Surgical systems and methods for adjusting sealing parameters based on sensed tissue characteristics

Abstract

A surgical forceps includes a housing having one or more shafts attached thereto and an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end thereof. The end effector assembly includes first and second jaw members disposed in opposing relation relative to one another. At least one jaw member is moveable from an open position to a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween. The jaw members include at least one sensing component that determines an output of one or both of cross-sectional diameter and composition of tissue disposed between the jaw members. A processing component is configured to receive the output and determine a seal pressure for adequately sealing tissue disposed between the jaw members based upon the output. A regulating component regulates the movement of the jaw members between the first and second positions such that the determined seal pressure is applied to tissue disposed therebetween.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surgical forceps, the forceps comprising:
 a housing having at least one shaft attached thereto, the shaft having an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end thereof, the end effector assembly including first and second jaw members disposed in opposing relation relative to one another, at least one of the jaw members moveable from an open position to a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween, the jaw members including at least one sensing component that determines an output of at least one of cross-sectional diameter and composition of tissue disposed therebetween;   a processing component configured to receive the output from the sensing component and determine a seal pressure for adequately sealing tissue disposed between the jaw members based upon the output; and   a regulating component in communication with the processing component, the regulating component configured to regulate movement of the jaw members such that when the jaw members are moved from the open to the closed position, the determined seal pressure is applied to tissue disposed therebetween.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical forceps according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensing component includes a pair of electrodes disposed through each of the jaw members, the electrodes configured to pass an electrical signal through tissue disposed therebetween to measure an electrical characteristic therethrough, thereby determining at least one of the cross-sectional diameter and the composition of tissue disposed therebetween. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical forceps according to  claim 2 , wherein the electrical characteristic is impedance. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical forceps according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing component comprises electrical circuitry configured to receive the output and determine a seal pressure corresponding to the output. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical forceps according to  claim 4 , wherein the processing component is in communication with a generator configured to store user-input data, the user-input data used to determine a seal pressure corresponding to the output from the sensing component. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical forceps according to  claim 1 , wherein the regulating component includes at least one of a mechanically-driven system, an electrically-driven system and an electro-mechanically-driven system to regulate the seal pressure between the jaw members. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical forceps according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal pressure determined by the processing component is a minimum seal pressure required to adequately seal tissue according to the output. 
     
     
         8 . The surgical forceps according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal pressure determined by the processing component includes a range of seal pressures for adequately sealing tissue according to the output. 
     
     
         9 . A method of sealing tissue, comprising the steps of:
 providing a surgical forceps including first and second jaw members disposed in opposing relation relative to one another, at least one of the jaw members moveable from an open position to a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween;   determining at least one of a cross-sectional diameter and a composition of tissue disposed between the jaw members;   determining a seal pressure for adequately sealing tissue according to at least one of the cross-sectional diameter and the composition of tissue; and   regulating the movement of the jaw members such that when the jaw members are moved from the open to the closed position, the determined seal pressure is applied to tissue disposed therebetween.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the determined seal pressure is a minimum seal pressure required to adequately seal tissue. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the determined seal pressure includes a range of seal pressures for adequately sealing tissue.