Patent ID: 6454781
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising:a shaft having a distal end; an end-effector located at a distal end of said shaft, said end-effector comprising: a tissue contacting surface, at least a portion of said tissue contacting surface being energy conductive, to heat tissue in contact with said energy conductive portion; a clamp arm rotatably mounted at said distal end of said shaft, said clamp arm comprising: a clamp pad, said clamp pad comprising a temperature-measuring device arranged to measure the temperature of tissue being treated by said energy conductive portion and to produce a temperature signal representative of the measured temperature; a signal processing device coupled to said temperature-measuring device, said signal processing device arranged to receive the temperature signal from said temperature-measuring device; said signal processing device comprising a switch arranged to select between a first functional mode of said ultrasonic surgical instrument and a second functional mode of said ultrasonic surgical instrument.