Ultrasonic surgical shears and tissue pad for same

Abstract

An ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad has a tissue-pad body including a base material and at least one filler material. An alternate ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad has a tissue-pad body having adjoining first and second regions, wherein the first region includes a first material and wherein the second region includes a second material. An ultrasonic surgical shears includes an ultrasonic surgical blade and a clamping arm which is operable to open and close toward the blade and which has a transversely and resiliently flexible distal tip. An alternate ultrasonic surgical shears includes an ultrasonic surgical blade, a clamping arm operable to open and close toward the blade, and a tissue pad attached to the clamping arm and having a clamping surface, wherein at least a portion of the tissue pad is resiliently flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to the clamping surface.

1 . An ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad comprising: an ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad body including a base material and at least one filler material which is a different material from the base material.  
   
   
       2 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 1 , wherein the at-least-one filler material has at least one property which has a different value from that of the at-least-one property of the base material, and wherein the at-least-one property is chosen from the group consisting of: hardness, stiffness, lubricity, dynamic coefficient of friction, heat transfer coefficient, abradability, heat deflection temperature, and melt temperature.  
   
   
       3 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 1 , wherein the base material has a heat deflection temperature greater than 500 degrees Farenheight.  
   
   
       4 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 1 , wherein the base material has a melt temperature greater than 700 degrees Farenheight.  
   
   
       5 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 1 , wherein the base material has a dynamic coefficient of friction less than 0.3 at pressure-velocity values greater than 30,000 pounds per foot-second.  
   
   
       6 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 1 , wherein the base material consists essentially of a thermoset plastic material.  
   
   
       7 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 6 , wherein the base material consists essentially of a polyimide material.  
   
   
       8 . An ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad comprising: an ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad body having adjoining first and second regions, wherein the first region includes a first material and wherein the second region includes a second material which is a different material from the first material.  
   
   
       9 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 8 , wherein the first region consists essentially of the first material and wherein the second region consists essentially of the second material.  
   
   
       10 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 8 , wherein the first material has at least one property which has a different value from that of the second material, and wherein the at-least-one property is chosen from the group consisting of: hardness, stiffness, lubricity, dynamic coefficient of friction, heat transfer coefficient, abradability, heat deflection temperature, and melt temperature.  
   
   
       11 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 8 , wherein the first material has a heat deflection temperature greater than 500 degrees Farenheight.  
   
   
       12 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 8 , wherein the first material has a melt temperature greater than 700 degrees Farenheight.  
   
   
       13 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 8 , wherein the first material has a dynamic coefficient of friction less than 0.3 at pressure-velocity values greater than 30,000 pounds per foot-second.  
   
   
       14 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 8 , wherein the first material consists essentially of a thermoset plastic material.  
   
   
       15 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 14 , wherein the base material consists essentially of a polyimide material.  
   
   
       16 . The ultrasonic-surgical-shears tissue pad of  claim 8 , wherein the first region includes a base material and at least one filler material, and wherein the base material is the first material.  
   
   
       17 . An ultrasonic surgical shears comprising: 
 a) an ultrasonic surgical blade; and    b) a clamping arm operable to open and close toward the blade and having a transversely and resiliently flexible distal tip.    
   
   
       18 . The ultrasonic surgical shears of  claim 17 , also including: 
 c) a tissue pad attached to the clamping arm and having a clamping surface, wherein at least a portion of the tissue pad is resiliently flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to the clamping surface.    
   
   
       18 . The ultrasonic surgical shears of  claim 17 , wherein the tissue pad comprises a tissue pad body including a base material and at least one filler material, wherein the at-least-one filler material has at least one property which has a different value from that of the at-least-one property of the base material, and wherein the at-least-one property is chosen from the group consisting of: hardness, stiffness, lubricity, dynamic coefficient of friction, heat transfer coefficient, abradability, heat deflection temperature, and melt temperature.  
   
   
       19 . The ultrasonic surgical shears of  claim 17 , wherein the tissue pad comprises a tissue pad body having adjoining first and second regions, wherein the first region includes a first material and wherein the second region includes a second material which is a different material from the first material.  
   
   
       20 . An ultrasonic surgical shears comprising: 
 a) an ultrasonic surgical blade;    b) a clamping arm operable to open and close toward the blade; and    c) a tissue pad attached to the clamping arm and having a clamping surface, wherein at least a portion of the tissue pad is resiliently flexible in a direction substantially perpendicular to the clamping surface.    
   
   
       21 . The ultrasonic surgical shears of  claim 20 , wherein the tissue pad comprises a tissue pad body including a base material and at least one filler material, wherein the at-least-one filler material has at least one property which has a different value from that of the at-least-one property of the base material, and wherein the at-least-one property is chosen from the group consisting of: hardness, stiffness, lubricity, dynamic coefficient of friction, heat transfer coefficient, abradability, heat deflection temperature, and melt temperature.  
   
   
       22 . The ultrasonic surgical shears of  claim 20 , wherein the tissue pad comprises a tissue pad body having adjoining first and second regions, wherein the first region includes a first material and wherein the second region includes a second material which is a different material from the first material.