DOE Patents DOE Patents
DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Search DOE Patents

Title: Micromachined electrical cauterizer

Abstract

A micromachined electrical cauterizer. Microstructures are combined with microelectrodes for highly localized electro cauterization. Using boron etch stops and surface micromachining, microneedles with very smooth surfaces are made. Micromachining also allows for precision placement of electrodes by photolithography with micron sized gaps to allow for concentrated electric fields. A microcauterizer is fabricated by bulk etching silicon to form knife edges, then parallelly placed microelectrodes with gaps as small as 5 .mu.m are patterned and aligned adjacent the knife edges to provide homeostasis while cutting tissue. While most of the microelectrode lines are electrically insulated from the atmosphere by depositing and patterning silicon dioxide on the electric feedthrough portions, a window is opened in the silicon dioxide to expose the parallel microelectrode portion. This helps reduce power loss and assist in focusing the power locally for more efficient and safer procedures.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
+ Show Inventor Affiliations
  1. Walnut Creek, CA
  2. Pleasanton, CA
  3. Berkeley, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
872481
Patent Number(s):
5944717
Assignee:
Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
A - HUMAN NECESSITIES A61 - MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE A61B - DIAGNOSIS
Show more
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
micromachined; electrical; cauterizer; microstructures; combined; microelectrodes; highly; localized; electro; cauterization; boron; etch; stops; surface; micromachining; microneedles; smooth; surfaces; allows; precision; placement; electrodes; photolithography; micron; sized; gaps; allow; concentrated; electric; fields; microcauterizer; fabricated; bulk; etching; silicon; form; knife; edges; parallelly; placed; patterned; aligned; adjacent; provide; homeostasis; cutting; tissue; microelectrode; lines; electrically; insulated; atmosphere; depositing; patterning; dioxide; feedthrough; portions; window; expose; parallel; portion; helps; reduce; power; loss; assist; focusing; locally; efficient; safer; procedures; power loss; etch stop; smooth surface; electric field; silicon dioxide; electric fields; surface micromachining; electrically insulated; reduce power; micron size; micromachined electrical; etching silicon; micron sized; highly localized; electrically insulate; electrical cauterizer; /606/600/

Citation Formats

Lee, Abraham P, Krulevitch, Peter A, and Northrup, M Allen. Micromachined electrical cauterizer. United States: N. p., 1999. Web.
Copy to clipboard
Lee, Abraham P, Krulevitch, Peter A, & Northrup, M Allen. Micromachined electrical cauterizer. United States.
Copy to clipboard
Lee, Abraham P, Krulevitch, Peter A, and Northrup, M Allen. Fri . "Micromachined electrical cauterizer". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872481.
Copy to clipboard
@article{osti_872481,
title = {Micromachined electrical cauterizer},
author = {Lee, Abraham P and Krulevitch, Peter A and Northrup, M Allen},
abstractNote = {A micromachined electrical cauterizer. Microstructures are combined with microelectrodes for highly localized electro cauterization. Using boron etch stops and surface micromachining, microneedles with very smooth surfaces are made. Micromachining also allows for precision placement of electrodes by photolithography with micron sized gaps to allow for concentrated electric fields. A microcauterizer is fabricated by bulk etching silicon to form knife edges, then parallelly placed microelectrodes with gaps as small as 5 .mu.m are patterned and aligned adjacent the knife edges to provide homeostasis while cutting tissue. While most of the microelectrode lines are electrically insulated from the atmosphere by depositing and patterning silicon dioxide on the electric feedthrough portions, a window is opened in the silicon dioxide to expose the parallel microelectrode portion. This helps reduce power loss and assist in focusing the power locally for more efficient and safer procedures.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {1}
}
Copy to clipboard
Patent:
View Patent

Similar Records in DOE Patents and OSTI.GOV collections: