Thermal cautery surgical forceps

Abstract

A portable, thermal cauterizing forceps device for use in surgery. The device incorporates a pair of ceramic heater elements mounted within the tips of the tines of a forceps. The forceps is used to grasp tissue or blood vessels and apply heat to effect cauterization. In the case of the first embodiment of the invention, the forceps instrument incorporates a battery and control electronics. The thermal-forceps is of a self-contained wireless, handheld disposable design. In a second embodiment of the invention, the forceps handpiece is connected to an external power source. Both embodiments of the forceps incorporate set of rapidly heating ceramic heater elements that may be composed of silicon nitride. An LED provides the operator feedback as to the operating level of the heaters and/or battery reserve. Enhancements to the second embodiment include a rechargeable power supply, variable control of the heater temperature, as well as a, digital display of the tip temperature.

1 . A thermocautery surgical forceps comprising: 
 a surgical forceps body including a pair of elongate tine members extending from the forceps body to respective free end tip portions spaced from the forceps body, the tine members being mounted to the forceps body in a manner providing resilient compressible movement of the tine members between a normally open position wherein the tines are disposed in aligned, parallel, spaced-apart relationship and a squeezed closed position wherein the tip portions of the tine members are disposed in confronting abutting relationship;    power source leads configured to be electrically connectable to a power supply;    at least one of said tip portions of one of the tine members comprising a heater element connected to the power source leads and said heater element having a flat, gripping and heating surface defined on an inner facing surface of said at least one tip portion opposite the other of said tip portions; and    the tine members configured to be squeezed together toward their squeezed closed position to grippingly, squeezably engage tissue to be cauterized or a blood vessel to be sealed between the flat gripping and heating surface of said heater element and the opposed tip portion of the other tine.    
   
   
       2 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an indicator configured to indicate an operative state of said heater elements,    wherein said indicator is configured to indicate whether a value of an internal resistance of said heater element falls outside predetermined operational limits.    
   
   
       3 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , further including a switch operationally electrically connected to the heater element and the power source leads and configured to automatically turn the heater element on to heat the flat, gripping and heating surface to an elevated tissue cauterizing or blood vessel sealing temperature as the tines are moved from the normally open position to the squeezed closed position.  
   
   
       4 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , which is sterilized and intended for one time disposable use.  
   
   
       5 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a rechargeable battery connected to said power source leads.  
   
   
       6 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a replaceable battery connected to said power source leads.  
   
   
       7 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an external power supply connected to said power source leads.  
   
   
       8 . The thermocautery surgical forceps according to  claim 1 , wherein said flat, gripping and heating surface comprises a non-stick heating surface.  
   
   
       9 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a heat-resistant holster assembly configured to receive and hold the forceps body.  
   
   
       10 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a battery connected to said power source leads.  
   
   
       11 . The thermocautery surgical forceps as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a 110 v AC power supply connected to said power source leads.  
   
   
       12 . A method for thermocauterizing tissue, comprising the steps of: 
 squeezably grippingly engaging tissue to be cauterized or a blood vessel to be sealed between tip portions of a thermocautery surgical forceps including a pair of spaced and opposed tine members each having tip portions, each tip portion including a heater element with a flat gripping and heating surface; and    activating the heater elements to heat the flat gripping and heating surfaces thereof to tissue cauterizing or blood vessel sealing temperature and thereby applying substantially uniform pressure and heat to a tissue gripped between the gripping and heating surfaces.    
   
   
       13 . In a thermocautery device, the improvement comprising: 
 a pair of elongate tine members having respective free end tip portions, the tine members providing resilient compressible movement of the tine members between a normally open position wherein the tines are disposed in a spaced-apart relationship and a squeezed closed position wherein the tip portions of the tine members are disposed in confronting abutting relationship;    power source leads configured to be electrically connectable to a power supply; and    at least one of said tip portions of the tine members comprising a heater element connected to the power source leads and said heater element including a flat, gripping surface.    
   
   
       14 . The thermocautery device of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 an indicator configured to indicate an operative state of said heater element,    wherein said indicator is configured to indicate whether a value of an internal resistance of said heater element falls outside predetermined operational limits.    
   
   
       15 . The thermocautery device of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a switch operationally electrically connected to the heater element and the power source leads and configured to automatically turn the heater element on to heat the flat, gripping surface to an elevated tissue cauterizing or blood vessel sealing temperature as at least one tine of said pair of tines is moved from the normally open position to the squeezed closed position.    
   
   
       16 . The thermocautery device of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a rechargeable battery connected to said power source leads.    
   
   
       17 . The thermocautery device of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 an external power supply connected to said power source leads.    
   
   
       18 . The thermocautery device of  claim 13 , wherein said flat, gripping inner face surface comprises a non-stick heating surface.  
   
   
       19 . The thermocautery device of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a battery connected to said power source leads.    
   
   
       20 . The thermocautery device of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a 110 v AC power supply connected to said power source leads.