Patent attributes
Aspects of the present disclosure include a surgical device comprising electrodes on the sides of an end of an effector to aide in sealing during various surgical procedures, such as a liver resection. During a sealing procedure, the surgeon may wipe the surgical site with the end effector, causing the electrodes to touch the fractured area. Electrosurgical energy may be applied to the electrodes during the wiping, causing coagulation of smaller vessels, such as tiny blood vessels and bile ducts in the parenchyma of the liver. In some cases, due to the nature of some smaller vessels, electrosurgical energy should be delicately applied to cause sealing but to avoid overly damaging the remaining tissue. In some embodiments, the thin design of the electrodes allows for an appropriate amount of electrosurgical energy to be applied to the fractured area.
