Electrosurgical dermatological curet

• US 5,913,864 A
• Filed: 06/09/1997
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• 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): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Julian W.
• Application Number:
  US08/871,707
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 606/131, 606/132, 606/160, 606/37, 606/39, 606/45, 606/47, 606/33
• US Class Current: 606/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop

Abstract

A novel electrode for use in an electrosurgical dermatological curretage procedure. It comprises a blade-shaped loop formed by folding a blade-shaped band to form at its center a generally circular loop with a sharpened edge. The electrode is uniquely configured to fit into a commercially available blade handpiece. The procedure using the electrode of the invention is based on performing essentially the same kind of dermatological excisions as was used heretofore but the structure of the electrosurgical electrode of the invention uses electrosurgical currents to excise or scoop out the diseased tissue and simultaneously electrocoagulates blood vessels and destroys any diseased tissue adjacent to and underlying the cavity or area that was curettaged.

Claims

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

(a) an electrically conductive member having a generally blade-shaped first end for mounting to a handpiece and an active cutting second end,

(b) said active second end comprising a generally loop-shaped blade having a sharpened inside edge, the active second end having a generally circular shape with a diameter between about 4 and 7 mm,

(c) said active second end being exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said first end is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents.

2. An electrosurgical electrode for excising of tissue, comprising:

(a) an electrically-conductive member having a generally blade-shaped first end for mounting to a handpiece and an active cutting second end,

(b) said active second end comprising a generally loop-shaped blade having a sharpened edge,

(c) said active second end being exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said first end is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents,

(d) the electrically-conductive member comprising a one-piece blade-shaped body folded to form two generally parallel arms, constituting the first end, extending from a central loop constituting the active second end.

3. An electrosurgical electrode as claimed in claim 2, wherein the blade-shaped body has a longitudinal dimension and is sharpened along one half of its longitudinal dimension.

4. In combination:

(a) a blade 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 receiving and gripping the electrically-conductive first end of an electrosurgical electrode and for supplying the high frequency currents to said electrode;

(b) an electrosurgical electrode for excising of tissue, comprising;

(i) an electrically-conductive member having a generally blade-shaped first end for mounting to the handpiece and an active cutting second end,

(ii) said active second end comprising a generally loop-shaped blade having a sharpened inside edge, the active second end having a generally circular shape with a diameter between about 4 and 7 mm,

(iii) said active second end being exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said electrode is mounted in the handpiece and the electrosurgical apparatus activated.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4, wherein the electrically-conductive member comprises a one-piece blade-shaped body folded to form two generally parallel arms, constituting the first end, extending from a central loop constituting the active second end.

6. In combination:

(a) a blade 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 receiving and gripping the electrically-conductive first end of an electrosurgical electrode and for supplying the high frequency currents to said electrode wherein the blade handpiece comprises a collet having a vertical slit for receiving the first end of the electrode;

(b) an electrosurgical electrode for excising of tissue, comprising;

(i) an electrically-conductive member having a generally blade-shaped first end for mounting to the handpiece and an active cutting second end,

(ii) said active second end comprising a generally loop-shaped blade having a sharpened edge,

(iii) said active second end being exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said electrode is mounted in the handpiece and the electrosurgical apparatus activated.

7. An electrosurgical electrode for excising of tissue, comprising:

(a) an electrically-conductive member having a generally blade-shaped first end for mounting to a handpiece and an active cutting second end,

(b) said active second end comprising a generally band-shaped looped blade having a generally circular upper edge and a lower inside edge,

(c) the generally circular lower inside edge of said active second end being exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said first end is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents,

(d) the generally circular lower inside edge being sharpened such that tissue surrounded by the generally circular lower inside edge can be scooped out when the band is pulled along the tissue with the sharpened edge contacting the tissue while electrosurgical curents are applied to the band.

8. In combination:

(a) a blade 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 receiving and gripping the electrically-conductive first end of an electrosurgical electrode and for supplying the high frequency currents to said electrode;

(b) an electrosurgical electrode for excising of tissue, comprising;

(i) an electrically-conductive member having a generally blade-shaped first end for mounting to the handpiece and an active cutting second end,

(ii) said active second end comprising a generally band-shaped looped blade having a generally circular upper and a lower inside edge,

(iii) the generally circular lower inside edge of said active second end being exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents to said tissue when said first end is connected to a source of electrosurgical currents,

(iv) the generally circular lower inside edge being sharpened such that tissue surrounded by the generally circular lower inside edge can be excised when the band is pulled along the tissue with the sharpened edge contacting the tissue while electrosurgical curents are applied to the band.

9. The combination of claim 8, further comprising electrosurgical apparatus capable of supplying high frequency electrosurgical currents wherein the high frequency currents are at a frequency exceeding 1.5 Mhz.

10. A dermatological curettage surgical procedure for removing a lesion from 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 member having a generally blade-shaped first end for mounting to the handpiece and an active cutting second end,

(ii) said active second end comprising a generally loop-shaped blade with a generally circular upper and a lower inside edge, the generally circular lower inside edge being sharpened,

(iii) said active second end being exposed electrically for applying electrosurgical currents to tissue of the patient when said electrode is mounted in the handpiece and the electrosurgical apparatus activated,

(b) applying the sharpened lower inside edge to tissue of the patient where the lesion is located so as to surround the lesion and activating the electrosurgical apparatus,

(c) pulling forward the energized sharpened lower inside edge and scooping out the lesion while simultaneously using the electrosurgical currents to control any bleeding and destroy any diseased tissue superficially while scooping.

11. The dermatological curettage surgical procedure as claim 10, wherein the electrosurgical currents are at a frequency exceeding 1.5 MHz.