Patent ID: 7169148

Claim:
A suction cautery dissector comprising: a handle assembly; a tubing assembly having a suction channel formed therein, the tubing assembly comprising a first portion connected to the handle assembly and a distal end; a tip assembly at the distal end of the tubing assembly, the tip assembly comprising a cautery surface with a beveled leading edge sharpened for dissecting tissue and a tip wall terminating at the cautery surface, the cautery surface having an opening formed therein that communicates with the suction channel in the tubing assembly and being operably connected to an electrical source, the cautery surface comprising a cauterizing plane; wherein the tubing assembly comprises an insulating layer covering the suction channel from the first portion to the distal end, terminating at a minimum predetermined distance along the tip wall from the cautery surface around the circumference of the tip assembly to enable the tip assembly to make surface contact around the entire tip wall, the insulating layer terminating at a substantially co-planar insulation termination plane; and wherein the cauterizing plane and the insulation termination plane are substantially parallel.