Medical device with trigger actuation assembly

• US 5,849,011 A
• Filed: 01/18/1996
• Issued: 12/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vidamed, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Vidamed, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Jones, Christopher Scott, Sommer, Phillip R., Baker, James Allen Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/588,452
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 606/40-52
• US Class Current: 606/47
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1485 having a short rigid shaft for accessing the inner body through natural openings

Abstract

An electrosurgical device for medical treatment of tissue at a treatment site through a body opening. The device includes a sheath having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity. A guide tube is slidably mounted in the passageway of the sheath and has proximal and distal extremities and a lumen extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity. A needle electrode is slidably mounted in the lumen of the guide tube and has proximal and distal extremities. Insulation is coaxially disposed on the needle electrode. A handle adapted to be gripped by the human hand is provided and the proximal extremity of the guide tube is mounted on the handle. An assembly is carried by the handle for bending the distal extremity of the guide tube at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. The needle electrode is adapted to be coupled to an energy source. A single actuation element is carried by the handle and coupled to the needle electrode and the insulation. The actuation element is movable in a single stroke from a first position in which the needle electrode and the insulation are disposed within the guide tube and a second position in which the needle electrode and the insulation are disposed in the tissue at the treatment site. A method for using the device is provided.

Claims

1. A medical device for treatment of tissue at a treatment site through a body opening comprising an elongate probe member having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, a guide tube mounted in the passageway of the elongate probe member and having proximal and distal extremities and a lumen extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, a needle electrode slidably mounted in the lumen of the guide tube and having proximal and distal extremities, insulation means coaxially disposed on the needle electrode, handle means adapted to be gripped by the human hand coupled to the proximal extremity of the elongate probe member, first actuator means carried by the handle means and connected to the guide tube for causing bending of the distal extremity of the guide tube at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis whereby the lumen in the guide tube can be directed so that it faces the tissue to be treated, connector means connected to the needle electrode adapted to be coupled to an energy source for supplying energy to the needle electrode and second actuator means carried by the handle means and coupled to the needle electrode and the insulation means for advancing and retracting the needle electrode and the insulation means with respect to the guide tube and including a single actuation element movable in a single stroke from a first position in which the needle electrode and the insulation means are disposed within the guide tube to a second position in which the needle electrode and the insulation means are disposed in the tissue at the treatment site and to a third position in which the insulation means is retracted partially relative to the needle electrode.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the actuation element is a finger lever.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein the second actuator means includes first, second and third plate members disposed within the handle means in juxtaposition, the first plate member connected to the actuation element and pivotable about a first axis, the second and third plate members respectively connected to the needle electrode and the insulation means and pivotable about a second axis, interengaging pin and slot means carried by the plate members for directing the movement of the second and third plate members about the second axis in response to movement of the first plate member about the first axis.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein the second actuator means includes first, second and third plate members disposed in juxtaposition within the handle, the first plate member connected to the actuation element and pivotable about a first axis, the second and third plate members respectively connected to the needle electrode and the insulation means and pivotable about a second axis, interengaging pin and slot means carried by the plate members for directing the movement and sequence of the second and third plate members about the second axis in response to movement of the first plate member about the first axis.

5. A device as in claim 1 wherein the second actuator means includes a cam assembly having a first cam element connected to the actuation element and second and third cam elements respectively connected to the needle electrode and the insulation means for cooperatively engaging with the first cam element.

6. A device as in claim 1 further comprising a guide tube of the same type as the first named guide tube mounted in the passage of the elongate probe member alongside the first named guide tube and an additional needle electrode and insulation means of the same type as the first named needle electrode and insulation means disposed in the lumen of the additional guide tube and wherein the second actuator means is secured to the additional needle electrode and the additional insulation means and wherein the first actuator means causes bending of the distal extremity of the additional guide tube.

7. A device as in claim 6 wherein the second actuator means causes the first named needle electrode and insulation means to be advanced and retracted singly or together with the additional needle electrode and insulation means.

8. A device as in claim 1 wherein the actuation element is movable in the stroke from the third position to a fourth position in which the needle electrode is partially retracted relative to the guide tube so as to extend from the guide tube a predetermined distance.

9. A device as in claim 8 further comprising adjustable stop means carried by the handle means and engagable by the actuation element to selectively predetermine the fourth position and thus the distance which the needle electrode extends from the guide tube.

