Electrosurgical electrode for nail spicule removal procedure

• US 5,683,386 A
• Filed: 11/20/1995
• Issued: 11/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cynosure Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ALAN G. ELLMAN, Jon C. Garito
• Inventors: Garito, Jon C., Ellman, Alan G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US08/560,640
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 606/41, 606/45, 606/49, 606/50
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1253 monopolar

Abstract

An electrode for use in an electrosurgical procedure for excising nail spicule tissue. In a preferred embodiment, the electrode is characterized by a bare active dome-shaped tip portion. The undesired tissue excising is effected with the bare tip and the adjacent portions of the 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 tip portion during the surgical procedure.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical electrode for nail spicule treatment, comprising:

(a) an electrically-conductive shaft having a first end for receiving electrosurgical currents and a second end,

(b) said second end having a portion terminating in an active, electrically-conductive, dome-shaped, tip portion, the active tip portion having a diameter at the base of the dome of approximately 0.1 inches,

(c) said active tip portion being exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents when said shaft is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents,

(d) said active tip portion being configured to allow a physician to advance the active tip portion proximally in the groove at the corner of a patient'"'"'s toe nail to reach the vicinity of a symptomatic spicule in the nail groove,

(e) portions of said shaft adjacent said active tip portion being electrically-insulating to prevent contact and passage of electrosurgical currents to adjacent or surrounding tissues.

2. The electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active tip portion extends substantially in-line with the shaft.

3. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 2, wherein the active tip portion has a length from the base of the dome to its tip of approximately 0.1 inches.

4. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 3, wherein the portions of the shaft between its first end and the location of the junction at the beginning of the active tip portion are coated with an electrically insulating coating.

5. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 2, wherein the active tip portion has a diameter at the base of the dome approximately equal to the diameter of the shaft.

6. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 2, wherein the active tip portion has a diameter at the base of the dome substantially larger than the diameter of the shaft.

7. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaft is coated with a first electrically-insulating coating from the vicinity of its exposed first end to a point spaced from the active tip portion, and the shaft is coated with a second electrically-insulating coating that is thinner than the thickness of the first coating from the point where the first coating ends to the active tip portion.

8. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaft is tubular and of metal, and the active tip portion is of solid metal.

9. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length of the active tip portion is in the range of about 0.08-0.2 inches in length.

10. In combination:

electrosurgical apparatus capable of supplying high frequency currents,

an electrosurgical handpiece having means at one end connected to the electrosurgical apparatus 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 performing nail spicule removal, comprising;

(a) an electrically conductive shaft member having a first end for mounting at the opposite end of the handpiece for receiving high frequency currents and a second end,

(b) said second end having a portion terminating in an active, electrically conductive, tip portion,

(c) said active tip portion being generally dome-shaped and having a diameter in the range of about 0.08-0.11 inches and being exposed electrically for applying high frequency currents when said electrosurgical apparatus is energized,

(d) said active tip portion being configured to allow a physician to advance the active tip portion proximally in the groove at the corner of a patient'"'"'s toe nail to reach the vicinity of a symptomatic spicule in the nail groove,

(e) portions of said shaft member adjacent said active tip portion being electrically insulating to prevent contact and passage of high frequency currents to adjacent or surrounding tissues.

11. The combination as claimed in claim 10, wherein the length of the active tip portion is in the range of about 0.08-0.2 inches.

12. The combination of claim 10, wherein the high frequency currents are at a frequency exceeding 1.5 MHz.

13. A surgical procedure for removing a nail spicule from the toe of a patient, comprising the steps:

(a) providing electrosurgical apparatus connected to a handpiece holding an electrosurgical electrode, said electrosurgical electrode, comprising;

(i) an electrically conductive shaft member having a first end for receiving electrosurgical currents and a second end,

(ii) said second end having a portion terminating in an active, electrically conductive, tip portion,

(iii) said active tip portion being generally dome-shaped and exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents when said shaft member is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents,

(iv) said active tip portion being configured to allow a physician to advance the active tip portion proximally in the groove at the corner of a patient'"'"'s toe nail to reach the vicinity of a symptomatic spicule in the nail groove,

(v) portions of said shall member adjacent said active tip portion being electrically insulating to prevent contact and passage of electrosurgical currents to adjacent or surrounding tissues,

(b) advancing the electrode proximally into the corner of the nail groove until the active tip portion reaches the spicule growth at the cul-de-sac end, and

(c) activating the electrosurgical apparatus until the spicule tissue is destroyed.