Method and apparatus for plasma-mediated thermo-electrical ablation
First Claim
1. A method for thermo-electrical cutting of biological tissue comprising:
- applying a low duty-cycle pulse waveform to a cutting electrode, wherein the cutting electrode is connected to a voltage control unit; and
cutting the tissue with the cutting electrode during application of the low duty-cycle pulse waveform, wherein the voltage applied is between about −
600 V and about +600 V.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are methods and apparatus for cutting a material including biological tissue. The apparatus has a cutting electrode with an elongate cutting portion. A voltage pulse waveform (typically comprising repeated bursts of minipulses) having a low or very low duty-cycle is applied to the cutting electrode to cut the tissue or other material by producing a vapor cavity around the cutting portion of the electrode and ionizing a gas inside the vapor cavity to produce a plasma. A low duty cycle cutting waveform may prevent heat accumulation in the tissue, reducing collateral thermal damage. The duration of the burst of minipulses typically ranges from 10 μs to 100 μs, and the rep rate typically ranges from 1 KHz to 10 Hz, as necessary. The apparatus and method of invention may cut biological tissue while decreasing bleeding and maintaining a very shallow zone of thermal damage.
200 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method for thermo-electrical cutting of biological tissue comprising:
-
applying a low duty-cycle pulse waveform to a cutting electrode, wherein the cutting electrode is connected to a voltage control unit; and
cutting the tissue with the cutting electrode during application of the low duty-cycle pulse waveform, wherein the voltage applied is between about −
600 V and about +600 V. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for thermo-electrical cutting of biological tissue comprising:
-
applying a pulse waveform having a duty-cycle of less than 10% to a cutting electrode, wherein the pulse waveform comprises a plurality of bursts of minipulses having an interburst repetition rate of between about 10 Hz and 500 Hz, and a minipulse burst duration of between about 10 μ
s and about 100 μ
s; and
cutting the tissue with the cutting electrode during application of the pulse waveform. - View Dependent Claims (15)
-
-
16. A method for thermo-electrical cutting of biological tissue comprising:
-
forming a plasma on a cutting electrode by applying a low duty-cycle pulse waveform, wherein the pulse waveform comprises a plurality of bursts of minipulses having an interburst repetition rate of between about 10 Hz and 500 Hz, and a minipulse burst duration of between about 10 μ
s and about 100 μ
s; and
cutting the tissue with the cutting electrode during application of the pulse waveform. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method for thermo-electrical cutting of biological tissue comprising:
-
applying a low duty-cycle pulse waveform to a cutting electrode, wherein the cutting electrode has peak temperature during application of the pulse waveform of greater than 100°
C. and an average temperature during application of the pulse waveform of less than about 50°
C.; and
cutting the tissue with the cutting electrode during application of the low duty-cycle pulse waveform. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
-
22. A method of simultaneously cutting and hematostais of a biological tissue, the method comprising:
-
contacting a biological tissue with a cutting electrode, applying a low duty-cycle pulse waveform to the cutting electrode, wherein the cutting electrode has an average temperature during application of the pulse waveform of less than about 50°
C.; and
cutting the tissue with the cutting electrode during application of the low duty-cycle pulse waveform while at least partially constricting the blood vessels adjacent to the cut tissue by application of the low duty-cycle pulse waveform to the cutting electrode. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification