ELECTROSURGICAL SYSTEM WITH DEVICE SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS

• US 20120101494A1
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Cadouri, Hadar, Woloszko, Jean, Tetzlaff, Philip M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,448,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/16 Indifferent or passive electrodes for grounding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/007 with irrigation system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation

Abstract

Electrosurgical systems and methods include a generator which is operable to connect to an electrosurgical device and to identify the electrosurgical device. The generator automatically determines at least one device specific operational parameter for carrying out the electrosurgical procedure. In an exemplary embodiment, a generator includes a fluid pump and the generator automatically determines a candidate flowrate at which to operate the pump based on the type of device. The device specific operational parameter may be selected or modified by the operator prior to commencing the procedure.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical system for treating tissue at a target site with at least one type of electrosurgical device, each electrosurgical device comprising a shaft having a distal end and an active electrode terminal disposed near the distal end, said system comprising a generator wherein said generator comprises:

a high frequency power supply for delivery of high frequency energy to said active electrode terminal and a return electrode;

a fluid control device for driving electrically conductive fluid to the target site and wherein the electrically conductive fluid provides a current path between the active electrode terminal and the return electrode; and

a controller operable to identify said device type when said device is operationally connected to said generator and to automatically determine at least one operational parameter specific to said device type, and wherein said at least one operational parameter comprises a candidate flowrate for delivering said electrically conductive fluid.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller determines at least 3 different candidate flowrates for delivering electrically conductive fluid to the target site based on the device type.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller determines a minimum and maximum candidate flowrate for delivering electrically conductive fluid to the target site based on the device type.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said minimum candidate flowrate is 8 milliliters per minute, and said maximum candidate flowrate is 65 milliliters per minute.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a library of preselected candidate flowrates corresponding to a plurality of types of devices.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller identifies said device type based on an electrical resistance associated with the device when the device is connected to the generator.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one operational parameter further comprises one or more of the following:

alarm condition, energy stop condition, count duration, and device activation duration.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said at least one operational parameter comprises the alarm condition and said controller produces an alarm signal when said alarm condition is met.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said at least one operational parameter comprises the energy stop condition and said stop condition includes at least one of the following:

a) output current of the device, and b) total time that the device is connected to the generator.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said at least one operational parameter comprises a periodic count duration based on the device type and wherein the controller indicates the completion of the count duration.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the generator comprises an audible tone function.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein said at least one operational parameter comprises the device activation duration based on the device type and the controller stops delivery of high frequency energy to the device upon completion of the device activation duration.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said device activation duration is equal to or greater than 20 seconds and less than or equal to 40 seconds.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said fluid control device is a peristaltic pump.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a first type of electrosurgical device and said first type of device comprises an integrated fluid delivery channel.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising an electrically conductive fluid supply reservoir.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a foot pedal for activating the delivery of high frequency energy to the active electrode terminal.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the candidate flowrate is also based on the energy supplied to the device.

19. An electrosurgical generator for treating tissue at a target site with at least one type of electrosurgical device, each electrosurgical device comprising a shaft having a distal end and an active electrode terminal disposed near the distal end, said generator comprising:

a high frequency power supply for delivery of high frequency energy to said active electrode terminal and a return electrode;

a fluid control device for controlling electrically conductive fluid to the target site and wherein the electrically conductive fluid provides a current path between the active electrode terminal and the return electrode; and

a controller operable to identify said device type when said device is operationally connected to said generator and to automatically determine at least one operational parameter specific to said device type, and wherein said at least one operational parameter comprises a candidate flowrate for delivering said electrically conductive fluid.

