Ablation Apparatus and System to Limit Nerve Conduction

• US 20100114095A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Serene Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bioform Medical, Incorporated (Merz Pharma GmbH & Company Kgaa)
• Inventors: Newman, James Paul, Buske, Jeffrey Michael, Janssen, William Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,283,031 B2
• 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 handle;

a probe body defining a probe axis, said probe body being operatively associated with the probe handle;

multiple conductive electrodes attached to the probe body and spaced axially apart from each other along the probe axis;

a stimulation current source in electrical communication with at least one of the conductive electrodes;

an ablation current source in electrical communication with at least one of the conductive electrodes;

a light conducting material associated with the probe body; and

an illumination source in optical communication with the light conducting material.

2. The electrosurgical probe of claim 1 wherein the light conducting material comprises at least one of a transparent body material and an optical fiber within the probe body.

3. The electrosurgical probe of claim 2 wherein the light conducting material comprises multiple optical fibers within the probe body.

4. The electrosurgical probe of claim 1 wherein the illumination source comprises at least one of an LED, and a laser.

5. A method of positioning an electrosurgical probe comprising:

determining an approximate subcutaneous electrosurgical location;

providing an electrosurgical probe comprising at least one conductive electrode associated with a probe body, a stimulation current source in electrical communication with the conductive electrode, a light conducting material associated with the probe body and an illumination source in optical communication with the light conducting material;

placing an operative portion of the electrosurgical probe into a subcutaneous location near the approximate electrosurgical location;

determining the approximate location of the operative portion of the probe by observing the location of subcutaneous tissue illuminated with light conducted through the light conducting material to tissue from the illumination source;

guiding the operative portion of the probe to the approximate electrosurgical location while observing the location of the illuminated subcutaneous tissue.

6. The method of positioning an electrosurgical probe of claim 5 further comprising:

applying stimulation energy from the stimulation current source to the conductive electrode; and

observing a response of a muscle associated with a nerve at the electrosurgical location.

7. The method of positioning an electrosurgical probe of claim 5 further comprising:

observing an illumination intensity through the illuminated tissue; and

estimating a probe depth according to the observed illumination intensity.

8. An electrosurgical system comprising:

an electrosurgical probe comprising a probe handle and a hollow probe body, the hollow probe body comprising multiple conductive electrodes;

a variable stimulation energy source in electrical communication with one or more of the conductive electrodes;

an ablation energy source in electrical communication with one or more of the conductive electrodes;

a switch operatively associated with the probe handle providing for the selective application of variable levels of stimulation energy and ablation energy; and

an anesthetic source in fluid communication with an opening in the hollow probe body.

9. The electrosurgical system of claim 8 further comprising:

a light conducting material associated with the probe body; and

an illumination source in optical communication with the light conducting material.

10. A method of ablating tissue comprising:

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

an ablation energy source in electrical communication with at least one of the conductive electrodes and an anesthetic source in fluid communication with an opening in the hollow probe body;

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;

varying the stimulation energy level between the first and a second application of stimulation energy;

applying the second stimulation energy to the stimulation electrode;

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

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

applying an anesthetic through the hollow probe to the tissue containing the target nerve; and

applying ablation energy to the tissue containing the target nerve.

11. The method of ablating tissue of claim 10 further comprising:

providing a light conducting material in association with the probe body;

providing an illumination source in optical communication with the light conducting material; and

determining the approximate probe location by observing the location of subcutaneous tissue illuminated with light conducted through the light conducting material to tissue from the illumination source;

guiding the probe to the approximate electrosurgical location by observing the location of the illuminated subcutaneous tissue