US 12,137,961 B2
Electrosurgical pencil with a protective guard
George S. Matta, Plainville, MA (US); Jacob C. Baril, Norwalk, CT (US); Matthew A. Dinino, Newington, CT (US); and Saumya Banerjee, Hamden, CT (US)
Assigned to Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed by Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed on Mar. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/814,123.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/823,240, filed on Mar. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0305954 A1, Oct. 1, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/16 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/14 (2013.01) [A61B 18/16 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00589 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00601 (2013.01); A61B 2018/1412 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrosurgical pencil, comprising:
a body including a proximal end and a distal end, the body including a track extending along the distal end of the body;
a treatment blade extending from the distal end of the body and electrically connected to a first potential of a source of electrosurgical energy;
a protective guard slidably coupled to the distal end of the body and operably engaged with the track, the protective guard configured to slide relative to the body along the track between a first position concealing a distal end of the treatment blade and a second position exposing the distal end of the treatment blade, wherein the protective guard in the first position surrounds the treatment blade;
a return electrode disposed on an exposed distal-facing surface of the protective guard such that the return electrode extends distally from a distal-most end of the protective guard, and contacting the exposed distal-facing surface to tissue is configured to bring the return electrode into contact with the tissue, wherein pressure applied on the tissue by the exposed distal-facing surface causes the protective guard to slide along the track from the first position toward the second position to expose the distal end of the treatment blade while the exposed distal-facing surface and the return electrode maintain contact with the tissue, the return electrode electrically connected to a second potential of the source of electrosurgical energy; and
a biasing member including a first end operably connected to the distal end of the body and a second end operably connected to the protective guard, the biasing member configured to bias the protective guard in the first position concealing the distal end of the treatment blade.