Surgical ablation device

• US 20060161149A1
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Atricure, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atricure, Inc.
• Inventors: Privitera, Salvatore, Hooven, Michael Dawson, Martin, Keith Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/037,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161149A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter

Abstract

A surgical ablation device. A pair of electrodes, each electrode having a surface area for contacting tissue. A pair of heat sinks each in thermal communication with an electrode, the heat sinks having a volume such that the ratio of surface area of the electrode to volume of the heat sink is less than about 3 in²/in³. The electrodes may be slender and parallel. When the electrodes are energized with bi-polar electric energy and placed in contact with the tissue surface, the tissue is heated and ablated such that the maximum tissue temperature occurs below the tissue surface.

Claims

1. A surgical device for ablating tissue using electrical energy, comprising:

a) a pair of electrodes, each electrode having a surface area for contacting tissue; and

b) a pair of heat sinks each in thermal communication with an electrode, the heat sinks having a volume such that the ratio of surface area of the electrode to volume of the heat sink is less than about 3 in²/in³.

2. The surgical device of claim 1, wherein the electrode and corresponding heat sink are a homogenous material.

3. The surgical device of claim 1, wherein electrode and corresponding heat sink are contiguous.

4. The surgical device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are slender.

5. The surgical device of claim 4, wherein the slender electrodes are parallel.

6. The surgical device of claim 5, wherein the electrodes are spaced apart between about 2 and about 4 mm.

7. The surgical device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes and heat sinks are a roller head.

8. The surgical device of claim 7, wherein the roller has a diameter between about 10 mm and about 20 mm.

9. The surgical device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are smooth.

10. The surgical device of claim 1, further comprising an electrically insulative surface interposed between the pair of electrodes.

11. The surgical device of claim 10, wherein the insulative surface has a convex surface extending between the pair of electrodes.

12. The surgical device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are bi-polar.

13. A method for ablating tissue using the device of claim 1, the method comprising:

a) placing the pair of electrodes in contact with the surface of tissue;

b) connecting the electrodes to an electric power source;

c) transmitting RF energy to the tissue through the electrodes; and

d) heating the tissue with the RF energy until the tissue is ablated.

14. The surgical device of claim 13, wherein the maximum tissue temperature is below the tissue surface.

15. A surgical device for treatment of tissue, the tissue having a tissue surface, comprising:

a) a pair of electrodes having a surface area for contacting the tissue surface;

b) a heat sink thermally coupled to the electrodes;

whereby when the electrodes are energized with bi-polar electric energy and placed in contact with the tissue surface, the tissue is heated and ablated such that the maximum tissue temperature occurs below the tissue surface.

16. The surgical device of claim 15, wherein the electrodes are slender and parallel.

17. The surgical device of claim 15, wherein each electrode has a corresponding heat sink, and each electrode and heat sink is a contiguous and unitary part.

18. The surgical device of claim 15, further comprising an electrically resistant surface interposed between the electrodes, the body having a convex surface extending between the pair of electrodes.

19. The surgical device of claim 15, wherein heat sinks having a volume such that the ratio of surface area of the electrode to volume of the heat sink is less than about 3 in²/in³.

20. A bi-polar surgical device, comprising:

a) a first conductor comprising a heat sink and an electrode in a unitary part, the electrode being slender and having a tissue contacting surface area, wherein the heat sink has a volume such that the ratio of surface area of the electrode to volume of the heat sink is less than about 3 in²/in³;

b) a second conductor comprising a heat sink and an electrode in a unitary part, the electrode being slender, having a tissue contacting surface area, and being parallel to the electrode of the first conductor, wherein the heat sink has a volume such that the ratio of surface area of the electrode to volume of the heat sink is less than about 3 in²/in³;

c) an insulator interposed between the first and second conductors, the insulator comprising a convex surface interposed between the electrodes; and

d) a power source for energizing the electrodes with bi-polar electrical energy.