Patent ID: 7604634

Claim:
A cardiac tissue ablation apparatus comprising: first and second jaw assemblies, the jaw assemblies being relatively moveable between open and closed positions, respectively, to receive and compress cardiac tissue therebetween; each jaw assembly having an elongated electrically conductive member for ablating tissue between the jaw assemblies, the conductive members of the jaw assemblies being in face-to-face relation and connectible to a bipolar energy power source so as to be of opposite polarity when so connected for providing an electrical current through a selected tissue ablation area that is located between the jaw assemblies; and each jaw assembly including at least one internal jaw support member and including an insulative cover that sufficiently surrounds the internal jaw support member to prevent contact of such internal jaw support member with the selected ablation area, wherein each jaw assembly has a clamping surface and each insulative cover is located on each side of the respective elongated conductive member of the corresponding jaw assembly and forms the clamping surface.