Importance

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Abstract

A hand held coagulating device exhibiting superior radiation transfer characteristics and providing a cooled handle for improved user comfort. An exemplary embodiment includes an outer shell housing internal components of the device and providing a surface at which a user of the device can hold the device during a surgical procedure. A contact element positioned in an opening in a forward end of the shell is placed against an area of tissue or blood to be coagulated, and radiation produced by a radiation source, such as an incandescent lamp, is transmitted through the contact element to the tissue or blood for an appropriate period of time. In one embodiment, a curved reflector is disposed near the radiation source to direct the radiation toward the contact element, and a conical collector is situated between the radiation source and the contact element to focus the radiation through the contact element. In another embodiment, a heat sink is positioned in an opening in an aft end of the shell for conducting heat to the surrounding environment. An adiabatic heat pipe is connected between the radiation source and the heat sink so that heat is transferred directly from the radiation source to the outside air while the surface used for holding the device remains cool.

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First Claim