| abstract |
This invention is an electrosurgical instrument including an active electrode surface (5) made of a conducting ceramic or cermet. The conducting ceramic may be a carbide, boride, or nitride ceramic or a mixture of these ceramics. The cermet may include a ceramic and a metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, molybdenum, titanium, zirconium, and aluminum. The conducting ceramic or cermet active electrode surface may be supported on a core. In some embodiments, the core is a metal core with the active electrode surface formed as a coating on a surface of the metal core. In other embodiments, the core is made of electrically insulating material. Somme embodiments of the invention are Bovie blades, bipolar forceps, cauterizing end effectors for endoscopic surgery, bipolar biopsy devices, and spatula blades having the inventive active electrode surface. |