Abstract: An endoscopic vessel harvester cuts and cauterizes side branches from a target vessel using a cutter member that extends at a distal end of an insertion member. The cutter member has a plate defining a slit for receiving a side branch. A cutting electrode is disposed at a base of the slit and a pair of grounding electrodes are each mounted to an outer surface of the plate on opposite sides of the slit. Each grounding electrode has a raised longitudinal ridge adjoining a portion of the slit including the base of the slit and has a spot cautery wing extending laterally away from the slit with a surface configured to engage a surface of the tunnel. The longitudinal ridges each have an upright jamb surface configured to contact the side branch remotely from the cutting electrode so that it is unnecessary to make a grounding contact on the tunnel.

Abstract: An endoscopic vessel harvester includes a vessel keeper with a capture frame capturing a target vessel within a tunnel that has been dissected along the target vessel. A cutter member cuts and cauterizes side branches while the target vessel is slidably captured in the vessel keeper. A fixed supporting rod and a movable side rod engage the frame. The movable side rod has an opened position to admit the target vessel and has a closed position to slidably capture the target vessel. One of the fixed support rod or the movable side rod is comprised of a hollow cylinder open at the distal end and at the proximal end, and wherein the distal end of the hollow cylinder fluidically communicates with the tunnel through the capture frame. A suction tube connects to the proximal end of the hollow cylinder, allowing pooled fluid around the capture frame to be removed.

Abstract: An endoscopic vessel harvester cuts and cauterizes side branches from a target vessel using a cutter member that extends at a distal end of an insertion member. The cutter member has a plate defining a slit for receiving a side branch. A cutting electrode is disposed at a base of the slit and a pair of grounding electrodes are each mounted to an outer surface of the plate on opposite sides of the slit. Each grounding electrode has a raised longitudinal ridge adjoining a portion of the slit including the base of the slit and has a spot cautery wing extending laterally away from the slit with a surface configured to engage a surface of the tunnel. The longitudinal ridges each have an upright jamb surface configured to contact the side branch remotely from the cutting electrode so that it is unnecessary to make a grounding contact on the tunnel.