Patent ID: 6860882

Claim:
An electro-surgical bipolar forceps comprising: a first member having a first insert tube extending from a distal end thereof and a handle disposed at a proximal end thereof, the first insert tube having a distal end, a radial thickness of the distal end of the first insert tube being reduced to a predetermined dimension; and a first tip assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the first tip assembly being selectively engageable with the first insert tube, the first tip assembly including a first oversheath sleeve disposed between the proximal end and the distal end, a first spacer sleeve disposed about the first oversheath sleeve, a first distal seal disposed about the first oversheath sleeve and adjacent to a proximal end of the first spacer sleeve, the first distal seal comprising of an inner seal and an outer seal, the outer seal having a longitudinal length that is greater than a length of the inner seal, the outer seal having a portion spaced radially outwardly from the first oversheath sleeve by approximately the same predetermined dimension as the radial thickness of the distal end of the first insert tube; wherein in the selectively engaged position, the inner seal portion of the first distal seal is disposed in contact with and is compressed between the first spacer sleeve and the first insert tube, thereby applying a separating force between the first spacer sleeve and the first insert tube, and the portion of the outer seal that is spaced radially outwardly from the first oversheath sleeve is disposed about the distal end of the first insert tube.