ELECTROSURGICAL WAND AND RELATED METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20120095453A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Goode, Johnson E., Tetzlaff, Philip M., Woloszko, Jean, Cox, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,685,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/33
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/042 using additional gas becoming plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0047 Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00583 Coblation, i.e. ablation using a cold plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/122 ionizing, with corona
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1435 Spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/144 Wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1472 for use with liquid electrolyte, e.g. virtual electrodes

Abstract

An electrosurgical wand. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are electrosurgical wands including an elongate housing that defines a handle end and a distal end, a first discharge aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing, a first active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate housing, a first return electrode of conductive material disposed within the first fluid conduit, and an aspiration aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical wand comprising:

an elongate housing that defines a handle end and a distal end;

a connector comprising a first and second electrical pins;

a first discharge aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing, the first discharge aperture fluidly coupled to a first fluid conduit, and the first fluid conduit within the elongate housing;

a first active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate housing, and the first active electrode electrically coupled to the first electrical pin;

a first return electrode of conductive material disposed within the first fluid conduit proximate to the first aperture such that at least some fluid flowing in the first fluid conduit contacts the first return electrode before discharging through the first discharge aperture toward the first active electrode, and the first return electrode electrically coupled to the second electrical pin; and

an aspiration aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit within the elongate housing.

2. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the first active electrode extends over the first discharge aperture.

3. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1 wherein the return electrode is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a coil of wire; and

a wire mesh.

4. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1 wherein first active electrode further comprises a loop of wire.

5. The electrosurgical wand of claim 4 wherein the first active electrode has a standoff distance between and including 0.010 and 0.050 inches.

6. The electrosurgical wand of claim 4 wherein the first active electrode has a standoff distance of between and including 0.015 and 0.025 inches.

7. The electrosurgical wand of claim 4 wherein the loop of wire has a diameter of between and including 0.008 and 0.015 inches.

8. The electrosurgical wand of claim 4 wherein the loop of wire has a diameter of 0.010 inches.

9. The electrosurgical wand of claim 4 wherein the return electrode is a coil of wire that defines a central axis, and wherein the first active electrode defines a straight portion and the central axis is parallel to the straight portion.

10. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the aspiration aperture is closer to the handle than the any portion of the discharge aperture.

11. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1 further comprising:

a first plane defined by the discharge aperture;

a second plane defined by the aspiration aperture; and

wherein the first and second plane are parallel, and the second plane is closer to the handle than the first plane.

12. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1 wherein the aspiration aperture defines an aperture width, and wherein the second fluid conduit transitions in width from the aperture width to an internal width over a length not less than two times the difference between the aperture width and the internal width.

13. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1 further comprising:

a second discharge aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing, the second discharge aperture distinct from the first discharge aperture, and the second aperture fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit;

a second active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate housing; and

a second return electrode of conductive material disposed within the second fluid conduit proximate to the second aperture such that at least some fluid flowing in the second fluid conduit contacts the second return electrode before discharging through the second discharge aperture toward the second active electrode.

14. The electrosurgical wand of claim 13 further comprising:

the distal end of the elongate housing defines a width and a thickness;

wherein first active electrode further comprises a loop of wire that defines a first outer portion;

wherein second active electrode further comprises a loop of wire that defines a second outer portion; and

the first and second outer portions are aligned along the width such that, when viewed along the thickness, the first and second straight portions overlap.

15. The electrosurgical wand of claim 14 further comprising:

the first outer portion defines a first straight portion;

the second outer portion defines a second straight portion; and

wherein the first and second straight portions are parallel.

16. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1 further comprising:

the first active electrode defines a first exposed surface area; and

the first return electrode defines a second exposed surface area greater than the first exposed surface area.

17. A method comprising:

flowing a conductive fluid within a fluid conduit disposed within a electrosurgical wand, the conductive fluid flows past a return electrode disposed within the fluid conduit, and is then discharged through a discharge aperture;

applying electrical energy between an active electrode and the return electrode;

forming, responsive to the energy, a plasma proximate to the active electrode; and

treating a wound by placing the active electrode adjacent to the wound, and translating the active electrode along the wound.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein flowing further comprises flowing the conductive fluid past the return electrode in the form of a coil of wire.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein flowing further comprises flowing the conductive fluid past the return electrode in the form of a coil of wire that defines a central axis, and wherein the direction of flow of the conductive fluid prior to encountering the coil of wire is perpendicular to the central axis.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein flowing further comprises flowing the conductive fluid past the return electrode in the form of a wire mesh.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein flowing further comprises flowing the conductive fluid such that the conductive fluid is discharged at least partially toward the active electrode in the form of loop of wire.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising aspirating through a fluid conduit in the electrosurgical wand, the aspirating proximate to the discharge aperture.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein treating the wound comprises detaching at least one wound tissue strip from the wound and aspirating the at least one strip away from the wound such that the at least one strip does not substantially contact an underlying remaining wound portion.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein detaching the at least one wound tissue strip comprises ablating at least a portion of the wound without completely molecularly dissociating the at least one strip.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein treating the wound comprises debriding at least a portion of the wound and aspirating a plurality of wound tissue strips away from the wound.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the steps of debriding and aspirating further comprise removing a substantial concentration of bacteria from the wound.

27. A system comprising:

an electrosurgical controller, the electrosurgical controller configured to produce radio frequency (RF) energy at an active terminal with respect to a return terminal;

an electrosurgical wand coupled to the electrosurgical controller, the electrosurgical wand comprising;

an elongate housing that defines a handle end and a distal end;

a first discharge aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing, the first discharge aperture fluidly coupled to a first fluid conduit, and the first fluid conduit within the elongate housing;

a first active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate housing, and the first active electrode electrically coupled to the active terminal;

a first return electrode of conductive material disposed within the first fluid conduit proximate to the first aperture such that at least some fluid flowing in the first fluid conduit contacts the first return electrode before discharging through the first discharge aperture toward the first active electrode, and the first return electrode electrically coupled to the return terminal; and

an aspiration aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit within the elongate housing.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of the first active electrode extends over the first discharge aperture.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the return electrode is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a coil of wire; and

a wire mesh.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein first active electrode further comprises a loop of wire.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the first active electrode has a standoff distance of between and including 0.015 and 0.025 inches.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the loop of wire has a diameter of 0.010 inches.

33. The system of claim 27 wherein the aspiration aperture defines an aperture width, and wherein the second fluid conduit transitions in width from the aperture width to an internal width over a length not less than two times the different between the aperture width and the internal width.

34. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

a second discharge aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing, the second discharge aperture distinct from the first discharge aperture, and the second aperture fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit;

a second active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate housing; and

a second return electrode of conductive material disposed within the second fluid conduit proximate to the second aperture such that at least some fluid flowing in the second fluid conduit contacts the second return electrode before discharging through the second discharge aperture toward the second active electrode.

35. The system of claim 34 further comprising:

the distal end of the elongate housing defines a width and a thickness;

wherein first active electrode further comprises a loop of wire that defines a first outer portion;

wherein second active electrode further comprises a loop of wire that defines a second outer portion; and

the first and second outer portions are aligned along the width such that, when viewed along the thickness, the first and second straight portions overlap.