Partially coated electrodes

• US 5,713,895 A
• Filed: 12/30/1994
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Valleylab Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Arts, Gene, Lontine, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/367,493
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 606/41-52
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00107 Coatings on the energy applicator
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0091 Handpieces of the surgical instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1412 Blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe

Abstract

A partially coated electrosurgical electrode has a portion of a medical grade metallic material as a substrate for energy application. Conductive of sites of metallic material or alloys thereof pass energy through peaks that define valleys nearby. A partial coating in the valleys has a low surface free energy. A treated surface across the peaks and generally over the filled valleys is relatively smooth for non stick characteristics during application of electrosurgery to tissue and bodily fluids. Openings in the treated surface through the partial coating are at the peaks of conductive sites to expose the metallic material or alloys thereof. The partial coating is a fluorinated polymer. The treated surface is a relatively even level that is not flat. The metallic material substrate is an alloy of stainless steel or nickel chrome. A mechanically deformed surface finish, plasma or vapor deposition on the substrate forms the conductive sites. A method of manufacturing the electrode has steps including preparing it the metallic conductor, making it with the conductive material having peaks above the valleys as conductive sites, applying the partial coating to it and treating the surface across the peaks and generally over the filled valleys of the partially coated electrically conductive electrode. Locating the openings among the valleys is a step. Treating may be mass finishing, such as vibratory or tumbling the partially coated electrodes with or without abrasive material media or polishing, buffing, surface grinding, abrasive belt grinding or sanding with abrasive material. Making the peaks and valleys can be by stamping, coining, burnishing, embossing, threading, tumbling, vibrating, shot peening, wire brushing, grit blasting, thermal spraying, with powder, with wire supplied to melt and be distributed, or with high velocity oxygen fuel and a nickel, cobalt alloy, stainless steel or a nickel chrome alloy. A manufacturing method for the electrode has coating a strip of metal with the low surface energy polymer and forming it in a stamping operation with a raw edge metal edge.

Claims

1. A partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy in either a monopolar or a bipolar circuit to and through tissue and bodily fluids of an animal or human, the partially coated electrosurgical electrode comprising:

an electrically conductive electrode for connection to a source of electromagnetic electrosurgical energy and for transmission of the electromagnetic electrosurgical energy in the circuit to and through the tissue and the bodily fluids of the animal or human;

the electrically conductive electrode having a medical grade biocompatable metallic material located for the application of electromagnetic energy in either a monopolar or a bipolar circuit to and through the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human;

conductive sites for passing electrosurgical energy located on the medical grade biocompatable metallic material formed of conductive material;

a partial coating disposed for contact with the tissue and the bodily fluids of the animal or human during electrosurgical application of the partially coated electrosurgical electrode, the partial coating having a polymer;

the partially coated electrically conductive electrode being relatively smooth for non stick mechanical characteristics during application of electrosurgical effects to tissue and bodily fluids, and

openings in the partial coating, the openings formed in the treated surface substantially at the conductive sites thereby exposing the conductive material, the openings located so that the smooth treated surface formed of the openings permits the direct passage of electromagnetic electrosurgical energy by conduction through the circuit between the openings therein and the tissue and the bodily fluids while the partial coating having an easily cleaned low surface free energy wherein the openings are in the range of about three to 20 percent of the area of the electrically conductive electrode having a medical grade biocompatable metallic material.

2. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 1 wherein the medical grade biocompatable metallic material is substantially an alloy of stainless steel.

3. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 1 wherein a vapor deposition of the conductive material forms the conductive sites on the medical grade biocompatable metallic material electrically conductive electrode.

4. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 1 wherein the medical grade biocompatable metallic material has a high nickel content surface at the openings.

5. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue or bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 1 wherein the partial coating is a low surface free energy polymer making direct passage of electrosurgical energy impossible without a breakdown of the dielectric properties of the low surface free energy polymer.

6. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue or bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 5 wherein the low surface free energy polymer is slightly conductive.

7. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 5 wherein the conductive sites electrically couple to transmit electrosurgical energy.

8. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 5 wherein the partial coating includes a compounded solid lubricant included with the polymer.

9. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue or bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 8 wherein the partial coating has a low surface energy polymer.

10. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 1 wherein the medical grade biocompatable metallic material is primarily an iron nickel chrome alloy.

11. The partially coated electrosurgical electrode for the application of electromagnetic energy to the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human of claim 9 wherein the conductive sites are a plasma deposition of the conductive material including an iron nickel chrome alloy, nickel chrome alloy or pure nickel.