Importance

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Abstract

An electrosurgical selectively controllable loop electrode for laparoscopic surgery is set forth which includes a housing having a longitudinal axis and an axially extending cavity forming a passageway through the housing. A shaft member is slideably mounted to the housing within the cavity so as to permit axial and rotational displacement of the shaft member relative to the housing. A wire electrode which has a first end segment and a second end segment is in electrical communication with the shaft member and extends distally therefrom; the wire electrode also has a bridge segment integrally interconnecting the first and second end segments to form a loop. The end segments are biased by a pair of leaf springs of predetermined curvature where the springs are internally biased to open upon extension of the springs distally from the housing and to close upon external forces exerted against the springs by the housing during retraction. In another embodiment of the invention, the first and second end segments have a predetermined equilibirum shape and are self-biased to return to the equilibirum shape when displaced therefrom; the bridge segment integrally interconnecting the first and second end segments to form a loop is responsive to the internal restoring forces created when the bridge segment is displaced from equilibirum and the bridge segment articulates radially with respect to the end segments through a sequence of predetermined shapes.

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First Claim