Patent ID: 7799027

Claim:
An electrosurgical instrument including: two articulated limbs which can be actuated in the manner of a cutting or clamping tool, electrode parts with coagulation surfaces positioned opposite each other at distal ends of the limbs for gripping tissue and adapted to pass a coagulating current through said tissue to cause its coagulation, at least one electrode part defining one open region adapted as a guide gap for a cutting instrument whereby said one electrode part is divided into at least two areas and said cutting instrument can be applied to clamped tissue for a cutting procedure, and current supply devices for supplying the coagulation current to said electrode parts from a HF generator, and wherein said at least two areas of said at least one electrode part define respective separation surfaces that are arranged opposite each other and that taper in the direction of said coagulation surfaces such that a width of said guide gap increases substantially continuously from a portion of said guide gap substantially adjacent to said clamped tissue to a portion of said guide gap most distal from said clamped tissue.