Bipolar electrosurgical probe for use with conductive irrigation fluids

• US 8,167,878 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endomedical Concepts, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Endomedical Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: VanDusseldorp, Gregg A. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): KOHARSKI, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US12/208,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 606 46- 50
• US Class Current: 606/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/42 Gynaecological or obstetrical instruments or methods ligaturing clamps or clips for the umbilical cord A61B17/122; curettage A61B17/320708; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1485 having a short rigid shaft for accessing the inner body through natural openings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/149 bow shaped or with rotatable body at cantilever end, e.g. for resectoscopes, or coagulating rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00559 Female reproductive organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation

Abstract

An electrosurgical probe configured for cutting or coagulating tissue, and an electrosurgical procedure that employs the electrosurgical probe. The probe includes first and second conductors disposed in a sheath, and first and second electrodes electrically insulated from the sheath and protruding from its distal end. The first electrode is electrically connected to the first conductor to define an active pole of a radio frequency circuit, and configured to perform cutting or coagulation of tissue when the radio frequency current flows to the first electrode. The second electrode is electrically connected to the second conductor, and configured to define a focused ground point in close proximity to the active pole defined by the first electrode so as to complete the radio frequency circuit with the first electrode when a conductive fluid surrounds the first and second electrodes and the radio frequency current flows to the first electrode.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical probe for cutting or coagulating tissue, the electrosurgical probe comprising:

a sheath;

first and second conductors disposed in the sheath and carrying a radio frequency current to and from a distal end of the sheath;

a first electrode protruding or adapted to extend from the distal end of the sheath so as to define a distance between the first electrode and the distal end of the sheath, the first electrode being electrically insulated from the sheath, electrically connected to the first conductor to define an active pole of a radio frequency circuit, and configured to perform cutting or coagulation of tissue when the radio frequency current flows to the first electrode;

a second electrode protruding or adapted to extend from the distal end of from the sheath, the second electrode being attached to a distal end of the second conductor and disposed entirely between the first conductor and the first electrode to define a gap with the first electrode that is less than the distance between the first electrode and the distal end of the sheath, the second electrode being electrically insulated from the sheath, and configured to define a focused ground point in close proximity to the active pole defined by the first electrode so as to complete the radio frequency circuit with the first electrode when a conductive fluid surrounds the first and second electrodes and the radio frequency current flows to the first electrode; and

means for passing the radio frequency current through the first conductor, from the first electrode and through the gap to the second electrode, and through the second conductor without conducting the radio frequency current through the sheath.

2. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is a type chosen from the group consisting of loop, ball tip, roller tip, barrel, cone, point, knife, flat band, coagulating, and punctate electrodes.

3. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is inclined proximally toward the sheath.

4. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 1, wherein the first and second conductors comprise separate insulated wires that separately protrude from the distal end of the sheath.

5. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 4, wherein the first and second conductors protrude in parallel from the distal end of the sheath.

6. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 5, wherein the second electrode extends coaxially from the second conductor.

7. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 5, wherein the second electrode extends obliquely from the second conductor and away from the first conductor toward a distal tip of the first electrode.

8. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 1, wherein the sheath is formed of an electrically conductive material.

9. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 1, wherein the electrosurgical probe is coupled to a resectoscope.

10. The electrosurgical probe according to claim 1, wherein the electrosurgical probe is coupled to a hysteroscope.

11. An electrosurgical procedure employing the electrosurgical probe of claim 1 to cut or coagulate tissue.

12. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 11, the procedure comprising:

inserting the electrosurgical probe into a body cavity;

irrigating the body cavity with a conductive irrigation solution;

passing the radio frequency current through the first conductor, from the first electrode and through the conductive irrigation solution to the second electrode, and then through the second conductor without conducting the radio frequency current through the sheath; and

performing cutting or coagulation of tissue with the first electrode such that the tissue is between and contacted by the first and second electrodes as the radio frequency current flows to the first electrode and then through the tissue to the second electrode.

13. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 12, wherein the first electrode is a type chosen from the group consisting of loop, ball tip, roller tip, barrel, cone, point, knife, flat band, coagulating, and punctate electrodes.

14. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 12, wherein the first electrode is inclined proximally toward the sheath.

15. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 12, wherein the first and second conductors comprise separate insulated wires that separately protrude from the distal end of the sheath.

16. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 15, wherein the first and second conductors protrude in parallel from the distal end of the sheath.

17. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 16, wherein the second electrode extends coaxially from the second conductor.

18. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 16, wherein the second electrode extends obliquely from the second conductor and away from the first conductor toward a distal tip of the first electrode.

19. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 12, wherein the procedure is a transurethral resection procedure.

20. The electrosurgical procedure according to claim 12, wherein the procedure is an endometrial ablation procedure.