Electrosurgical apparatus having digestion electrode and methods related thereto
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical apparatus for resecting and ablating tissue at a target site, comprising:
- a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
at least one aspiration port coupled to an aspiration lumen, the aspiration lumen disposed within the shaft;
at least one digestion electrode arranged within the aspiration lumen, the at least one digestion electrode being coupled to a high frequency power supply and serving as an active electrode, and the at least one digestion electrode being capable of ablation of tissue fragments; and
a resection unit located at the shaft distal end portion, the resection unit including a resection electrode support arranged on said distal end portion and at least one resection electrode arranged on the resection electrode support, wherein the at least one resection electrode includes a cutting edge extending away from the resection electrode support and is capable of ablating and mechanically resecting the tissue at the target site.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for resecting and ablating tissue at a target site of a patient, the apparatus including a probe having an elongate shaft. The shaft includes a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion, and a resection unit located at the shaft distal end portion. The resection unit includes a resection electrode support and at least one resection electrode arranged on the resection electrode support. The at least one resection electrode includes a resection electrode head. The probe and resection electrode head are adapted for concurrent electrical ablation and mechanical resection of target tissue. The shaft may include at least one digestion electrode capable of aggressively ablating resected tissue fragments. At least one fluid delivery port on the shaft distal end portion may provide an electrically conductive fluid to the resection unit or to the target site. The shaft may include at least one aspiration port, located proximal to the resection unit, for aspirating excess or unwanted fluids and resected tissue fragments from the target site. The at least one aspiration port is coupled to an aspiration lumen. The at least one digestion electrode may be arranged within the aspiration lumen for ablation of tissue fragments therein. In use, the digestion and resection electrodes of the probe are coupled to a high frequency power supply. A surgical kit comprising the probe is also disclosed, together with a method of making the probe.
-
Citations
68 Claims
-
1. An electrosurgical apparatus for resecting and ablating tissue at a target site, comprising:
-
a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
at least one aspiration port coupled to an aspiration lumen, the aspiration lumen disposed within the shaft;
at least one digestion electrode arranged within the aspiration lumen, the at least one digestion electrode being coupled to a high frequency power supply and serving as an active electrode, and the at least one digestion electrode being capable of ablation of tissue fragments; and
a resection unit located at the shaft distal end portion, the resection unit including a resection electrode support arranged on said distal end portion and at least one resection electrode arranged on the resection electrode support, wherein the at least one resection electrode includes a cutting edge extending away from the resection electrode support and is capable of ablating and mechanically resecting the tissue at the target site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. An electrosurgical instrument for resecting and ablating tissue at a target site, comprising:
-
a shaft having a shaft distal end portion and a shaft proximal end portion;
a resection unit located at the shaft distal end portion, the resection unit including a resection electrode support and a plurality of resection electrode heads arranged on the resection electrode support where the resection electrodes include a cutting edge extending away from the resection electrode support and capable of mechanically resecting the tissue at the target site;
an aspiration device including at least one aspiration port proximal to the resection unit and an aspiration lumen coupled to the at least one aspiration port; and
at least one digestion electrode arranged on the aspiration device, said at least one digestion electrode adapted to provide high current density upon application of a high frequency voltage. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A method of removing tissue at a target site of a patient, comprising:
-
a) advancing a shaft distal end portion of an electrosurgical probe towards the target site, the shaft distal end portion having a resection unit disposed thereon, the resection unit including at least one resection electrode head extending laterally away from the resection unit and adapted for ablating and mechanically resecting body tissue components; and
b) applying a high frequency voltage between the at least one resection electrode head and a return electrode wherein the target site is aspirated by a vacuum source coupled to at least one aspiration port, wherein the at least one aspiration port is located a distance of from about 5 mm to about 50 mm proximal to the resection unit. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
-
-
58. A method of making an electrosurgical resection and ablation probe, comprising:
-
a) providing a shaft including a shaft distal end and a shaft proximal end, the shaft distal end having at least one resection unit thereon, the at least one resection unit including a resection electrode support arranged laterally on said shaft distal end and at least one resection electrode head, wherein the shaft comprises at least one aspiration port coupled to an aspiration lumen, and the aspiration lumen is disposed within the shaft and wherein said probe further comprises at least one digestion electrode arranged within said aspiration lumen, said at least one digestion electrode having a positive connection with a voltage supply and serving as an active electrode;
b) providing a handle; and
c) affixing the handle to the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
-
-
67. A method for resecting tissue comprising:
-
a) inserting a distal end of an electrosurgical apparatus into a target tissue space;
b) resecting target tissue with at least one resection head arranged at said distal end of said electrosurgical apparatus;
c) aspirating tissue fragments arising from said step b) through a lumen extending through said electrosurgical apparatus; and
d) ablating said tissue fragments within said aspiration lumen with at least one digestion electrode arranged within said aspiration lumen wherein said at least one digestion electrode is an active electrode having a positive connection to a voltage supply. - View Dependent Claims (68)
-
Specification