Electrosurgical device to generate a plasma stream

• US 20040116918A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apyx Medical Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aaron Medical Industries, Inc. (Apyx Medical Corporation)
• Inventors: Konesky, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,316,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/042 using additional gas becoming plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/008 for smoke evacuation

Abstract

An electrosurgical device to generate a plasma stream for performing electrosurgery on a surgical site on a patient comprising an electrosurgical generator coupled to a electrical power source to supply power to the electrosurgical device and a plasma generator including an electrode operatively coupled to the electrosurgical generator to receive electrical energy therefrom and concentrically disposed within an inner noble gas conduit to form a plasma channel coupled to a noble gas source to feed noble gas to the inner noble gas conduct, an intermediate electronegative gas conduit disposed in surrounding coaxial relation relative to the noble gas conduit to cooperatively form an electronegative gas channel therebetween coupled to a gas source to feed electronegative gas to the electronegative gas channel and an outer aspiration conduit disposed in surrounding coaxial relation relative to the intermediate electronegative gas conduit to cooperatively form an aspiration channel therebetween coupled to a negative pressure source such that the electrode heats the noble gas to at least partially ionize the noble gas to generate the plasma stream to be directed to the surgical site to perform the surgical procedure while the electronegative gas maintains or sustains the plasma stream and the negative pressure source removes fluid and solid debris from the surgical site.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical device to generate a plasma stream for performing electrosurgery on a surgical site on a patient comprising an electrosurgical generator coupled to a electrical power source to supply power to said electrosurgical device and a plasma generator including an electrode operatively coupled to said electrosurgical generator to receive electrical energy therefrom and disposed within an inner noble gas conduit to form a plasma channel coupled to a noble gas source to feed noble gas to said inner noble gas conduct such that said electrode at least partially ionizes the noble gas to generate the plasma stream to be directed to the surgical site to perform the surgical procedure.

2. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 further including an intermediate electronegative gas conduit disposed in surrounding relation relative to said noble gas conduit to cooperatively form an electronegative gas channel therebetween coupled to a gas source to feed electronegative gas to said electronegative gas channel such that the electronegative gas sustains the plasma stream.

3. The electrosurgical device of claim 2 further including an outer aspiration conduit disposed in surrounding relation relative to said intermediate electronegative gas conduit to cooperatively form an aspiration channel therebetween coupled to a negative pressure source, said negative pressure source to remove fluid and solid debris from the surgical site.

4. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 further including an outer aspiration conduit disposed in surrounding coaxial relation relative to said inner noble gas conduit to cooperatively form an aspiration channel therebetween coupled to a negative pressure source to remove fluid and solid debris from the surgical site.

5. The electrosurgical device of claim 4 further an intermediate electronegative gas conduit disposed in surrounding relation relative to said noble gas conduit to cooperatively form an electronegative gas channel therebetween coupled to a gas source to feed electronegative gas to said electronegative gas channel such that the electronegative gas sustains the plasma stream.

6. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 further including an intermediate gas conduit disposed in coaxial relation relative to said noble gas conduit to cooperatively form a secondary noble gas channel therebetween coupled to a noble gas source to feed noble gas to said secondary noble gas channel to form a secondary plasma stream to at least partially envelop said plasma stream to at least partially ionize the secondary plasma stream.

7. The electrosurgical device of claim 6 further including an outer aspiration conduit disposed in surrounding relation relative to said intermediate electronegative gas conduit to cooperatively form an aspiration channel therebetween coupled to a negative pressure source, said negative pressure source to remove fluid and solid debris from the surgical site.

8. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 further comprises a sintered conductive element disposed on said electrode at least partially disposed within said inner noble gas conduit.

9. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 wherein said electrosurgical generator includes a transformer coupled to the electrical power source to provide high frequency electrical energy to said plasma generator, said transformer comprising a step-down stage including a primary and secondary and a step-up stage including a primary and secondary operatively coupled together.

10. The electrosurgical device of claim 9 wherein said secondary of said step-up stage is coupled between said electrode through a conductor and an isolated nonfloating return path.

11. The electrosurgical device of claim 10 wherein said step-up stage further includes a capacitor in series with said electrode to supply a substantially constant output current to the surgical site.

12. The electrosurgical device of claim 10 wherein said primary of said step-down stage is coupled across a power amplifier.

