Bipolar electrosurgical snare
First Claim
1. A bipolar electrosurgical instrument comprising:
- an introducer having a handle portion and an outer shaft coupled to the handle portion, the introducer having a channel extending therein from an opening at a distal end of the introducer;
a snare slidably positionable within the channel and slidable between an undeployed position wherein it is substantially retracted within the channel and a deployed position wherein a distal portion of the snare extends outwardly from the channel, wherein at least the distal portion of the snare is insulated substantially along its length except for a predetermined exposed section;
a first electrically conductive member for coupling with a source of RF energy, the first electrically conductive member being positioned within the snare and having an active electrode exposed through the predetermined exposed section of the snare;
a second electrically conductive member for coupling with a grounding element, the second electrically conductive member being positioned within the snare and having a return electrode portion exposed through the predetermined exposed section of the snare;
a retention element at a distal end of the snare for securing the distal end of the snare to the introducer to thereby form a looped configuration of the snare; and
at least one fluid delivery channel extending through the introducer between a fluid inlet at the proximal end of the introducer and a fluid outlet at the distal end of the introducer that is located in proximity to the exposed section of the snare;
wherein the active electrode has a surface area sufficiently smaller than the return electrode such that application of RF energy to the active electrode causes vaporization of fluid between the active and return electrodes, forming a plasma bubble substantially adjacent to the active electrode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bipolar electrosurgical instrument including an introducer having a channel therein and an electrically conductive snare slidably positioned within the channel and slidable between an undeployed position wherein it is substantially retracted within the channel and a deployed position wherein a distal portion of the snare extends outwardly from the channel. The electrically conductive snare is substantially insulated along its length but has an active and a return electrode exposed through a predetermined exposed section. The instrument further includes a retention element at a distal end of the snare for securing the distal end of the snare to the introducer to form a looped configuration of the snare, and at least one fluid delivery channel extending through the introducer between a fluid inlet sand a fluid outlet at the distal end of the introducer and located in proximity to the exposed section of the snare.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A bipolar electrosurgical instrument comprising:
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an introducer having a handle portion and an outer shaft coupled to the handle portion, the introducer having a channel extending therein from an opening at a distal end of the introducer; a snare slidably positionable within the channel and slidable between an undeployed position wherein it is substantially retracted within the channel and a deployed position wherein a distal portion of the snare extends outwardly from the channel, wherein at least the distal portion of the snare is insulated substantially along its length except for a predetermined exposed section; a first electrically conductive member for coupling with a source of RF energy, the first electrically conductive member being positioned within the snare and having an active electrode exposed through the predetermined exposed section of the snare; a second electrically conductive member for coupling with a grounding element, the second electrically conductive member being positioned within the snare and having a return electrode portion exposed through the predetermined exposed section of the snare; a retention element at a distal end of the snare for securing the distal end of the snare to the introducer to thereby form a looped configuration of the snare; and at least one fluid delivery channel extending through the introducer between a fluid inlet at the proximal end of the introducer and a fluid outlet at the distal end of the introducer that is located in proximity to the exposed section of the snare; wherein the active electrode has a surface area sufficiently smaller than the return electrode such that application of RF energy to the active electrode causes vaporization of fluid between the active and return electrodes, forming a plasma bubble substantially adjacent to the active electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for electrosurgically transecting tissue comprising:
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providing an electrosurgical instrument including an introducer having a handle portion and an outer shaft portion coupled to the handle portion, and having a channel extending therein from an opening at a distal end of the introducer, and further having an electrically conductive snare that is couplable to a source of RF energy and that is slidably positionable within the channel, and a retention element at a distal end of the snare, the electrically conductive snare being substantially insulated except for at a predetermined exposed area; with the snare in an undeployed position wherein it is substantially retracted within the channel, positioning the introducer in the vicinity of a target tissue; slidably moving the snare from the undeployed position to a deployed position wherein a distal portion of the snare extends outwardly from the channel; securing the retention element to the introducer to thereby form a looped configuration of the snare around the target tissue; contacting the target tissue with the exposed area of the snare; supplying an electrically conductive fluid to the vicinity of the target tissue and applying RF energy to the snare to thereby transaction the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A bipolar electrosurgical instrument comprising:
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an introducer having a channel therein extending from an opening at a distal end thereof; an electrically conductive snare slidably positioned within the channel and slidable between an undeployed position wherein it is substantially retracted within the channel and a deployed position wherein a distal portion of the snare extends outwardly from the channel, the electrically conductive snare being substantially insulated but for a predetermined exposed section, and having an active and a return electrode exposed through said exposed section; a retention element at a distal end of the snare for securing the distal end of the snare to the introducer to thereby form a looped configuration of the snare; and at least one fluid delivery channel extending through the introducer between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet at the distal end of the introducer and located in proximity to the exposed section of the snare; wherein the active electrode has a surface area sufficiently smaller than the return electrode such that, application of RF energy to the active electrode causes vaporization of fluid between the active and return electrodes, forming a plasma bubble substantially adjacent to the active electrode. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification