A resistively heated thermally cutting and coagulating surgical instrument which may be employed with a conventional electrosurgical generator having bipolar output ports and a bipolar cable. The instrument utilizes a heating element which is heated to a predetermined upper temperature limit while in still air under a starting condition. Under this condition, heat dissipation by radiation, convection, and conduction through the instrument itself provides a high temperature end form of regulation. Under a subsequent working condition wherein the heated component or element is in contact with the tissue, heat dissipation is by thermal conduction both into the tissue and through the thermally conductive components of the instrument. A preferred heating element is formed with a ferromagnetic material which, when at the upper limit temperature is maintained at a value restricted to a temperature below curie temperature and which does not invoke surface oxidation or scaling within the time interval of heating experienced in the starting condition. However, the temperature is high enough to sustain a temperature effective for cutting and coagulation when in the working condition. A handle is employed which contains impedance matching circuit components. In one embodiment, the heating component of the instrument incorporates an integrally formed probe which is retained at lower temperatures through the use of a current restricting neck.

Resistively heated cutting and coagulating surgical instrument

An improved temperature stable synthetic polycrystalline diamond (PCD) product includes at least one temperature stable PCD integrally and chemically bonded to a matrix carrier support through a carbide forming layer which is of a thickness of at least about 1 micron, the layer on at least one surface of the PCD is in turn bonded to the matrix carrier. A wide variety of shapes, sizes and configurations of such products is achieved through relatively low temperature and relatively low pressure processing. Various products of various geometries are described as well as the details of the processing to achieve chemical bonding of the PCD elements in a variety of support matrix carrier materials to form a unitary structure having a temperature stability up to about 1,200 degrees C.

Low pressure bonding of PCD bodies and method for drill bits and the like

A method for computerized control of vapor deposition processes, including chemical vapor deposition and electron beam physical vapor deposition processes, uses optical imaging sensors and/or laser interferometers or infrared ellipsometers focused on the substrate being coated or on a nearby test blank to provide information which is computer analyzed to yield optimum control points for the coating process. A method is also disclosed for shaping or contouring one or more surfaces of an object(s) using the techniques disclosed here.

Computer controlled vapor deposition processes

Low pressure bonding of PCD bodies and method

An improved temperature stable synthetic polycrystalline diamond (PCD) product includes at least one temperature stable PCD integrally and chemically bonded to a matrix carrier support through a carbide forming layer which is of a thickness of at least about 1 micron, the layer on at least one surface of the PCD is in turn is bonded to the matrix carrier. A wide variety of shapes, sizes and configurations of such products is achieved through relatively low temperature and relatively low pressure processing. Various products of various geometries are described as well as the details of the processing to achieve chemical bonding of the PCD elements in a variety of support matrix carrier materials to form a unitary structure having a temperature stability up to about 1,200 degrees C.

Method for low pressure bonding of PCD bodies

A diamond particle of the MD or the SD type having a composite coating comprising a thin continuous layer of titanium adjacent the diamond surface and a metal layer on the titanium layer, the metal of the metal layer being capable of forming an alloy with titanium under the influence of heat and the titanium/diamond interface being essentially free of chemical bond formation. The invention further provides a method of making a metal bonded abrasive device which includes the steps mixing the above described particles with a suitable metal matrix, heating the mixture to a temperature exceeding 500*C, maintaining the mixture at the elevated temperature for a period of from 10 to 30 minutes, and allowing the mixture to return to ambient conditions.

Robert John Caveney

Papers

Diamond particle having a composite coating of titanium and a metal layer