Resectoscope and electrode therefor
First Claim
1. A working element assembly for use in a resectoscope having a sheath, said assembly including a stem portion for insertion within the sheath, and having a telescope channel member with a central axis and a pair of parallel cutting electrode guide channel members spaced apart and sealingly mounted on the telescope channel member on opposite sides thereof substantially along its full length above its central axis and in which a portion of the cutting electrode guide channel members and the telescope channel member portion between them and above said axis form a roof member which extends a distance distally beyond the portion of the telescope channel member below said axis.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed apparatus includes a resectoscope with a novel working element stem, a novel cutting electrode for use with the stem and novel electrical features including a dielectric moving block element for reciprocating the electrode. The stem portion of the working element has a telescope channel member with a central axis and a pair of cutting electrode guide channel members spaced apart and mounted on opposite sides of the telescope channel member above its central axis. The cutting electrode consists of a single length of electrically conductive wire with a loop portion in the middle of the wire and a pair of substantially straight, flexible, parallel, spaced apart insulation covered arms having similar lengths and extending rearwardly from the loop in the same direction. The arms of the electrode are inserted within the cutting electrode channel members in the working element stem. The size and number of electrically conductive exterior parts of the instrument are minimized and the capacitive and ohmic coupling of these parts to the active conductors is minimized to reduce the chance of accidental burns to the doctor or the patient.
310 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A working element assembly for use in a resectoscope having a sheath, said assembly including a stem portion for insertion within the sheath, and having a telescope channel member with a central axis and a pair of parallel cutting electrode guide channel members spaced apart and sealingly mounted on the telescope channel member on opposite sides thereof substantially along its full length above its central axis and in which a portion of the cutting electrode guide channel members and the telescope channel member portion between them and above said axis form a roof member which extends a distance distally beyond the portion of the telescope channel member below said axis.
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2. A stem for a working element assembly for use in a resectoscope, the stem having a telescope channel member along its length with a central axis and a pair of parallel cutting electrode channel members spaced apart and sealingly mounted on the telescope channel member on opposite sides thereof substantially along its full length above its central axis and in which a portion of the cutting electrode guide channel members and the telescope channel member portion between them and above said axis form a roof member which extends a distance distally beyond the portion of the telescope channel member below said axis.
- 3. In a resectoscope having a sheath and a working element assembly including a stem portion having a telescope channel member for insertion within the sheath, said member having a central axis, an irrigation fluid inflow conduit and an irrigation fluid drain conduit, both also within the sheath, the improvement in which the stem portion of the assembly includes a pair of substantially parallel spaced apart cutting electrode guide channel members sealingly mounted on the telescope channel member on opposite sides thereof substantially along its full length above its central axis.
- 10. In a resectoscope having a sheath and a working element assembly including a stem portion having a telescope channel member for insertion within the sheath, said member having a central axis, an irrigation fluid inflow conduit and an irrigation fluid drain conduit, both also within the sheath the improvement in which the stem portion of the assembly includes a pair of substantially parallel spaced apart cutting electrode guide channel members sealingly mounted on the telescope channel member on opposite sides thereof substantially along its full length above its central axis and in which a portion of the cutting electrode guide channel members and the telescope channel member portion between them and above said axis form a roof member which extends a distance distally beyond the portion of the telescope channel member below said axis.
- 12. A cutting electrode for use in a working element assembly for use in a resectoscope having cutting electrode guide channel members on opposite sides of the working element above its central axis, said electrode consisting of a continuous unbranched length of an electrical conductor with an uninsulated loop portion in the middle of the conductor and a pair of similar, free, substantially straight, flexible, parallel, spaced apart insulation covered arms extending rearwardly from the loop in the same direction for the remaining length of the electrode, and means for connecting the electrical conductor to a source of electric current.
- 16. In a resectoscope having a metal working element stem and a cutting electrode reciprocatingly mounted within the stem, the improvement comprising having all other parts of the resectoscope which are exposed to contact by the operator using the instrument or the patient in which it is used formed, as far as possible, of dielectric material, having any necessary external parts which are capable of conducting electricity made as small as possible, having these external parts formed with a minimum of electrically conductive interconnections between them and having these parts spaced by a dielectric from those parts of the instrument intended to carry electricity to produce a capacitive coupling between them of less than about 6 pico farads and an ohmic coupling of not less than about 25,000 ohms.
Specification