the working surface, the working surface maintained at an auto-regulated temperature by conducting a current throughout the entire cross-section, the working surface including an atraumatic edge that becomes capable of cutting tissue when heated to a temperature in the range of the auto-regulated temperature, the substrate comprising a material having a skin depth extending throughout the cross-section of the high-temperature working region responsive to the temperature of the high-temperature working surface region and that decreases as the temperature of the high-temperature working surface region falls below the auto-regulated temperature; and

a metallic overlayer disposed on the low-temperature region of the substrate and electrically coupled thereto, the metallic overlayer having a low thermal conductance for reducing the conduction of heat from the high-temperature working surface region to the low-temperature region of the substrate.

29. A working end as defined in claim 28 wherein the material further comprises a ferromagnetic material that exhibits a Curie transition in permeability.

30. A working end as defined in claim 29 wherein the material further comprises an alloy of iron and nickel, wherein the alloy further comprises nickel having a concentration in the range of approximately 35 percent to approximately 55 percent by weight.

31. A working end as defined in claim 28 wherein the substrate has a thickness approximately eight to ten times the skin depth of the substrate at working surface temperatures below the auto-regulation temperature.

32. A working end as defined in claim 28 wherein the atraumatic edge further comprises a tapered edge.

33. A working end as defined in claim 28 wherein the working surface further comprises a coating of electrically-insulating non-stick material to reduce coagulum accumulation on the working surface.