Surgical probe

• US 20060271031A1
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Celon AG (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Celon AG (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Fay, Markus, Roggan, Andre, Desinger, Kai
• Granted Patent: US 8,092,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• 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 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating

Abstract

The invention relates to a surgical probe comprising a handle and a shaft that is connected to the handle, and two axially interspaced electrodes, the electrode closer to the handle forming a proximal electrode and the other electrode further from the handle forming a distal electrode, said electrodes respectively forming an outer surface of the shaft and being separated by an insulator. The outer diameter of the two electrodes and the outer diameter of the insulator are approximately the same and the shaft has a fluidic passage for a cooling fluid, which extends inside the shaft, from the handle to the distal electrode. The inventive surgical probe is characterised in that the shaft comprises a single-component hollow body that is connected to the handle, forms the distal electrode, and carries the insulator, the proximal electrode and an insulation layer arranged in the radial direction between the hollow body and the proximal electrode.

Claims

1. A surgical probe comprising a handle and a shaft which is connected to the handle (14) and has two axially mutually spaced electrodes, of which an electrode nearer the handle forms a proximal electrode and the other electrode which is far from the handle forms a distal electrode, wherein the electrodes respectively form an outside surface of the shaft and are separated from each other by an insulator, wherein the outside diameter of the two electrodes and the outside diameter of the insulator are approximately equal and wherein the shaft has a fluid passage for a cooling fluid, which extends in the interior of the shaft from the handle into the distal electrode, characterised in that the shaft has a distally closed hollow body which is connected to the handle and forms the distal electrode, carries the insulator as well as the proximal electrode and an insulating layer which is arranged in the radial direction between the hollow body and the proximal electrode.

2. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the insulating layer is arranged both between the hollow body and the proximal electrode and also between the hollow body and the insulator.

3. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the insulating layer is formed by shrink tube.

4. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the proximal electrode is formed by a metal tube of a diameter which is substantially equal over its length and of substantially equal wall thickness.

5. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the hollow body is closed at its distal end.

6. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 5 characterised in that the fluid passage extends in the hollow body to the closed end thereof and is of a diameter which is substantially equal throughout.

7. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the hollow body is shaped to a point at its distal end.

8. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that in the region of the distal electrode the hollow body is of an outside diameter which is approximately equal to the outside diameter of the proximal electrode or of the insulator.

9. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the hollow body is of a smaller diameter in the region of the insulator and the distal electrode than in the region of the proximal electrode.

10. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised by a hose in the interior of the fluid passage with a mouth opening in the proximity of the closed distal end of the fluid passage, which hose is so arranged and connected that a cooling fluid is to be passed through the hose into the proximity of the distal end of the fluid passage, there issues from the mouth opening of the hose and can flow back between the hose and the wall of the fluid passage to the proximal end of the shaft.

11. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that at its proximal end the shaft is connected to the handle and is there partially embedded in sealing material in such a way that the tube forming the proximal electrode is completely embedded at its proximal end in the sealing material while the proximal end of the hollow body projects from the sealing material.

12. A surgical probe as set forth in claim 11 characterised in that the proximal electrode is electrically contacted within the sealing material.