ELECTROSURGICAL DEVICE WITH INTERNAL DIGESTOR ELECTRODE

• US 20120226273A1
• Filed: 03/01/2012
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Evans, Doug, Nguyen, Kim, Pransky, Seth M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,011,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/042 using additional gas becoming plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00583 Coblation, i.e. ablation using a cold plasma
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/144 Wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1472 for use with liquid electrolyte, e.g. virtual electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/162 located on the probe body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/005 using gas or vapor, e.g. for protection or purging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/007 Aspiration

Abstract

An electrosurgical wand is described, for treating a target tissue using electrosurgical energy, which has an elongate shaft with a handle end and a distal end. A first active electrode surface is disposed on the distal end of the shaft and a first digester electrode surface is recessed away from the first active electrode surface and electrically connected with the first active electrode surface. An aspiration aperture is also disposed adjacent the first active electrode surface and fluidly connected with an aspiration lumen, wherein the first digester electrode surface is disposed within the aspiration lumen.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical wand for electrosurgically treating a target tissue comprising:

an elongate shaft having a proximal handle end and a distal end;

a first active electrode surface disposed on the distal end of the shaft and a first digester electrode surface recessed away from the first active electrode surface and electrically connected with the first active electrode surface; and

an aspiration aperture disposed adjacent the first active electrode surface and fluidly connected with an aspiration lumen, wherein the first digester electrode surface is disposed within the aspiration lumen.

2. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1, wherein the first active electrode surface is disposed substantially across the aspiration aperture.

3. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1, wherein the first active electrode surface and the digester electrode surface are substantially parallel to each other.

4. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1, wherein the digester electrode surface is substantially coaxial with the aspiration lumen.

5. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1, wherein the digester electrode surface further comprises at least one asperity, operable to readily initiate plasma adjacent said asperity, in the presence of a high frequency voltage and electrically conductive fluids.

6. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1, further comprising a semi-annular return electrode proximal to the active electrode surface, wherein the return electrode defines a portion of the distal end of the shaft and is disposed on the side of the shaft corresponding to the first active electrode surface.

7. The electrosurgical wand of claim 6, further comprising an irrigation aperture disposed through the return electrode, fluidly connected with a fluid conduit, operable to supply an electrically conductive fluid to the distal end.

8. The electrosurgical wand of claim 7, wherein the irrigation aperture is disposed towards the return electrode proximal end, and said aperture is approximately crescent shaped to provide a uniform and directed flow distally towards the active electrode surface.

9. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1, wherein the elongate shaft further comprises a medial portion that is proximal to the distal end;

the medial portion having a medial axis and the distal end having a tip axis, and wherein the angle between the tip axis and the medial axis is greater than zero.

10. The electrosurgical wand of claim 9, wherein the angle between the tip axis and the medial axis is acute.

11. The electrosurgical wand of claim 9, wherein the proximal handle end comprises a proximal axis and wherein the angle between the proximal axis and the medial axis is greater than zero.

12. The electrosurgical wand of claim 1, wherein the target tissue is laryngeal tissue.

13. An electrosurgical wand for electrosurgically treating a target tissue comprising:

an elongate shaft having a proximal handle end and a distal end and a non-conductive spacer coupled to the shaft distal end, wherein the spacer comprises a suction aperture disposed on a lateral side of the spacer and fluidly connected with a suction lumen disposed within the spacer;

an active electrode exposed surface bridging the suction aperture; and

a digester electrode surface disposed within the suction lumen.

14. The electrosurgical wand of claim 13, further comprising an active electrode recessed surface, operable to electrically connect the active electrode exposed surface to the digester electrode and wherein a distal surface of the spacer comprises an elongate recess, operable to nest the active electrode recessed surface.

15. The electrosurgical wand of claim 13, further comprising a semi annular return electrode disposed proximally to the spacer, wherein the return electrode defines a portion of the distal end of the shaft and is disposed on the side of the shaft corresponding to the active electrode exposed surface.

16. The electrosurgical wand of claim 15, further comprising an irrigation aperture disposed through the return electrode, fluidly connected with a fluid conduit, operable to supply an electrically conductive fluid to the distal end.

17. The electrosurgical wand of claim 13, wherein the suction aperture is approximately perpendicular to the suction lumen.

18. A method of treating tissue comprising the steps;

flowing a conductive fluid within a fluid conduit disposed within a electrosurgical wand, so as to discharge the conductive fluid through a discharge aperture disposed adjacent a distal end of the wand, and then discharged said fluid over an active electrode;

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

forming, responsive to the energy applied between the active and return electrode, a localized plasma proximate the active electrode;

ablating, by the localized plasma, a portion of a target tissue proximate to a first active surface of the active electrode; and

aspirating fluids and ablated fragmented by-products through an aspiration aperture that is fluidly connected to an aspiration lumen, said aspiration aperture disposed adjacent the active surface, and wherein a digester surface portion of the active electrode is recessed away from the active surface, electrically connected to the active surface and disposed within the aspiration lumen; and

breaking down aspirated fragmented by-products proximate to the digester surface so as to minimize clogging of the aspiration lumen by the fragmented by-products.