Patent ID: 9636163
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A method for using a surgical apparatus for welding and severing tissue, wherein the surgical apparatus comprises: an elongated shaft; a first jaw and a second jaw, wherein the second jaw is relatively movable with respect to the first jaw, wherein the first and second jaws extend from a distal end of the shaft and each of the jaws comprise a jaw-facing surface; a first heating element for welding tissue provided on the jaw-facing surface of one of the jaws; and a second heating element for severing tissue also provided on the jaw-facing surface of one of the jaws, wherein the first heating element and the second heating element are electrically connected in series; and a control for activating the first and second heating elements; wherein the method comprises: moving the first jaw relative to the second jaw to clamp tissue between the jaw-facing surfaces; actuating the control to simultaneously heat the first and second heating elements such that the first heating element is heated to a first temperature upon application of power to weld the tissue and the second heating element is energized to a second temperature upon application of power to sever tissue.