ELECTRO CAUTERY SURGICAL BLADE

Abstract: Electro cautery surgical blade (10) including a base blade conductive material (12), an insulation (14) disposed thereover, a second conductive material (16) disposed over said insulation and homogeneously deposited thereon, and a plurality of geometrically formed pre-positioned gaps formed therein thereby forming a reduced gap between the conductive electrodes. The surgical blade can be used as a standard surgical blade, an electro cautery blade where high voltage is utilized for a discharge arc for cutting and cauterizing, and low voltage where heat is producted by I<2>R losses for cauterization, or any permutation of the previous modes. Different alternative embodiments of the electro cautery surgical blade include aligned gaps on opposing sides of the blade, offset gaps on opposing sides of the blade, holes partially through the blade, and offset gaps wrapped around the blade.

Description: ELECTRO CAUTERY SURGICAL BLADE CROSS REFERENCES TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS None. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention — The present invention relates to a surgical blade and, more particularly, relates to an electro cautery surgical blade which provides for different modes of operation including a standard surgical blade, an electro cautery blade, . and a blade where low voltage is applied and heat is produced. 2. Description of the Prior Art — The prior art blades have been less than efficient in that either special material for the blades is required, or the blades have been a combination of structures which are ornamental and non-functional, and require considerable voltage which causes tissue damage as well as tearing of the tissue. Some of the prior art devices have ornate voltage sources which do not contact with the blade's structure, thereby being ineffectual. OMPI Other types of prior art blades utilize extremely elaborate and complex electrical circuits with standard type of blade structures which do not in the end accomplish a desirable end result of an effective surgical blade which can be utilized in more than one mode of operation. The present invention provides an electro cautery surgical blade which utilizes state-of-the-art semi¬ conductor masking technology,■ can be utilized as a standard surgical blade, an electro cautery blade, or the blade where low voltage is applied for electro 2 cautery and where heat is produced by the I R losses. The blade can also be utilized in many of the permuta¬ tions above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The general purpose of the present invention is to provide an electro cautery blade which can be utilized as a standard surgical blade without any electrical power applied to the surgical blade, can be used as an electro cautery blade where high voltage is applied between the conductive pads and utilizes the discharge for cutting and cauterizing of tissue, and as a blade where low voltage is applied between 2 the conductors and where heat is produced by I R losses due to the cauterization of the tissue, or in any permutation of the modes as previously described. The blade is constructed in such a manner that the blade material can be surgical steel with an alternative style of electrodes, opposing electrodes, or sandwiched overlapping electrodes. In one alternative embodiment of the invention, there is provided an electro cautery surgical blade including a base blade conductive material such as stainless steel or like conductive material, the blade material fashioned in the form of a surgical blade and maintaining a sharp edge and a point, layers of insulation disposed on opposing sides of the blade, a second conductive material homogeneously deposited or the like over the insulation material, and a plurality of geometrical gaps or the like disposed over the surfaces of the blade by semiconductor technology techniques including sandblasting by masking, - laser machining, chemical action, electrode discharge machining (EDM) , electron beam drilling, ion milling, or grinding, forming predetermined geometrical gaps providing for a plurality of gaps which are indicated as combs between the opposing sides of the conductive portion of the blade. Alternative embodiments of the present invention include opposing gaps on opposing surfaces of the blade, staggered gaps on opposing surfaces of the blade, holes partially through the second conductive portion to the first conductive portion of the blade, and a sandwiched alternating configuration of gaps. One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is an electro cautery surgical blade which can be utilized in a plurality of modes including a standard surgical blade, an electro cautery blade mode, or a mode where heat is produced during cauterization. Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is an electro cautery surgical blade which uses state-of-the-art technology in producing the blade at minimized cost, thereby making the blade disposable. Having thus described embodiments of the present invention, it is a principal object hereof to provide an electro cautery surgical blade. An object of the present invention is a surgical blade which is disposable and produced by state-of-the- art semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing processes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and whereini FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an electro cautery surgical blade; FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1? FIG. 4 illustrates the electro cautery surgical blade wired to a surgical power supply; FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an electro cautery surgical blade with expanding side views; FIG. 6 illustrates a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional end view along line 7-7 of FIG. 5; FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a surgical blade; FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8; FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional end view - along line 10-10 of FIG. 9; FIG. 11 illustrates another cross-sectional alternative embodiment; FIG. 12 illustrates a sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11; and, FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional end view along line 13-13 of FIG. 11. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an electro cautery surgical blade 10 including a base blade conductive material 12 such as stainless steel or the like conductive material which is capable of being ground or the like to a sharp edge. Stainless steel is particularly designated for surgical reasons as maintaining a sharp edge, and a material which is workable in a machining and manufacturing point of view, and a material which is recognized in a surgical and medical sense by the Food and Drug Administration. An insulation is deposited thereover by known processes in the art, the depositing being a homo¬ geneous layer of insulation material on both sides of the stainless steel. A second conductive material 16 is deposited over the insulation material 14. A plurality of gaps is formed along the edge of a finite height and width by known processes such as sandblasting, laser machining, chemical etching, electro discharge machining (EDM) , electron beam drilling, ion milling, grinding or the like, forming a combed electrode with opposing gaps with insulating , material between the combs. Subsequently, a sharp edge is ground about the beveled edge of the base electrode material, thereby forming a combed electrode. The electrode can take any predetermined geometrical configuration including a sharp point, a rounded point as illustrated in FIG. 1, or any other geometrical figure depending upon the type of surgery as well as the surgeon's preference. FIG. 2 illustrates a view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. The figure illustrates the opposing combed gaps which do not necessarily have to be opposed but can be bifurcated accordingly. Such opposing gaps are by way of example and for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as limiting of the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates an end view of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 illustrates the electro surgical blade 10 connected to a surgical power supply 20 including a surgical power cord 22 and a line cord 24. The surgical power supply is capable of operating in three modes, 26, 28, and 30. The first is a standard surgical blade mode 26 where no power is applied to the blade; the second mode is an electro cautery mode 28 where high voltage is applied between the conductive. pads causing a slight discharge arc for cutting and cauterizing; and the third mode is a low voltage applied between the conductive pads where 2 heat is produced by I R losses for cauterization. FIG. 5 illustrates a two-sided split view of an electrode 100 for electro cautery surgery including a non-conductive insulative support 102, a first conductor 104 and a second conductor 106 arranged in an opposing matrix and interconnected with respect to each other. The conductors are tied together with respect to each other in a comb-like fashion on one side of the blade and slightly overlapping with respect to the other side of the blade, those teeth which are slightly overlapping filling in between grooves of the comb-like configuration on the other side which has teeth slightly overlapping on the previous side, thereby providing an even-odd electrode configuration. The electrodes might also be viewed on one side as being staggered with respect to each other, but are electrically tied together between the opposing sides with respect to the combs which are wrapped around. The particular tip of the cutting edge is ground to a sharp point 108 accordingly. FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of FIG. 5 showing the particular configuration of the electrodes 104a-104n, 106a-106n, and insulative material 102. Sharp edge 108 is illustrated by a line. Height 109 can vary from being even with 104a-104n to less than height of 106a-106n. FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an electro cautery surgical blade 200 including a base blade conductive material 202, an insulation 204, - a second conductive material 206, a plurality of holes 208 extending through the material 206 and the insulat _-ion 204 to the base blade 202. The holes 208a-208n distribute the electrical current. FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an electro surgical blade 303 including a base blade conductive material 302, insulation 304, and a second conductive material 306 including a plurality of wrapped-around layers 308 and gaps 310 alternating therebetween, as also illustrated in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 illustrates an end view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. OMPI FIG. 13 illustrates a view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 11 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. MODE OF OPERATION » The electro cautery surgical blades are connected to an electro cautery surgical blade power supply which supplies power for three modes of operation, those modes of operation being either a mode of operation as a standard surgical blade, a mode of operation as an electro cautery blade where high voltage is applied between the conductive layers and the resulting discharge arc used for cutting and cauteriz¬ ing, or mode of operation where the blade as applied thereto a low voltage where heat is produced by the 2 I R losses for cauterization. The insulative material can be a ceramic, glass, or other non-conductive material. The conductive material can be vapor-deposited or photo-etched onto the insulative non-conductive material and can be silver, gold, aluminum or the like. A high-conductivity metal which has the property for being brought to a fine sharp edge is particularly desirable. More so, a non-conductive insulative material which may be brought to an edge such as glass or ceramic with a photo-etched or vapor-deposited metal is particularly desirable in this disclosed group of embodiments. Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the apparent scope thereof.

