Patent ID: 7803156

Claim:
An apparatus for surgical electrocautery, comprising: a pair of opposing jaws that are movable between an open position and a closed, clamping position; at least one electrode associated with one of said jaws, said at least one electrode being disposed between said jaws for contact with a tissue surface; at least one sac associated with one of said jaws and positioned between said jaw and said at least one electrode to support said at least one electrode; an incompressible fluid contained within said at least one sac, wherein said sac is prefilled with said incompressible fluid; wherein said at least one electrode exerts pressure upon said at least one sac when said jaws are moved to a closed, clamping position and said at least one electrode is brought into contact with said tissue surface, displacing said incompressible fluid within said at least one sac, wherein said at least one electrode conforms to said tissue surface while exerting an optimized pressure along an entire length of said tissue surface.