| abstract |
A surgical apparatus and methods for severing and welding tissue, in particular blood vessels, including an elongated shaft (36) having a pair of relatively movable jaws (40, 42) at a distal end thereof. A first heating element (46) on one of the jaws heats up to a first temperature and forms a welded region within the tissue, while a second heating element (48) on one of the jaws heats up to a second temperature and severs the tissue within the welded region. A control handle (38) includes controls for opening and closing the jaws, and may include an actuator for sending current through the first and second heating elements. The first and second heating elements may be electrically connected in series, and the first heating element may be bifurcated such that it conducts about one half of the current as the second heating element. |