Electrosurgical stripping electrode for palatopharynx tissue

• US 5,423,812 A
• Filed: 01/31/1994
• Issued: 06/13/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ellman International, Inc. (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ALAN G. ELLMAN, Jon G. Garito
• Inventors: Garito, Jon G., Ellman, Alan G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US08/188,795
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 606/124, 606/32, 606/47, 606/33, 606/41, 606/45, 606/46, 128/642, 607/122
• US Class Current: 606/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/149 bow shaped or with rotatable body at cantilever end, e.g. for resectoscopes, or coagulating rollers

Abstract

An electrode for use in an electrosurgical procedure to improve snoring and OSAS. The procedure is based on the progressive enlargement of the airspace in the oropharynx to eliminate or reduce obstructions that can occur during sleep, by electrosurgical stripping of layers of the vibrating soft palate, the wide posterior tonsil pillars, and redundant posterior pharyngeal mucosa. In a preferred embodiment, the electrode is characterized by a bare active wire portion suspended between wire supports on an electrode shaft. The tissue stripping is effected with the bare wire, and the adjacent portions of the wire supports and electrode shaft are made insulating to prevent accidental burns to the patient and to allow the physician to use these insulated parts to help position and guide the active wire portion during the surgical procedure.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical electrode for stripping of tissue, comprising:

(a) an electrically conductive shaft member having a first end for mounting in an electrosurgical handpiece and a second end,

(b) first and second, spaced, wire-support members mounted on the shaft member at its second end, at least one of said first and second wire-support members being electrically conductive and being electrically connected to the shaft member, said first and second wire-support members both extending transversely to the shaft member,

(c) an active, electrically conductive, cutting wire mounted to and across the first and second wire-support members, said active cutting wire being electrically connected to said one electrically conductive wire-support member, said cutting wire having exposed electrically conductive portions for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said shaft is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents,

(d) portions of said first and second wire-support members adjacent said exposed portions being electrically insulating to prevent contact and passage of electrosurgical currents to areas adjacent to or surrounding the tissue to be stripped.

2. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wire-support members extend parallel to one another.

3. An electrosurgical electrode for stripping of tissue, comprising:

(a) an electrically conductive shaft member having a first end for mounting in an electrosurgical handpiece and a second end,

(b) first and second, spaced, wire-support members mounted on the shaft member at its second end, at least one of said first and second wire-support members being electrically conductive and being electrically connected to the shaft member,

(c) an active, electrically conductive, cutting wire mounted to and across the first and second wire-support members, said active cutting wire being electrically connected to said one electrically conductive wire-support member, said cutting wire having exposed electrically conductive portions for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said shaft is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents,

(d) said first and second wire-support members being both conductive rod-like members and being both coated with an electrically insulating coating to prevent contact and passage of electrosurgical currents to areas adjacent to or surrounding the tissue to be stripped, the first wire-support member being located furthest from the first end of the shaft member, and the first wire-support member being longer and extending further away from the shaft member than the second wire-support member.

4. An electrosurgical electrode for stripping of tissue, comprising:

(a) an electrically conductive shaft member having a first end for mounting in an electrosurgical handpiece and a second end,

(b) first and second, spaced, wire-support members mounted on the shaft member at its second end, at least one of said first and second wire-support members being electrically conductive and being electrically connected to the shaft member,

(c) an active, electrically conductive, cutting wire mounted to and across the first and second wire-support members, said active cutting wire being electrically connected to said one electrically conductive wire-support member and extending parallel to the shaft member, said cutting wire having exposed electrically conductive portions for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said shaft is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents,

(d) portions of said first and second wire-support members adjacent said exposed portions being electrically insulating to prevent contact and passage of electrosurgical currents to areas adjacent to or surrounding the tissue to be stripped.

5. In combination:

an electrosurgical handpiece having means at one end for connection to electrosurgical apparatus capable of supplying high frequency currents at a frequency exceeding 1.5 MHz and having at its opposite end means for holding the electrically conductive shaft of an electrosurgical electrode and for supplying the high frequency currents to said electrode;

an electrosurgical electrode for stripping of palatopharynx tissue, comprising;

(a) an electrically conductive shaft member having a first end mounted at the opposite end of the electrosurgical handpiece and a second end,

(b) first and second, spaced, wire-support members mounted on the shaft member at its second end, at least one of said first and second wire-support members being electrically conductive and being electrically connected to the shaft member, the first wire-support member being located furthest from the first end of the shaft member, and the first wire-support member being longer and extending further away from the shaft member than the second wire-support member, the first and second wire-support members extending transversely to the shaft member,

(c) an active, electrically conductive, cutting wire mounted to and across the first and second wire-support members, said active cutting wire being electrically connected to said one electrically conductive wire-support member, said cutting wire having exposed electrically conductive portions for applying electrosurgical currents to said palatopharynx tissue when said electrosurgical apparatus is energized,

(d) portions of said first and second wire-support members adjacent said exposed portions being electrically insulating to prevent contact and passage of electrosurgical currents to areas adjacent to or surrounding the tissue to be stripped.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the wire-support members are both conductive rod-like members and are both coated with an electrically insulating coating, and the portions of the shaft member between its second end and the location of the first wire-support member are coated with an electrically insulating coating.

7. In combination:

an electrosurgical handpiece having means at one end for connection to electrosurgical apparatus capable of supplying high frequency currents and having at its opposite end means for holding the electrically conductive shaft of an electrosurgical electrode and for supplying the high frequency currents to said electrode;

an electrosurgical electrode for stripping of palatopharynx tissue, comprising;

(a) an electrically conductive shaft member having a first end mounted at the opposite end of the electrosurgical handpiece and a second end,

(b) first and second, spaced, wire-support members mounted on the shaft member at its second end, at least one of said first and second wire-support members being electrically conductive and being electrically connected to the shaft member,

(c) an active, electrically conductive, cutting wire mounted to and across the first and second wire-support members, said active cutting wire being electrically connected to said one electrically conductive wire-support member and extending parallel to the shaft member, said cutting wire having exposed electrically conductive portions for applying electrosurgical currents to said palatopharynx tissue when said electrosurgical apparatus is energized,

(d) portions of said first and second wire-support members adjacent said exposed portions being electrically insulating to prevent contact and passage of electrosurgical currents to areas adjacent to or surrounding the tissue to be stripped.