Electrosurgical instrument with an ablation mode and a coagulation mode
First Claim
1. An electrosurgical instrument or system for selectively ablating or coagulating tissue at a surgical site during a surgical procedure, the electrosurgical instrument or system being switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode, the electrosurgical instrument or system comprising:
- an elongate probe having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;
a first electrode positioned at the distal end portion of the elongate probe, the first electrode having a first surface area so as to generate a first current density sufficient to ablate tissue when a first amount of power is delivered to the first electrode during operation in an ablation mode;
a coagulation electrode positioned at the distal end portion and electrically isolated from the first electrode, the coagulation electrode having a second surface area that is at least 10% greater than the first surface area so as to generate a second current density that is less than the first current density so as to coagulate tissue when a second amount of power greater than the first amount of power is delivered to the coagulation electrode during operation in a coagulation mode; and
a user operable switch electrically coupled to the first electrode and to the coagulation electrode for selectively delivering power from a power generator to one or both of the first electrode or coagulation electrode, the user operable switch providing user selectable switching between the ablation mode and the coagulation mode, wherein;
when the electrosurgical instrument or system operates in the ablation mode, the switch selectively causes the first amount of power to be delivered only to the first electrode and not to the coagulation electrode so as to generate the first current density at the first electrode sufficient to ablate tissue, andwhen the electrosurgical instrument or system operates in the coagulation mode, the switch selectively causes the second amount of power to be delivered to at least the coagulation electrode so as to generate the second current density at the coagulation electrode and optionally also at the first electrode sufficient to coagulate tissue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The electrosurgical instrument is configured to selectively perform ablation or coagulation as desired. The electrosurgical instrument includes at least two electrodes on the electrode probe that can be activated using an RF generator. The electrosurgical instrument is selectively switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode by changing the amount of active surface area. In particular, in the ablation mode, a relatively small surface area is active. Thus, for a given power input, the current density is relatively high. In the coagulation mode, the active surface area is increased, thereby reducing the current density in the coagulation mode for the given power input.
61 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An electrosurgical instrument or system for selectively ablating or coagulating tissue at a surgical site during a surgical procedure, the electrosurgical instrument or system being switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode, the electrosurgical instrument or system comprising:
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an elongate probe having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; a first electrode positioned at the distal end portion of the elongate probe, the first electrode having a first surface area so as to generate a first current density sufficient to ablate tissue when a first amount of power is delivered to the first electrode during operation in an ablation mode; a coagulation electrode positioned at the distal end portion and electrically isolated from the first electrode, the coagulation electrode having a second surface area that is at least 10% greater than the first surface area so as to generate a second current density that is less than the first current density so as to coagulate tissue when a second amount of power greater than the first amount of power is delivered to the coagulation electrode during operation in a coagulation mode; and a user operable switch electrically coupled to the first electrode and to the coagulation electrode for selectively delivering power from a power generator to one or both of the first electrode or coagulation electrode, the user operable switch providing user selectable switching between the ablation mode and the coagulation mode, wherein; when the electrosurgical instrument or system operates in the ablation mode, the switch selectively causes the first amount of power to be delivered only to the first electrode and not to the coagulation electrode so as to generate the first current density at the first electrode sufficient to ablate tissue, and when the electrosurgical instrument or system operates in the coagulation mode, the switch selectively causes the second amount of power to be delivered to at least the coagulation electrode so as to generate the second current density at the coagulation electrode and optionally also at the first electrode sufficient to coagulate tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An electrosurgical instrument for selectively ablating or coagulating tissue at a surgical site during a surgical procedure, comprising:
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an elongate probe having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; a first electrode positioned at the distal end portion of the elongate probe, the first electrode having a first surface area so as to generate a first current density sufficient to ablate tissue when a first amount of power is delivered to the first electrode during operation in an ablation mode; a coagulation electrode positioned at the distal end portion and electrically isolated from the first electrode, the coagulation electrode and the first electrode providing a combined surface area greater than the first surface area so as to generate a second current density that is less than the first current density when a second amount of power that is the same or greater than the first amount of power is simultaneously delivered to both the coagulation electrode and the first electrode in order for the coagulation electrode and first electrode to coagulate tissue during operation in a coagulation mode; and a user operable switch electrically coupled to the first electrode and to the coagulation electrode for selectively delivering power from a power generator to only the first electrode during operation of the electrosurgical instrument in the ablation mode and power to both the coagulation electrode and the first electrode during operation of the electrosurgical instrument in the coagulation mode, wherein when the electrosurgical instrument operates in the ablation mode, the switch selectively causes the first amount of power to be delivered only to the first electrode and not the coagulation electrode so as to generate the first current density at the first electrode sufficient to ablate tissue, and when the electrosurgical instrument operates in the coagulation mode, the switch selectively causes the second amount of power to be simultaneously delivered to both the coagulation electrode and the first electrode so as to generate the second current density at the coagulation electrode and the first electrode that is less than the first current density and that is sufficient to coagulate tissue. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An electrosurgical instrument for selectively ablating or coagulating tissue at a surgical site, the electrosurgical instrument being switchable between an ablation mode and a coagulation mode, the electrosurgical instrument comprising:
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an elongate probe having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; a dedicated ablation electrode positioned at the distal end portion of the elongate probe, the dedicated ablation electrode having a first surface area so as to generate a first current density sufficient to ablate tissue when a first amount of power is delivered to the dedicated ablation electrode during operation in an ablation mode; a dedicated coagulation electrode positioned at the distal end portion and electrically isolated from the dedicated ablation electrode, the dedicated coagulation electrode having a second surface area that is at least 10% greater than the first surface area of the ablation electrode so as to generate a second current density sufficient to only coagulate tissue when a second amount of power greater than the first amount of power is delivered to the dedicated coagulation electrode; and a user operable switch electrically coupled to the ablation electrode and to the coagulation electrode for selectively delivering power from a power generator to the ablation or coagulation electrode, the user operable switch providing user selectable switching between the ablation electrode and the coagulation electrode, wherein, when the electrosurgical instrument operates in the ablation mode, the switch selectively causes the first amount of power to be delivered only to the dedicated ablation electrode and not to the dedicated coagulation electrode so as to generate the first current density at the dedicated ablation electrode sufficient to ablate tissue, and when the electrosurgical instrument operates in the coagulation mode, the switch selectively causes the second amount of power to be delivered only to the dedicated coagulation electrode and not to the dedicated ablation electrode so as to generate the second current density at the dedicated coagulation electrode sufficient to coagulate tissue. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification