HARD TISSUE ABLATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical system for treating a target structure in a patient, comprising:
- a device comprising a shaft, a distal end section, and an active electrode associated with the distal end section;
a first fluid supply adapted to deliver a first electrically conductive fluid in the vicinity of the target tissue; and
a second fluid supply adapted to deliver a second electrically conductive fluid to the active electrode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrosurgical system and method for treating hard and soft tissues in the body comprises a shaft, a distal end section, an active electrode associated with the distal end section, a first fluid supply adapted to deliver a first electrically conductive fluid to the target site, and a second fluid supply adapted to deliver a second electrically conductive fluid to the active electrode. The system is adapted to treat a wide variety of hard tissues such as, for example, bones, calcified structures, calcified deposits, teeth, plaque, kidney-stones, gall-stones and other types of tissue by generating plasma in the vicinity of the active electrode, and applying the plasma to the tissue or structures.
228 Citations
41 Claims
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1. An electrosurgical system for treating a target structure in a patient, comprising:
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a device comprising a shaft, a distal end section, and an active electrode associated with the distal end section; a first fluid supply adapted to deliver a first electrically conductive fluid in the vicinity of the target tissue; and a second fluid supply adapted to deliver a second electrically conductive fluid to the active electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of treating a target structure in a body, comprising:
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inserting an active electrode in the vicinity of the target structure in the presence of a first electrically conductive fluid, the first electrically conductive provided from outside of the body; supplying a second electrically conductive fluid in the vicinity of the active electrode; and applying electrical energy to the active electrode to treat the target structure. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26)
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25. A method of treating a target structure in a body, comprising:
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delivering to the target structure a first electrically conductive fluid supplied from outside of the body; forming plasma from a second electrically conductive fluid; and treating the structure with the plasma. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of modifying a structure in a body, comprising:
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identifying a body structure in a patient; delivering a first electrically conductive fluid from outside the body to the tissue; selecting a second electrically conductive fluid effective in treating said body structure, directing the second electrically conductive fluid to an active electrode in the vicinity of the body structure; and applying a radio-frequency voltage to the active electrode in the presence of the second electrically conductive fluid such that the body structure is modified. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An electrosurgical apparatus for treating a target structure in a patient, comprising:
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a device comprising a shaft, a distal end section, and an active electrode associated with the distal end section; and a fluid source adapted to deliver a sodium bicarbonate solution in the vicinity of the active electrode. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification