ELECTROSURGICAL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TREATING CHRONIC WOUND TISSUE

• US 20100292689A1
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Davison, Terry S., Warne, Brian, Kwende, Martin
• Application Number:
  US12/845,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292689A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1213 creating an arc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1472 for use with liquid electrolyte, e.g. virtual electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/007 Aspiration

Abstract

An electrosurgical method for treating chronic wound tissue, comprising: positioning an active electrode in close proximity to the chronic wound, the active electrode being disposed on a distal end of an electrosurgical shaft; applying a high-frequency voltage potential difference across the active electrode and a return electrode sufficient to debride and sterilize at least a portion of the chronic wound tissue; and applying a skin graft in the vicinity of the chronic wound tissue.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical method of treating a chronic wound tissue comprising:

positioning an active electrode in proximity to the chronic wound tissue, the chronic wound tissue comprising a wound bed;

positioning a return electrode in the presence of the chronic wound tissue, the return electrode proximally spaced away from the active electrode;

delivering an electrically conductive fluid proximate the active electrode;

applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and the return electrode in the presence of the electrically conductive fluid, the high frequency voltage sufficient to generate an ionized vapor layer at the active electrode, wherein the ionized vapor layer debrides at least a portion of the chronic wound tissue and sterilizes at least a portion of the wound bed; and

applying a skin graft in the vicinity of the wound bed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the debriding step further comprises removing at least a portion of the chronic wound tissue to a controlled depth and to form a bleeding wound bed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sterilizing at least a portion of the wound bed comprises removing debris in the wound bed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sterilizing at least a portion of the wound bed comprises removing pathogens in the wound bed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the debriding step further comprises removing necrotic tissue in the chronic wound tissue and in the vicinity of the chronic wound tissue.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising bridging gaps in a vascular structure between the wound bed and a border tissue portion adjacent to the wound bed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing barriers to epithelial cell migration between the tissue surrounding the wound bed and the wound bed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ionized vapor layer forms a plasma at the active electrode.

9. An electrosurgical method of treating a chronic wound tissue comprising:

positioning an active electrode in proximity to the chronic wound tissue, the chronic wound tissue comprising a wound bed;

positioning a return electrode in the presence of the chronic wound tissue, the return electrode proximally spaced away from the active electrode;

applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and the return electrode, wherein the high frequency voltage is sufficient to debride at least a portion of the chronic wound tissue such that a bleeding wound bed is prepared; and

applying a skin graft in the vicinity of the bleeding wound bed.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

delivering an electrically conductive fluid proximate the active electrode;

wherein the high frequency voltage is sufficient to vaporize and ionize the electrically conductive fluid such that a plasma is formed; and

applying the plasma to the chronic wound tissue to debride the at least a portion of the chronic wound tissue and to prepare the bleeding wound bed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein applying the plasma further comprises sterilizing at least a portion of the wound bed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein sterilizing the at least a portion of the wound bed comprises removing debris in the wound bed.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein sterilizing the at least a portion of the wound bed comprises removing pathogens in the wound bed.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the debriding step further comprises removing necrotic tissue in the chronic wound tissue and in the vicinity of the chronic wound tissue.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising bridging gaps in a vascular structure between the wound bed and a border tissue portion adjacent to the wound bed.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising removing barriers to epithelial cell migration between the tissue surrounding the wound bed and the wound bed.

17. An electrosurgical method of treating chronic wound tissue comprising:

positioning an active electrode in proximity to the chronic wound tissue, the chronic wound tissue comprising a wound bed;

positioning a return electrode in the presence of the chronic wound tissue, the return electrode proximally spaced away from the active electrode;

applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and the return electrode sufficient to develop a high electric field intensity associated with a vapor layer proximate the active electrode, wherein the vapor layer modifies the chronic wound tissue to prepare the chronic wound tissue for application of a skin graft in the vicinity of the chronic wound tissue; and

applying the skin graft in the vicinity of the wound bed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein modifying the chronic wound tissue comprises debriding at least a portion of the chronic wound tissue such that a bleeding wound bed is prepared.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the debriding step further comprises removing necrotic tissue in the chronic wound tissue and in the vicinity of the chronic wound tissue.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein modifying the chronic wound tissue comprises sterilizing at least a portion of the wound bed, and wherein the step of sterilizing further comprises substantially reducing debris and pathogens in the wound bed.