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Thermocouple radio frequency lesion electrode

  • US 4,411,266 A
  • Filed: 09/24/1980
  • Issued: 10/25/1983
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1980
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An electrode adapted for making radio frequency heat lesions in the tissue of the living body and having built-in a thermocouple sensor which can sense the temperature of the bodily tissue which is being heated, the electrode having an elongated shape with a distal end that is intended to be directed at the bodily tissue to be heated and a proximal end having connection means which is adapted to be connected to an external source of radio frequency energy and to an external thermocouple temperature monitoring apparatus, a portion of the elongated portion of said electrode being covered with an insulating material, said electrode having an uninsulated conductive tip at its distal end from which, when in use, radio frequency current will flow to heat surrounding tissue, said electrode comprising conductive means connecting said uninsulated tip to said connection means located near said proximal end of said electrode and adapted for connection to an external source of radio frequency potential whereby when in use said uninsulated tip will be at said radio frequency potential, said electrode comprising a first metal wire element and a second metal wire element, both metal wire elements running from said proximal end to said distal end of said electrode, said two metal elements being the two sides of a thermocouple pair, said two metal elements being electrically insulated from each other over the length of said electrode except at said distal end, the distal ends of said two metal elements being electrically fused at said distal end of said electrode to form a thermocouple junction in such a way that a portion of each of said distal ends of said two metal elements and a portion of said fused junction are part of external surface of said uninsulated tip, the proximal ends of said two metal elements near the proximal end of said electrode are so adapted to be connected through said connection means to an external thermocouple junction potential measuring apparatus;

  • whereby, when in use and when said electrode is inserted into the living body, then the radio frequency potential at said uninsulated tip of said electrode will cause current to flow in, and thus heat up, the tissue surrounding said uninsulated tip, and said distal portions of said two metal elements and said portion of thermocouple junction which are on the external surface of said uninsulated tip will provide intimate thermal contact with the heated tissue adjacent to said external surface, and thus, a reliable measure of the temperature of said adjacent tissue.

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