Claims: Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: 1. Electro cautery surgical blade comprising: a. surgical blade of a base conductive material and including a sharpened edge; b. insulation material deposited over said base conductive material; σ. second conductive material homogeneously deposited over said insulation material; and, d. plurality of geometrical configuration machined through said second base conductive material and said insulation forming geometrical configurations on either side of said blade whereby said geometrical configurations provide for electro cautery at high voltage, electro cautery at low voltage with I 2R losses or use of the blade as a general surgical blade. 2. Surgical blade comprising: a. insulative non-conductive material, said material assuming the shape of a surgical blade, said material being brought to a point; b. first layer of conductive material deposited on both sides of said blade in a predetermined geometrical configura¬ tion; and, c. second layer of conductive material deposited on both sides of said blade in a second predetermined geometrical configuration, said first geometrical configuration and said second geometrical configuration in a geometrical relationship with respect to each other providing an alternating electrical configuration with respect to each other. 3. Blade of claim 2 wherein said layers on opposite sides are in alignment with respect to each other in a geometrical arrangement in a comb tooth like pattern. 4. Blade of claim 2 wherein said layers on opposite sides are in alignment and overlapping partially on opposing sides in a geometrical arrange- ment with respect to each other. 5. Blade of claim 2 wherein said layers including holes extending therethrough. 6. Blade of claim 3 wherein said tooth like pattern provides for staggered teeth on opposing surfaces.

Inventors: STASZ PETER, STASZ, PETER
Applicants: STASZ PETER, STASZ, PETER
Application year: 1984
Main classification: A61B17
IPC codes: A61B18