Surgical instrument having self-regulating dielectric heating of its cutting edge
Patent 4207896 Issued on June 17, 1980. Estimated Expiration Date: 
June 17, 1997. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
June 17, 1997. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent References 1805904 1975437 2863036 3024342 3489884 3515837 3524966 3768482 InventorApplicationNo. 05/558333 filed on 03/14/1975US Classes:606/29, Tip in electrical circuit219/233, Tip in electrical circuit30/140With heaterExaminersPrimary: Michell, Robert W.Assistant: Thaler, Michael H. Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassesA61B 18/04 (20060101)A61B 18/20 (20060101) A61B 18/28 (20060101) A61B 18/08 (20060101) G05D 23/24 (20060101) G05D 23/20 (20060101) A61B 18/14 (20060101) A61B 18/00 (20060101) A61B 19/00 (20060101) AbstractThe cutting edge of a scalpel blade is heated to an elevated preselected constant operating temperature for cutting tissue with simultaneous hemostasis by dielectric heating of the internal structure of the blade in the region along the cutting edge. Selective heating of regions of the cutting edge that are locally cooled by contact with tissues during surgical cutting is provided for by constructing the heating elements of the blade of ferroelectric materials that have a Curie point in the operating temperature range and that provide large increases in loss factor (the product of relative dielectric constant times the ratio of loss current to charging current) for temperature decrements below the Curie point.Other References
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