Electrosurgical probe apparatus
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical treatment system for use in the treatment of tissue comprising:
- electrosurgical probe means including an elongated substrate member having a peripheral surface of dielectric material and a longitudinal axis extending between a working end and an attachment end and at least a pair of electrically isolated electrodes on said peripheral surface of said substrate member and extending continuously between an active region at said working end and an electrical terminal region at said attachment end for connection/disconnection, respectively, to opposite poles of a source of electrical energy;
an outermost dielectric covering on said substrate member at a region extending intermediate said attachment end and said working end and overlying said electrodes as a continuous peripheral band between said active region and said electrical terminal region to electrically isolate said intermediate region;
a source of electrical energy selectively operable at a first range of operating parameters and at a second range of operating parameters; and
connection/disconnection means including electrically conductive contact members releasably engageable with said attachment end of said probe means and connected to said source of electrical energy for selectively coupling said probe means to said source, in one instance for operation at the first range of operating parameters and in another instance for operation at the second range of operating parameters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A disposable bipolar electrosurgical probe which can be readily applied to the tissue to be treated, then discarded. The probe comprises an elongated substrate member having a peripheral surface of dielectric material and a longitudinal axis extending between a working end and an attachment end. At least a pair of electrically isolated electrodes extend continuously on the peripheral surface of the substrate member between an active region at the working end and an electrical terminal region at the attachment end for quick connection and/or disconnection, respectively, to opposite poles of an RF generator. A handle with a quick disconnect mechanism is provided to physically support the probe and enable it to be selectively energized. The probes can be of a fail safe construction so as to assure that only a proper probe can be used for a desired treatment.
363 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An electrosurgical treatment system for use in the treatment of tissue comprising:
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electrosurgical probe means including an elongated substrate member having a peripheral surface of dielectric material and a longitudinal axis extending between a working end and an attachment end and at least a pair of electrically isolated electrodes on said peripheral surface of said substrate member and extending continuously between an active region at said working end and an electrical terminal region at said attachment end for connection/disconnection, respectively, to opposite poles of a source of electrical energy; an outermost dielectric covering on said substrate member at a region extending intermediate said attachment end and said working end and overlying said electrodes as a continuous peripheral band between said active region and said electrical terminal region to electrically isolate said intermediate region; a source of electrical energy selectively operable at a first range of operating parameters and at a second range of operating parameters; and connection/disconnection means including electrically conductive contact members releasably engageable with said attachment end of said probe means and connected to said source of electrical energy for selectively coupling said probe means to said source, in one instance for operation at the first range of operating parameters and in another instance for operation at the second range of operating parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An electrosurgical treatment system for use in the treatment of tissue comprising:
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electrosurgical probe means including; a first elongated substrate member for treating one type of tissue; and a second elongated substrate member for treating another, different, type of tissue; said first and second elongated substrate members each having a peripheral surface of dielectric material and a longitudinal axis extending between a working end and an attachment end and at least a pair of electrically isolated electrodes on said peripheral surface and extending continuously between an active region at said working end and an electrical terminal region at said attachment end for connection/disconnection, respectively, to opposite poles of a source of electrical energy; a source of electrical energy selectively operable at a first range of operating parameters and at a second range of operating parameters; and connection/disconnection means including electrically conductive contact members releasably engageable with said attachment end of said probe means and connected to said source of electrical energy for selectively coupling said probe means to said source, in one instance for operation at the first range of operating parameters and in another instance for operation at the second range of operating parameters; said first substrate member including a first pair of contact areas thereon spaced apart on the peripheral surface of said attachment end engageable with associated ones of said contact members of said connection/disconnection means for operating said active region of said first substrate member at the first range of operating parameters; said second substrate member including a second pair of contact areas thereon spaced apart on the peripheral surface of said attachment end engageable with associated ones of said contact members of said connection/disconnection means for operating said active region of said second substrate member at the second range of operating parameters; said first pair of contact areas including first and second contact areas; said second pair of contact areas including first and third contact areas; said first contact areas being common to said first and second pairs of contact areas. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification