Electrosurgical system

• US 8,568,411 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Medical Resources Corporation (Applied Medical Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Applied Medical Resources Corporation (Applied Medical Corporation)
• Inventors: Falkenstein, Zoran, Pravongviengkham, Kennii, Yawata, Haruyasu, Pravong, Boun, Cappello, Christopher J., Johnson, Gary M., Gianneschi, Benjamin A., Tran, Olivia J., Wixey, Matthew A., Brustad, John R., Cohen, Adam J., Hilal, Nabil, Pingleton, Edward D., Hilal, Said S., Hart, Charles C., Wikoff, Chris R., