An endoscopic bipolar forceps includes an elongated shaft having opposing jaw members at a distal end thereof. The jaw members are movable relative to one another from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. The forceps also includes a source of electrical energy connected to each jaw member such that the jaw members are capable of conducting energy through tissue held therebetween to effect a seal. A generally tube-like cutter is included which is slidably engaged about the elongated shaft and which is selectively movable about the elongated shaft to engage and cut tissue on at least one side of the jaw members while the tissue is engaged between jaw members.

Vessel sealer and divider

A removable electrode assembly for use in combination with a forcep having opposing end effectors and a handle for effecting movement of the end effectors relative to one another. The electrode assembly includes a housing which is removably engageable with the forceps and a pair of electrodes which are attachable to a distal end of the housing. The electrodes are removably engageable with the end effectors of the forceps such that the electrodes reside in opposing relation relative to one another. The electrode assembly also includes a cover plate which is removably attachable to the housing and at least one stop member (439) for controlling the distance between the opposing electrodes. The stop member is selectively engageable with the electrodes.

Vessel sealing forceps with disposable electrodes

A bipolar electrosurgical instrument has opposable seal surfaces on its jaws for grasping and sealing vessels and vascular tissue. Inner and outer instrument members allow arcuate motion of the seal surfaces. An open lockbox provides a pivot with lateral support to maintain alignment of the lateral surfaces. Ratchets on the instrument members hold a constant closure force on the tissue during the seal process. A shank portion on each member is tuned to provide an appropriate spring force to hold the seal surfaces together. During surgery, the instrument can be used to grasp and clamp vascular tissue and apply bipolar electrosurgical current through the clamped tissue. In one embodiment, the seal surfaces are partially insulated to prevent a short circuit when the instrument jaws are closed together. In another embodiment, the seal surfaces are removably mounted on the jaws.

Bipolar electrosurgical instrument for sealing vessels

A method of fusing biomaterial and tissue using radiofrequency energy includes the steps of: providing a vessel sealing instrument having opposing jaw members which are movable relative to one another to compress tissue therebetween. The vessel sealing instrument includes at least one stop member affixed thereto for regulating the distance between the opposing jaw members. The method also includes the steps of: providing a biomaterial; positioning the biomaterial in abutting relation to tissue; approximating the biomaterial and tissue between the jaw members; compressing the biomaterial and tissue between the jaw members under a working pressure within the range of about 3 kg/cm 2 to about 16 kg/cm 2 ; and energizing the jaw members with radiofrequency energy to effectively fuse the biomaterial and the tissue such that the biomaterial and the tissue reform into a single, fused mass.

Method of fusing biomaterials with radiofrequency energy

A laparoscopic bipolar electrosurgical instrument for sealing tissue includes a handle having an elongated tube affixed thereto. The tube includes first and second jaw members having electrically conductive sealing surfaces attached to a distal end thereof which are movable from a first position for approximating tissue to a second position for grasping tissue therebetween. The handle includes a fixed handle and a handle which is movable relative to the fixed handle to effect movement of the jaw members from the first position to the second position for grasping tissue. The jaw members connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the opposable sealing surfaces are capable of conducting electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween. A stop is included for maintaining a minimum separation distance between opposing sealing surfaces. A ratchet is also included to maintain a closure force in the range of about 7 kg/cm 2 to about 13 kg/cm 2 between opposing sealing surfaces.

Laparoscopic bipolar electrosurgical instrument

The laser printer uses an array of laser diodes (11), a cross array of illuminating optical elements (21), a laser lens array (24), a light modulating array (40) and an integrator (23) that ensures that the modulator receives a uniform lighting effect. The cross array reduces the divergence of the laser diode emitters. The output is focussed by a printing lens onto the light sensitive medium.

Laser printer with array of laser diodes

A laser printer (10) is comprised of a laser diode array (11), a cross array illumination optics (21), a laser lenslet array (24), a spatial light modulator (40), and a fly's eye integrator (23) which illuminates the spatial light modulator with flooded uniform light. In another embodiment the angular spectrum of the light incident to the spatial light modulator is tailored to enhance the quality of modulation. The spatial light modulator (40), is illuminated uniformly by laser diode emitters (12) comprising laser diode array (11), and the spatial light modulator (40) break up the light into image elements, which are subsequently imaged to a media plane (60), to form a desired pattern of spots.

Laser printer using a fly's eye integrator

A digital cinema projector ( 100 ) for projection of color images onto a display surface comprises a light source ( 116 ), which produces a beam of light. Beam-shaping optics ( 130 ) homogenize and focus the beam of light and color splitting optics ( 132 ) separate focus beam of light into separate color beams. A first modulation optics system comprises a prepolarizer ( 212 ), which prepolarizes a first color beam; a wire grid polarization beamsplitter ( 224 ), which transmits a first predetermined polarization state of the prepolarized beam; a reflective spatial light modulator ( 204 ), which alters the transmitted prepolarized beam with information and reflects the image bearing first color beam through the wire grid polarization beamsplitter ( 224 ); and a wire grid polarization analyzer ( 228 ), which transmits the image bearing first color beam and attenuates unwanted polarization components. A recombination prism ( 232 ) combines the first color beam from the first modulation optical system with other image bearing color beams to create a full color image bearing beam. A projection lens system ( 150 ) projects the full color image bearing beam onto the display surface ( 140 ).

Digital cinema projector

A linear light source for a film scanner includes means for generating an intense beam of light and an elongated cylindrical integrating cavity having diffusely reflective walls, and defining an input port through which the intense beam is introduced into the cavity and an output slit parallel to the long axis of the cylindrical integrating cavity to emit a uniform line of light.

Linear integrating cavity light source used for generating an intense beam of light

Disclosed is a polarizer package comprising an integrated combination of an absorbing layer and a compensator. Two of the identical polarizer packages can be crossed and used in a transmissive optical device. This polarizer package can also be used in combination with a reflective plate and a quarter wave plate in a reflective optical device. Such polarizer packages exhibit an improved viewing angle characteristic across all wavelengths of interest, has a large tolerance for compensators to be aligned relative to their preferred directions, and can be used within an LCD or emissive display system.

David Kessler

Papers

Laser printer with array of laser diodes

Laser printer using a fly's eye integrator

Digital cinema projector

Linear integrating cavity light source used for generating an intense beam of light

Optical devices comprising high performance polarizer package