Bipolar surgical instruments having focused electrical fields

• US 6,162,220 A
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Perfect Surgical Techniques Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Perfect Surgical Techniques Incorporated
• Inventors: Nezhat, Camran
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROY DEAN
• Application Number:
  US09/303,007
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 606/41-52
• US Class Current: 606/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1442 Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00101 low, i.e. thermally insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0016 Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00345 Vascular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00559 Female reproductive organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00619 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1412 Blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/143 multiple needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing

Abstract

A bipolar surgical device includes a pair of actuable jaws. A first electrode member which optionally includes a line of electrically coupled tissue-penetrating elements is formed on one of the jaws, and a second electrode member which optionally includes a line of electrically coupled tissue-penetrating elements is formed on the same or the other jaw. The electrode members are laterally spaced-apart and arranged in a parallel, usually linear manner so that the lateral distance therebetween remains generally constant. In operation, tissue may be grasped between the jaws so that the electrode members contact and/or the tissue-penetrating elements enter into the tissue. By energizing the electrode members at opposite polarities using a high frequency energy source, tissue between the jaws will be heated, coagulated, and/or necrosed, while heating of tissue outside of the lines will be minimized.

Claims

1. A bipolar surgical instrument comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a pair of opposed jaws at the distal end of the shaft;

a first electrode member on one of the jaws;

a second electrode member on one of the jaws, wherein the first and second electrode members are electrically isolated from each other; and

an actuating mechanism for moving the jaws between an opened and closed configuration, wherein electrode members lie parallel to and laterally spaced-apart from each other when the jaws are closed and wherein at least one of the electrode members comprises a plurality of tissue-penetrating elements which project toward the opposed jaw.

2. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the electrode members are laterally spaced-apart by a distance in the range from 0.5 mm to 10 mm.

3. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the electrode members have a length in the range from 1 mm to 50 mm.

4. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein electrode members are on the same jaw.

5. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the first electrode member is on one jaw and the second electrode member is on the other jaw.

6. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein both electrode members comprise a plurality of tissue-penetrating elements which project toward the opposed jaw.

7. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the tissue-penetrating elements have a length in the range from 1 mm to 10 mm and a diameter in the range from 0.1 mm to 2 mm.

8. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 7, wherein the first and second electrode members each comprise from 3 to 50 penetrating elements.

9. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 8, wherein the tissue-penetrating elements are arranged in two straight lines which are parallel to each other when the jaws are closed over tissue.

10. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, further comprising a third electrode member aligned with the first electrode member but disposed on the other jaw and a fourth electrode member aligned with the second electrode member but disposed on the other jaw.

11. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the jaws is perforated to permit the release of steam during use.

12. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the actuating mechanism comprises scissors, a camming mechanism, or a linear/pivot actuator.

13. A method for applying high frequency electrical energy to tissue, said method comprising:

grasping tissue between first jaw and a second jaw;

applying high frequency energy between a first electrode member on one of said jaws and a second electrode member on one of said jaws, wherein said lines of tissue-penetrating elements are parallel to and laterally spaced-apart from each other when grasping the tissue wherein at least one of the electrode members comprises a plurality of tissue-penetrating elements which project toward the opposed jaw.

14. A method as in claim 13, further comprising penetrating a plurality of tissue-penetrating elements into the tissue, wherein said tissue-penetrating elements are electrically coupled to and part of at least one of the electrodes.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein the high frequency energy is applied at a level and for a time sufficient to necrose substantially all tissue between said electrode members without causing substantial damage to other tissue.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the high frequency energy has a frequency from 100 kHz to 2 MHz, a power level from 25 W to 250 W, and is applied for a time from 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

17. A method as in claim 13, wherein the electrode members are laterally spaced-apart by a distance in the range from 0.5 mm to 10 mm.

18. A method as in claim 13, wherein the electrode members have a length in the range from 1 mm to 50 mm.

19. A method as in claim 13, wherein both electrode members are on the same jaw.

20. A method as in claim 13, wherein the first electrode member is on one jaw and the second electrode member is on the other jaw.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein the tissue-penetrating elements have a length from 1 mm to 10 mm and a diameter in the range from 0.1 mm to 2 mm.

22. A method as in claim 13, wherein the first and second electrode members each comprise from 5 to 50 penetrating elements.

23. A methods as in claim 13, wherein the tissue-penetrating elements are arranged in two straight lines which are parallel to each other when the jaws are closed over the tissue.

24. A methods as in claim 13, wherein the energy is further applied between a third electrode member aligned with the first electrode member but disposed on the other jaw and a fourth electrode member aligned with the second electrode member but disposed on the other jaw.

25. A method as in claim 13, wherein at least one of the jaws is perforated to permit the release of steam during use.

30. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 24, wherein the first and second lines of tissue-penetrating elements are on the same jaw.

31. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 24, wherein the first and second lines of tissue-penetrating elements are on different jaws.

26. A bipolar surgical instrument comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a pair of opposed jaws at the distal end of the shaft;

at least two laterally spaced-apart elongate surface electrodes on the jaws;

at least a first line of tissue-penetrating elements on the jaws, wherein the first line of electrodes is arranged to lie between the surface electrodes when the jaws are closed; and

an actuator for opening and closing the jaws.

27. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 26, wherein the tissue-penetrating elements are retractable relative to a surface of the jaw.

28. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 27, further comprising means for selectively advancing at least some of the tissue-penetrating electrodes relative to at least one of the jaws.

29. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 26, further comprising:

at least a second line of tissue-penetrating elements on the jaws.

32. A bipolar surgical instrument as in claim 26, further comprising an actuable cutting blade disposed to cut along a line between the first and second lines of tissue-penetrating elements.

33. A method for applying high frequency energy to tissue, said method comprising:

contacting a tissue region with at least two laterally spaced-apart elongate surface electrodes;

penetrating at least a first line of tissue-penetrating elements through a surface over the tissue region between the laterally spaced-apart surface electrodes; and

applying bipolar high frequency electrical energy between the surface electrodes and the tissue-penetrating elements.

34. A method as in claim 33, further comprising penetrating at least a second line of tissue-penetrating elements through a tissue surface into tissue between the first line of tissue-penetrating elements and one of the surface electrodes.

35. A method as in claim 34, wherein the contacting and the penetrating are performed sequentially.

36. A method as in claim 34, wherein the contacting and the penetrating are performed simultaneously.

37. A method as in claim 33, wherein the surface electrodes are contacted against a common tissue surface over the tissue region.

38. A method as in claim 37, wherein the common tissue surface is the same as the tissue surface through which the first line of penetrating elements is penetrated.

39. A method as in claim 37, wherein the common tissue surface is opposed to the tissue surface through which the first line of penetrating elements is penetrated.

40. A method as in claim 33, wherein a first of the laterally spaced-apart surface electrodes is contacted the tissue surface through which the tissue-penetrating elements are penetrated and a second of the laterally spaced-apart surface electrodes is contacted against an opposed tissue surface.