20. An electrosurgical method to ablate soft tissue at a target site with at least one type of electrosurgical device, said method comprising:

connecting a first type of electrosurgical device with an electrosurgical generator, said generator comprising a power supply for delivering high frequency energy to the device, a controller for controlling energy delivery, and a fluid control device for controlling delivery of electrically conductive fluid to the target site;

automatically determining at least one operational parameter based on identifying said electrosurgical device as a first type of electrosurgical device;

activating said fluid control device to transport the electrically conductive fluid to said target site at a flowrate; and

delivering high frequency energy to an active electrode terminal located at the distal end of the electrosurgical device, said active electrode terminal being positioned in the electrically conductive fluid at the target site and wherein a current flow path from the active electrode terminal, through the electrically conductive fluid, to a return electrode is created when the high frequency energy is delivered.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said at least one operational parameter is selected from the group consisting of flowrate, alarm conditions, stop conditions, count duration, and device activation duration.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one operational parameter is the stop conditions and said stop conditions include at least one of the following:

a) output current of the device, and b) total time that the device is connected to the generator.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said at least one operational parameter is flowrate, and said automatically determining comprises determining at least three candidate flowrates based on said device type.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said activating said fluid control device at a flowrate is performed by an operator selecting one of said candidate flowrates.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

detaching said first type of electrosurgical device from the generator;

connecting a second type of electrosurgical device to said generator; and

automatically determining at least one operational parameter based on identifying said electrosurgical device as the second type of electrosurgical device.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein said first type of device is adapted for otolaryngological procedures.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said second type of device is configured for ablating soft tissue in the spine.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising pulsing the high frequency energy based on identifying the device type.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein activating comprises pumping fluid to the target site with a peristaltic pump.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein said operational parameter is flowrate and said flowrate is also based on an amount of energy delivered to said device.

31. An electrosurgical generator for treating tissue at a target site with at least one type of electrosurgical device, each electrosurgical device comprising a distal end and an active electrode terminal disposed near the distal end, said generator comprising:

a high frequency power supply for delivery of high frequency energy to said active electrode terminal and at least one return electrode spaced proximally away from the active electrode terminal;

a fluid control device for delivering electrically conductive fluid to the target site and wherein the electrically conductive fluid provides a current path between the active electrode terminal and the return electrode; and

a controller operable to identify said device type when said device is operationally connected to said generator and to automatically determine at least one operational parameter specific to said device type, and wherein said controller is operable to then automatically modify at least one operation mode of the generator associated with the at least one operational parameter.

32. The generator of claim 31 wherein the at least one operational parameter comprises a plurality of operational parameters.

33. The generator of claim 32 wherein the plurality of operational parameters comprises one or more of the following:

candidate flowrate, alarm condition, energy stop condition, count duration, and device activation duration.

34. The generator of claim 31 wherein the at least one operational parameter comprises a candidate flowrate, and wherein the candidate flowrate is also based on the energy supplied to the device.

35. The generator of claim 31 wherein the at least one operational parameter specific to the device type is further specific to a procedure type.

36. The generator of claim 31 wherein the at least one operational parameter specific to the device type is further specific to a target tissue type.

37. A surgical method for treating tissue comprising:

providing at least one type of electrosurgical device having a distal end including an active electrode and a return electrode spaced proximally from the active electrode;

providing a generator, the generator having a high frequency power supply for providing a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and the return electrode, the generator further comprising a controller;

providing a fluid control device for delivering electrically conductive fluid to the target site and wherein the electrically conductive fluid provides a current path between the active electrode terminal and the return electrode;

wherein the controller identifies said device type when said device is operationally connected to said generator and thereby automatically determines at least one operational parameter specific to said device type; and

wherein the controller then directs the generator to automatically modify at least one operation mode of the generator associated with the at least one operational parameter.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the at least one operational parameter comprises a plurality of operational parameters.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the plurality of operational parameters are selected from the group consisting of flowrate, alarm conditions, stop conditions, count duration, and device activation duration.

40. The method of claim 37 wherein the at least one operational parameter is flowrate and the flowrate is also based on an amount of energy delivered to the device.

41. The method of claim 37 wherein the at least one operational parameter specific to the device type is further specific to a procedure type.

42. The method of claim 37 wherein the at least one operational parameter specific to the device type is further specific to a target tissue type.