An electrosurgical working end and method for obtaining a tissue sample for biopsy
purposes, for example, from a patient's lung or a liver. The working end provides
curved jaw members that are positioned on opposing sides of the targeted anatomic
structure. The working end carries a slidable extension member that is laterally
flexible with inner surfaced that slide over the jaw members to clamp tissue therebetween.
As the extension member advances, the jaws compress the tissue just ahead of the
advancing extension member to allow the laterally-outward portion of the extension
member to ramp over the tissue while a cutting element contemporaneously cuts the
tissue. By this means, the transected tissue margin is captured under high compression.
The working end carries a bi-polar electrode arrangement that engages the just-transected
medial tissue layers as well as surface layers to provides Rf current flow for
tissue welding purposes that is described as a medial-to-surface bi-polar approach.
