Electrosurgical systems and methods for removing and modifying tissue
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical probe, comprising:
- a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
at least one electrode support affixed to the shaft distal end portion; and
a blade electrode affixed to the at least one electrode support, wherein the blade electrode comprises a metal blade having at least one active edge, a first blade side and a second blade side, wherein the at least one active edge of the blade electrode is adapted for severing tissue via molecular dissociation of tissue components, and at least one of the first blade side and the second blade side is adapted for engaging and coagulating severed tissue.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides systems, apparatus and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to body tissue in order to, ablate, contract, coagulate, or otherwise modify a tissue or organ of a patients. An electrosurgical apparatus includes an electrode support bearing an active electrode in the form of a plasma blade or hook having an active edge and first and second blade sides. The active edge is adapted for severing a target tissue via localized molecular dissociation of tissue components. The first and second blade sides are adapted for engaging against, and coagulating, the severed tissue.s. A method of the present invention comprises positioning an electrosurgical probe adjacent to the target tissue so that a blade- or hook-like active electrode is brought into at least close proximity to the target tissue in the presence of an electrically conductive fluid. A high frequency voltage is applied between the active electrode and a return electrode to effect cool ablation or other modification of the target tissue. During application of the high frequency voltage, the electrosurgical apparatus may be translated, reciprocated, or otherwise manipulated such that the active edge is moved with respect to the tissue. The present invention volumetrically ablates or otherwise modifies the target tissue with minimal or no damage to surrounding, non-target tissue.
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Citations
98 Claims
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1. An electrosurgical probe, comprising:
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a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
at least one electrode support affixed to the shaft distal end portion; and
a blade electrode affixed to the at least one electrode support, wherein the blade electrode comprises a metal blade having at least one active edge, a first blade side and a second blade side, wherein the at least one active edge of the blade electrode is adapted for severing tissue via molecular dissociation of tissue components, and at least one of the first blade side and the second blade side is adapted for engaging and coagulating severed tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An electrosurgical probe, comprising:
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a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
an electrode support affixed to the shaft distal end portion; and
a blade electrode affixed to the electrode support, wherein the blade electrode comprises a hook having at least one active edge, a first blade side and a second blade side, wherein the at least one active edge is adapted for severing tissue via molecular dissociation of tissue components. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A plasma blade electrosurgical probe, comprising:
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a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
at least one electrode support disposed on the shaft distal end portion; and
a blade electrode affixed to the at least one electrode support, wherein the blade electrode comprises a metal blade having a first arm, a second arm, and a crosspiece extending between the first arm and the second arm, the first arm and the second arm disposed on the at least one electrode support, and the blade electrode adapted for severing tissue via molecular dissociation of tissue components. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. An electrosurgical probe, comprising:
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a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion, the shaft distal end portion including a laterally compressed region;
at least one electrode support affixed to the laterally compressed region;
a blade electrode disposed on the at least one electrode support, the blade electrode adapted for modifying tissue at a target site; and
an insulating sleeve covering a portion of the shaft, the insulating sleeve terminating distally in a sleeve distal end at a position proximal to the electrode support to define an exposed portion of the shaft distal end portion, and the exposed portion comprising a return electrode. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58)
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59. An electrosurgical apparatus, comprising:
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a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
an electrode support arranged terminally on the shaft distal end portion;
a blade electrode disposed on the distal terminus of the electrode support, the blade electrode including an active edge and first and second blade sides, the active edge capable of localized ablation of tissue to form a first-modified tissue, the blade electrode adapted for engaging the first-modified tissue against at least one of the first and second blade sides, and the first and second blade sides capable of effecting hemostasis of the first-modified tissue; and
a return electrode arranged on the shaft distal end portion proximal to the electrode support. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A plasma blade electrosurgical probe, comprising:
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a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
an electrode support affixed to the shaft distal end portion;
a blade electrode mounted on the electrode support such that a substantially flat blade protrudes from the distal end of the electrode support, the blade electrode adapted for generating high electric current densities thereon and for localized molecular dissociation of tissue components in the vicinity of the blade electrode. - View Dependent Claims (66)
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67. A method of modifying a tissue at a target site of a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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a) providing an electrosurgical probe having a shaft distal end, the shaft distal end bearing an electrode support, and the electrode support having an active electrode affixed thereto, the active electrode consisting essentially of a single blade electrode, the single blade electrode including at least one active edge and first and second blade sides, the at least one active edge adapted for severing tissue via molecular dissociation of components of the tissue;
b) positioning the shaft distal end in the vicinity of the target site such that the single blade electrode is in at least close proximity to the tissue at the target site; and
c) applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode, wherein at least a portion of the tissue at the target site is ablated or modified. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. A method of harvesting tissue or an organ from a patient using an electrosurgical probe, comprising:
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accessing a tissue to be harvested; and
using the electrosurgical probe, dissecting the tissue to be harvested from connective tissue, the connective tissue located adjacent to the tissue to be harvested, the probe including a shaft having a shaft distal end, the shaft distal end bearing an electrically insulating electrode support, the electrode support having an active electrode affixed thereto, the active electrode consisting essentially of a single blade electrode, and the single blade electrode adapted, inter alia, for highly localized ablation of connective tissue via molecular dissociation of components of the connective tissue. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91)
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92. A method of modifying a tissue at a target site of a patient, comprising:
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a) providing an electrosurgical probe having a shaft distal end, the shaft distal end bearing at least one electrically insulating electrode support, and the at least one electrode support having an active electrode affixed thereto, the active electrode consisting essentially of a hook having at least one active edge, the at least one active edge adapted for severing tissue via molecular dissociation of components of the tissue;
b) positioning the shaft distal end in the vicinity of the target site such that the hook is in at least close proximity to the tissue at the target site; and
c) applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode, the high frequency voltage sufficient to ablate or modify at least a portion of the tissue at the target site. - View Dependent Claims (93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
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Specification