Electrosurgical device with discontinuous flow density

• US 20060217705A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baylis Medical Company Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Godara, Neil, Hillier, Taylor, Leung, Mark, Dawkins, Wesley
• Granted Patent: US 8,951,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0044 Spinal cord
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1497 Electrodes covering only part of the probe circumference

Abstract

An electrosurgical device comprising a means for impeding flow for delivering energy to a region of tissue is described. In addition, a method of treating the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body by delivering energy is also described. The method includes the steps of inserting a probe into a target site within the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body and delivering energy to the probe to treat tissue within the target site.

Claims

1. A method of treating the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body by delivering energy, comprising the steps of:

providing a substantially rigid probe having at least two regions of electrical discontinuity which result in a region of increased current density about the probe when energy is delivered to the probe;

inserting the probe into a target site within the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body; and

delivering energy to the probe to treat tissue within the target site;

wherein the probe is able to create a strip lesion during a single energy delivery step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered to the target site to create a substantially homogeneous lesion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an active portion of the probe is at least 10 mm in length.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the active portion of the probe is at least 15 mm in length.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered in a monopolar configuration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered in a bipolar configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering energy comprises delivering electrical energy selected from the group consisting of radiofrequency current and microwave current.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered in order to reduce one or more symptoms of sacroiliac joint syndrome.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered in order to ablate one or more neural structures.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the target site comprises at least a portion of a sacral neural crescent.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein energy is delivered to treat at least two branches of a sacral nerve.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of repositioning the probe at another sacral neural crescent and delivering energy to treat tissue within the other sacral neural crescent.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe comprises at least three regions of electrical discontinuity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the probe comprises an active portion having at least three electrically conductive and exposed regions separated by electrically insulated regions and wherein the lengths of at least two of the conductive regions differ.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the lengths of the conductive regions decrease towards the middle of the active portion.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe comprises an active portion slidably disposed within an insulating member such that the position of the active portion relative to the insulating member may be altered during the step of delivering energy.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising a step of moving one or more of the active portion and the insulating member during the step of delivering energy wherein the position of at least one electrical discontinuity is adjusted.

18. A method of treating the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body by delivering energy, comprising the steps of:

positioning a probe at a target site in proximity to an anatomical structure within the sacroiliac region; and

delivering energy to the probe to treat the target site;

wherein the anatomical structure impedes the flow of electrical current such that a substantially homogeneous lesion is created by the delivery of energy to the target site.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the anatomical structure comprises bone tissue.

20. A method of treating the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body comprising the step of delivering energy to a sacral neural crescent to create a substantially homogeneous lesion to treat at least two branches of a sacral nerve passing through the sacral neural crescent.