 Method and apparatus for measuring blood pressure |
| OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a functional block ... |
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| Disposable cell culture chamber with remote access |
| OF THE INVENTION The invention is illustrated in connection with the same type of percutaneous ... |
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| Surgical tool |
| A surgical tool according to the present invention includes a hollow cylindrical housing open at ... |
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| Leak detector for an intra-aortic balloon pump |
| Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a leak detector for an intra-... |
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| Intraosseous infusion device |
| The present invention is embodied in a simple, easy to use, intraosseous infusion device that is ... |
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| Method and apparatus for infiltration detection during administration of intravenous fluids |
| In accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus for determining whether a medical ... |
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| System for preventing needle displacement in subcutaneous venous access ports |
| It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a safer system of providing repeated ... |
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| Percutaneous access device having removable turret assembly |
| The percutaneous access device of the present invention includes a housing implantable within the ... |
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| Pressure control system for cardiac assist device |
| The invention provides a driving and control system for inflatable chambers, such as balloons and ... |
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| Fully portable semi-automatic mechanical heart-lung substitution system and method |
| OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which schematically ... |
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Surgical handpiece with self-sealing switch assembly
| Details |
Inventors: Morgan, Roy; Saravia, Heber; Voges, Jens; Prakash, Mani;
Assignee: Stryker Corporation (Kalamazoo, MI)
Primary Examiner: Kearney; Rosiland S.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Flynn, Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
An bipolar electrosurgical tool (10) for cauterizing or ablating tissue. The tool has a nose cone (12) which serves as a handle. A conductive shaft (14) extends from the nose cone. A tip assembly (18) with an active electrode (20) is mounted to the shaft. A circuit board (78) is mounted in the nose cone. Conductive traces that forming contact pads (96, 102) are formed on the circuit board. A web (108) formed from a single piece of elastomeric material is seated over the opening in which the printed circuit board is mounted to seal the opening shut. Integrally formed with the web are buttons (116, 118) that are in registration over the contact pads. The buttons can be depressed downwardly towards the contact pads. When a button is so depressed, a conductive landing pad (120) integral with the button closes the connection between the traces that form the contact pad. Thus, the tool of this invention is provided with switches. The circuit board also has two conductive traces (92, 104a) that run in parallel. If there is a leak into the nose cone, a connection is established across these traces and shorts out a resistor (105). The shorting out of this resistor provides a control console (22) with an indication that there is a leak. The electrode is formed from a single piece of tantalum. The electrode has a head formed with a hole (172) trough which fluid flows. The electrode is seated in a sleeve (136b) provided with a through bore (177) in registration with the electrode hole. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION This invention is related generally to a new and useful electrosurgical tool.
The tool of this invention has a tip assembly with an electrode that facilitates the flow of conductive fluid to constantly rewet the active electrode during low powered operation as well as the eduction of large bubbles/gas pockets away from electrode during higher powered operation.
More specifically, the tip assembly is designed to foster convective fluid circulation around the surfaces of the electrode that constantly rewets those surfaces and transports the larger bubbles away from the electrode.
This circulation also serves to clean debris away from the electrode.
In order to foster this fluid flow, the electrode and a complementary insulator of the tip assembly of this invention are formed with portals through which this fluid flows.
The tool of this invention also has a handle, a nose cone, in which the circuitry internal to the tool is mounted on a printed circuit board.
A leak detect circuit is located on the periphery of the printed circuit board.
A complementary control console continually monitors the signal from this leak detect circuit.
The switches integral with the nose cone include static components that are mounted on the printed circuit board.
The switches have moving components that are integrally formed on a web that is fitted to the nose cone.
The web is designed to self-seal into place when mounted to the nose cone.
In some versions, the tool of this invention also has a fiber optic cable that is fitted in the tool shaft and that extends proximally away from the tip.
The fiber optic cable terminates at a transducer that is sensitive to infra-red light.
The transducer, based on the quantity of the received light, generates an electrical signal representative of the temperature at the surgical site.
The output signal generated by the transducer is applied to the control unit that regulates the application of the output power signal to the tool electrodes.
The control unit uses the transducer output signal as a feedback signal for regulating the magnitude of the energization signal applied to the electrodes
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Heart Surgery 
