FLUID-ASSISTED ELECTROSURGICAL DEVICES, AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF

• US 20140026395A1
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Advanced Energy LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Advanced Energy LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bloom, Eliot F., Greenlaw, Chad M., Greeley, Roger D., Miller, Steven G., Vaccarella, Lorenzo C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,333,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/592.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• 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 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A method of producing an electrosurgical device is disclosed. Opposing longitudinal clamshells are formed, and each clamshell includes a face having a generally planar major portion. Longitudinal grooves are formed in a clamshell, and an electrical conductor in a disposed in a groove. The faces are aligned to form an electrical passage including the electrical conductor in the groove and a spaced-apart fluid passage with another groove. The clamshells are welded together to form a shaft member such that the electrical passage and the fluid passage are fluid tight along a major longitudinal portion of the shaft. Electrodes are attached to the distal end of the shaft and are in electrical communication with the electrical conductor.

Claims

1. A method of producing an electrosurgical device, comprising:

forming a first opposing longitudinal clamshell and a second opposing longitudinal clamshell from an electrically insulating material, wherein the first opposing clamshell includes a first face having a plurality of spaced-apart longitudinal grooves and the second opposing clamshell includes a second face having a longitudinal groove opposing one of the plurality of longitudinal grooves in the first face;

disposing an electrical conductor into one of the opposing longitudinal grooves;

aligning the faces of the opposing clamshells to form an electrical passage including the electrical conductor from the opposing longitudinal grooves and a spaced-apart fluid passage from another groove of the plurality of longitudinal grooves in the first opposing clamshell;

welding the pair of longitudinal clamshells together to integrally form a shaft member such that the electrical passage and the fluid passage are each fluid-tight along a major longitudinal portion of the shaft; and

attaching an electrode at a distal end of the shaft to be in electrical communication with the electrical conductor.

2. The method of claim 1 including forming a plurality of grooves in the face of the second opposing clamshell.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the faces are generally planar with grooves formed in the planar faces.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the fluid passage is formed from aligning the another groove of the first opposing clamshell with a generally planar portion on the face of the second opposing clamshell.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrode is in direct physical contact with the electrical conductor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein attaching the electrode at the distal end includes attaching an electrode having a fluid passageway through the electrode such that the fluid passageway is in fluid communication with the fluid passage.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein aligning the faces of the opposing clamshells including forming a recess in at least one distal end of the opposing clamshells such that the fluid passage is in fluid communication with the distal end of the shaft through the recess.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein attaching the electrode at the distal end includes fitting the electrode into the recess.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second opposing longitudinal clamshells includes a first mating feature on the face of the one the first and second opposing longitudinal clamshell, and the other of the first and second opposing longitudinal clamshells includes a second mating feature on the face of the other of the first and second longitudinal clamshells, and wherein aligning the faces include interconnecting the mating features.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first mating feature include a key extending from the face of the one of the first and second opposing longitudinal clamshells and the second mating feature includes a keyway formed into the face of the other of the first and second opposing longitudinal clamshells.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein welding the pair of longitudinal clamshells together includes forming a seam between the passages to hermetically seal the pair of longitudinal clamshells together and to hermetically seal off the passages from each other.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulating material is a thermoplastic.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein attaching the electrode includes heat staking the electrode into the shaft.

14. A method of producing an electrosurgical device, comprising:

forming a first opposing longitudinal clamshell, wherein the first opposing longitudinal clamshell includes a first face having a plurality of spaced-apart longitudinal grooves;

forming a second opposing longitudinal clamshell, wherein the second opposing clamshell includes a second face having a plurality of spaced-apart longitudinal grooves, wherein at least two of the plurality of longitudinal grooves in the second face oppose and correspond with at least two longitudinal grooves in the first face;

disposing a first electrical conductor into one of the two of a first set of the opposing longitudinal grooves;

disposing a second electrical conductor into one of the two of a second set of the opposing longitudinal grooves;

aligning the faces of the opposing longitudinal clamshells,

wherein the aligning forms a first and a second spaced-apart longitudinal electrical passages each including one of the electrical conductors,

wherein the first electrical passage is formed from aligning the first set of the opposing longitudinal grooves, and

wherein the second electrical passage is formed from aligning the second set of the opposing longitudinal grooves, and

wherein the aligning forms a longitudinal fluid passage from a longitudinal groove of the plurality of grooves other than the corresponding opposing longitudinal grooves forming the first and second electrical passages;

welding the first and second longitudinal clamshells together to integrally form a shaft member such that the first and second electrical passages and the fluid passage are each fluid-tight along a major longitudinal portion of the shaft; and

attaching a first electrode and a second electrode at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the first electrode is in electrical communication with the first electrical conductor and the second electrode is in electrical communication with the second electrical conductor.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein forming the first opposing longitudinal clamshell includes forming two longitudinal grooves and wherein forming the first opposing longitudinal clamshell include forming at least three grooves.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the proximal end of the shaft includes two exit openings in communication with the fluid passage.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the shaft includes a proximal end and the proximal end includes one delivery opening in fluid communication with the two exit openings through the fluid passage.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein attaching the first and second electrodes includes fitting the first electrode into one of the two exit openings and fitting the second electrode into the other of the two exit openings.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein fitting the first and second electrodes includes ultrasonically welding the first and second electrodes into the shaft.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the opposing longitudinal clamshells are formed from a thermoplastic.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the welding includes ultrasonically welding the thermoplastic opposing longitudinal clamshells together.

22. A method of producing an electrosurgical device, comprising:

forming a first opposing longitudinal clamshell having first face including a generally planar major portion;

forming a second opposing longitudinal clamshell having a second face including a generally planar major portion and a plurality of spaced-apart longitudinal grooves in the major portion;

disposing an electrical conductor into a longitudinal groove of the plurality of longitudinal grooves;

aligning the first face and the second face to form an electrical passage including the electrical conductor from the longitudinal groove of the plurality of the longitudinal grooves and a spaced-apart fluid passage from another longitudinal groove of the plurality of the longitudinal grooves;

welding the first and second longitudinal clamshells together to form a shaft member such that the electrical passage and the fluid passage are each fluid-tight along a major longitudinal portion of the shaft; and

attaching an electrode at a distal end of the shaft to be in electrical communication with the electrical conductor.