Patent ID: 8734444

Claim:
An electrosurgical system, comprising: an electrosurgical generator adapted to supply electrosurgical power, the electrosurgical generator including an isolation transformer; and an electrosurgical device coupled to the electrosurgical generator, the electrosurgical device including: a housing; a shaft extending from the housing having an end-effector assembly disposed at a distal end thereof, the end effector assembly including opposing jaw members, at least one of the law members movable relative to the other from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to at least a second position closer to one another wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween; each jaw member including an electrically-conductive sealing plate, one of the electrically-conductive sealing plates functioning as an active electrode and the other electrically-conductive sealing plate functioning as a return electrode during activation such that electrosurgical energy flows from the active electrode through tissue positioned between the electrically-conductive sealing plates to the return electrode; and a step-down transformer disposed at a distal end of the shaft in proximity to the jaw members, the step-down transformer including a primary winding coupled to the isolation transformer and a secondary winding coupled to an active lead of the active electrode and a return lead of the return electrode; the active lead including a proximal end disposed within the distal end of the shaft: the return lead including a proximal end disposed within the distal end of the shaft: wherein the step-down transformer is adapted to step down the voltage of the electrosurgical power supplied by the electrosurgical generator.