ABLATION APPARATUS AND SYSTEM TO LIMIT NERVE CONDUCTION

• US 20070060921A1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Serene Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JNJ Technology Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Balaster, Ammon, Janssen, William, Newman, James, Buske, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/460,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20070060921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/16 Indifferent or passive electrodes for grounding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0072 Current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00732 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00761 Duration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/162 located on the probe body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0814 Preventing re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure

Abstract

An electrosurgical probe including a probe body which defines a longitudinal probe axis. The electrosurgical probe also includes a first and second conductive electrode, each disposed along the probe axis. The surface area of the first conductive electrode is greater of the surface area of the second conductive electrode. The ratio of the surface area of the first conductive electrode to the surface area of the second conductive electrode may be adjustable. Another aspect of the present invention is an electrosurgical probe having a probe body which defines a single longitudinal probe axis. The electrosurgical probe of this aspect of the invention further includes more than two electrodes operatively disposed at separate and distinct positions along the axis of the probe body. The electrodes may be selectively connected to one of or a combination of a stimulation energy source, an ablation energy source or a ground for either energy source. Another aspect of the present invention is a method of placing an electrosurgical probe such as described above for specific ablation procedures.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical probe comprising:

a probe body defining a longitudinal probe axis; and

a first and a second conductive electrode operatively disposed along the probe axis wherein the surface area of the first conductive electrode is substantially greater than the surface area of the second conductive electrode.

2. The electrosurgical probe of claim 1 wherein a ratio of the surface area of the first conductive electrode to the surface area of the second conductive electrode is equal to or greater than 3:

1.

3. The electrosurgical probe of claim 1 wherein a ratio of the surface area of the first conductive electrode to the surface area of the second conductive electrode is equal to or greater than 8:

1.

4. The electrosurgical probe of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the surface area of the first conductive electrode to the surface area of the second conductive electrode is adjustable.

5. The electrosurgical probe of claim 1 further comprising a stimulation energy source in electrical communication with at least one of the first or second conductive electrodes.

6. The electrosurgical probe of claim 5 further comprising an ablation energy source in electrical communication with at least one of the first or second conductive electrodes.

7. The electrosurgical probe of claim 6 further comprising a switch providing for the selective connection of the stimulation energy source or the ablation energy source to at least one of the conductive electrodes.

14. The electrosurgical probe of claim 7 further comprising an ablation energy source in electrical communication with the active electrode.

8. An electrosurgical probe comprising:

a probe body defining a longitudinal probe axis;

an active electrode operatively associated with the probe body at a first location along the probe axis;

a stimulation electrode operatively associated with the probe body at a second location along the probe axis; and

a return electrode operatively associated with the probe body at a third location along the probe axis.

9. The electrosurgical probe of claim 8 wherein the stimulation electrode is positioned along the probe axis between the active electrode and the return electrode.

10. The electrosurgical probe of claim 8 further comprising a stimulation energy source in electrical communication with the stimulation electrode.

11. The electrosurgical probe of claim 10 wherein the stimulation energy source provides variable stimulation current.

12. The electrosurgical probe of claim 10 wherein at least one of the active electrode and the return electrode is in electrical communication with a ground for the stimulation energy source.

13. The electrosurgical probe of claim 10 wherein both of the active electrode and the return electrode are in electrical communication with a ground for the stimulation energy source.

15. The electrosurgical probe of claim 13 wherein the ablation energy source provides variable ablation energy.

16. The electrosurgical probe of claim 15 wherein the ablation energy source provides energy which has at least one of variable voltage, current and waveform.

17. An electrosurgical probe comprising:

a probe body defining a longitudinal probe axis;

at least three electrodes operatively associated with the probe body at separate locations along the probe axis; and

a stimulation energy source in electrical communication with at least one of the electrodes.

18. The electrosurgical probe of claim 17 wherein the stimulation energy source provides variable stimulation energy.

19. The electrosurgical probe of claim 17 wherein the stimulation energy source may be selectively connected to at least one or more of the electrodes.

20. The electrosurgical probe of claim 17 further comprising a stimulation energy ground in electrical communication with the stimulation energy source, wherein the stimulation energy ground may be selectively connected to at least one or more of the electrodes.

21. The electrosurgical probe of claim 17 further comprising an ablation energy source in electrical communication with at least one of the electrodes.

22. The electrosurgical probe of claim 21 wherein the ablation energy source provides variable ablation energy.

23. The electrosurgical probe of claim 22 wherein the ablation energy source provides energy which has at least one of variable voltage, current and waveform.

24. The electrosurgical probe of claim 21 wherein the ablation current source may be selectively connected to at least one or more of the electrodes.

25. The electrosurgical probe of claim 21 further comprising an ablation energy ground for the ablation energy source, wherein the ablation energy ground may be selectively connected to one or more of the electrodes.

26. A method of positioning an electrosurgical probe comprising:

providing an electrosurgical probe having a probe body defining a longitudinal probe axis, multiple conductive electrodes operatively disposed along the probe axis, and a stimulation energy source in electrical communication with at least one of the conductive electrodes;

inserting the electrosurgical probe to a first position within tissue containing a target nerve;

applying first stimulation energy to the stimulation electrode;

observing a first response of a muscle associated with the target nerve;

moving the electrosurgical probe to a second position within the tissue containing the target nerve;

applying second stimulation energy to the stimulation electrode;

observing a second response of a muscle associated with the target nerve; and

comparing the second response of the muscle associated with the target nerve to the first response of the muscle associated with the target nerve.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

providing a variable stimulation energy source; and

varying the stimulation energy between the first and the second applications of stimulation energy.

28. A method of positioning an electrosurgical probe comprising:

providing an electrosurgical probe having a probe body defining a longitudinal probe axis, multiple conductive electrodes operatively disposed along the probe axis, and a stimulation energy source which may be connected sequentially to more than one of the conductive electrodes;

inserting the electrosurgical probe into tissue containing a target nerve;

applying stimulation current to a select first electrode;

observing a first response of a muscle associated with the target nerve;

applying stimulation energy to a select second electrode;

observing a second response of the muscle associated with the target nerve; and

comparing the second response of the muscle associated with the target nerve to the first response of the muscle associated with the target nerve.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

applying stimulation energy to a select third electrode;

observing a third response of the muscle associated with the target nerve; and

comparing the third response of the muscle associated with the target nerve to the second response of the muscle associated with the target nerve.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising sequentially applying stimulation energy to the first, second and third electrodes.