13. The electrosurgical device of claim 9 wherein said transformer comprises a substantially constant potential.

14. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 wherein said electrosurgical generator comprises an isolated nonfloating potential.

15. The electrosurgical device of claim 14 wherein said electrosurgical generator includes a return current circuit comprising the tissue and body fluid and the patient, and combined external capacitance of the operator and displacement current in the air.

16. The electrosurgical device of claim 1 wherein said electrosurgical generator includes a return current circuit comprising the tissue and body fluid and the patient, and combined external capacitance of the operator and displacement current in the air.

17. The electrosurgical device of claim 16 wherein said electrosurgical generator comprises an isolated nonfloating potential.

18. A handpiece for use with a plasma generator including an electrode operatively coupled to an electrosurgical generator to receive electrical energy therefrom, said handpiece comprising an inner noble gas conduit having said electrode at least partially disposed therein to form a plasma channel and coupled to a noble gas source to feed noble gas to said inner noble gas conduct such that the electrode at least partially ionizes the noble gas to generate the plasma stream to be directed to a surgical site to perform the surgical procedure.

19. The handpiece of claim 18 further including an intermediate electronegative gas conduit disposed in surrounding relation relative to said noble gas conduit to cooperatively form an electronegative gas channel therebetween coupled to a gas source to feed electronegative gas to the electronegative gas channel such that the electronegative gas sustains the plasma stream.

20. The handpiece of claim 19 further including an outer aspiration conduit disposed in surrounding relation relative to said intermediate electronegative gas conduit to cooperatively form an aspiration channel therebetween coupled to a negative pressure source, said negative pressure source to remove fluid and solid debris from the surgical site.

21. The handpiece of claim 18 further including an outer aspiration conduit disposed in surrounding relation relative to said inner noble gas conduit to cooperatively form an aspiration channel therebetween coupled to a negative pressure source to remove fluid and solid debris from the surgical site.

22. The handpiece of claim 21 further including an intermediate electronegative gas conduit disposed in surrounding relation relative to said noble gas conduit to cooperatively form an electronegative gas channel therebetween coupled to a gas source to feed electronegative gas to said electronegative gas channel such that the electronegative gas sustains the plasma stream and site.

23. The handpiece of claim 18 further including an intermediate gas conduit disposed in relation relative to the noble gas conduit to cooperatively form a secondary noble gas channel therebetween coupled to a noble gas source to feed noble gas to the secondary noble gas channel to form a secondary plasma stream to at least partially envelop said plasma stream to at least partially ionize the secondary plasma stream.

24. The handpiece of claim 23 such that an outer aspiration conduit disposed in surrounding coaxial relation relative to said intermediate electronegative gas conduit to cooperatively form an aspiration channel therebetween coupled to a negative pressure source, said negative pressure source to remove fluid and solid debris from the surgical site.

25. The handpiece of claim 18 further including a sintered conductive element disposed on said electrode at least partially disposed within said inner noble gas conduit.

26. An electrosurgical generator for use with an electrosurgical device to generate a plasma stream for performing electrosurgery on a surgical site on a patient coupled to an electrical power source to supply power to the electrosurgical device, said electrosurgical generator comprises a transformer coupled to the electrical power source to provide high frequency electrical energy to said plasma generator, said transformer comprising a step-down stage including a primary and secondary and a step-up stage including a primary and secondary operatively coupled together.

27. The electrosurgical generator of claim 26 wherein said secondary of said step-up stage is coupled between said electrode through a conductor and an isolated nonfloating return path.

28. The electrosurgical generator of claim 27 wherein said step-up stage further includes a capacitor in series with said electrode to supply a substantially constant output current to the surgical site.

29. The electrosurgical generator of claim 27 wherein said primary of said step-down stage is coupled across a power amplifier.

30. The electrosurgical generator of claim 26 wherein said transformer comprises a substantially constant potential.

31. The electrosurgical generator of claim 26 wherein said electrosurgical generator comprises an isolated nonfloating potential.

32. The electrosurgical generator of claim 31 wherein said electrosurgical generator includes a return current circuit comprising the tissue and body fluid and the patient, and the combined external capacitance of the operator and displacement current in the air.

33. The electrosurgical generator of claim 26 wherein said electrosurgical generator includes a return current circuit comprising the tissue and body fluid and the patient, and the combined external capacitance of the operator and displacement current in the air.

34. The electrosurgical generator of claim 33 wherein said electrosurgical generator comprises an isolated nonfloating potential.