10. In a transurethral needle ablation device for the treatment of the prostate of a human male using radio frequency energy from a radio frequency power source, the human male having a bladder with a base, a prostate and a penis with a urethra therein formed by a urethral wall extending from the base of the bladder through the prostate and the penis along a longitudinal axis with the prostate having tissue surrounding the urethral wall near the base of the bladder, an elongate probe member having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, a radio frequency conductive electrode slidably mounted in the passageway of the elongate probe and having proximal and distal extremities, an insulating sleeve longitudinally disposed on the radio frequency conductive electrode for slidable movement thereon, handle means adapted to be gripped by the human hand coupled to the proximal extremity of the elongate probe member, connector means connected to the radio frequency conductive electrode and adapted to be coupled to the radio frequency power source for supplying radio frequency energy to the radio frequency conductive electrode, a finger actuatable element mounted on the handle means and adapted to be grasped by a finger of the hand gripping the handle means, the finger actuatable element being movable in one direction from a first position to a second position and to a third position and actuation means coupled to the finger actuatable element and to the radio frequency conductive electrode and the insulating sleeve for extending the radio frequency conductive electrode and the insulating sleeve from the elongate probe member into the tissue of the prostate when the finger actuatable element is moved in the one direction from the first position to the second position and for partially retracting the insulating sleeve relative to the radio frequency conductive electrode when the finger actuatable element is moved in the one direction from the second position to the third position.

11. A device as in claim 10 in combination with the radio frequency power source and a radio frequency return for supplying radio frequency energy to the radio frequency conductive electrode to create lesions in the tissue of the prostate.

12. A device as in claim 10 further comprising guide means carried by the distal extremity of the elongate probe member and cooperatively coupled into the passageway for directing the radio frequency conductive electrode and the insulating sleeve sidewise of the longitudinal axis.

13. A device as in claim 10 wherein the actuation element is a finger lever.

14. In a transurethral needle ablation device for use by a human hand to treat the prostate of a human male using radio frequency energy from a radio frequency power source, the human male having a bladder with a base, a prostate and a penis with a urethra therein formed by a urethral wall extending from the base of the bladder through the prostate and the penis along a longitudinal axis with the prostate having tissue surrounding the urethral wall near the base of the bladder, an elongate probe member having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, a guide tube mounted in the passageway of the elongate probe member and having proximal and distal extremities and a lumen extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, the distal extremity of the guide tube being bent at an angle to the longitudinal axis so that the lumen in the guide tube faces the urethral wall, a needle electrode slidably mounted in the lumen of the guide tube and having proximal and distal extremities, insulation means longitudinally disposed on the needle electrode but exposing at least a portion of the distal extremity, handle means adapted to be gripped by the human hand coupled to the proximal extremity of the elongate probe member, connector means coupled to the needle electrode and adapted to be coupled to the radio frequency power source for supplying radio frequency energy to the needle electrode, a finger actuatable element mounted on the handle means and adapted to be grasped by a finger of the hand gripping the handle means, the finger actuatable element being movable in one direction from a first position to a second position and to a third position and means coupled to the finger actuatable element and to the needle electrode and the insulation means for extending the needle electrode and the insulation means from the guide tube into the tissue of the prostate when the finger actuatable element is moved from the first position to the second position and for partially retracting the insulation means relative to the needle electrode when the finger actuatable element is moved from the second position to the third position.

15. A device as in claim 14 in combination with the radio frequency power source and a radio frequency return for supplying radio frequency energy to the needle electrode to create lesions in the tissue of the prostate.

16. A device as in claim 14 wherein the finger actuatable element is movable to a fourth position, the means coupled to the finger actuatable element and to the needle electrode causing the needle electrode to retract partially relative to the guide tube when the finger actuatable element is moved to the fourth position.

17. A device as in claim 14 wherein the means coupled to the finger actuatable element and to the needle electrode and the insulation means includes first, second and third plate members disposed in juxtaposition within the handle means, the first plate member connected to the finger actuatable element and pivotable about a first axis, the second and third plate members respectively connected to the needle electrode and the insulation means and pivotable about a second axis, interengaging pin and slot means carried by the plate members for directing the movement of the second and third plate members about the second axis in response to movement of the first plate member about the first axis.