Patent ID: 6863669

Claim:
A double irrigating bipolar surgery forceps for providing irrigation fluid to a cautery site of a subject, said forceps comprising: a first elongated arm and a second elongated arm, each of said first and second arms having a proximal base end and a distal tip that defines a working region intended for contact with the cautery site; a base connected to each of the first and second arms for joining said first and second arms at said arm base ends so as to form a forceps manipulatable by a user of the forceps for selectively adjusting a spacing between the distal ends of the first and second arms, said base providing electrical isolation between said first and second arms for delivery of a cauterizing current between the working regions of the first and second arms; and a first fluid conduit extending longitudinally along said first arm from said base end to proximate said distal tip of said first arm for delivery of irrigation fluid from a first irrigation fluid supply to said distal tip of said first arm through said first fluid conduit so as to deposit delivered fluid at the working region of said first arm, and a second fluid conduit extending longitudinally along said second arm from said base end to proximate said distal tip of said second arm for delivery of irrigation fluid from a second irrigation fluid supply to said distal tip of said second aim through said second fluid conduit so as to deposit delivered fluid at the working region of said second arm, and so am to irrigate the cautery site arid thereby reduce buildup of char on the working region of said first and second arms during use of said forceps through concurrent delivery of irrigation fluid to the working regions of both said first and second arms, the second irrigation fluid supply being independent of and electrically isolated from the first irrigation fluid supply.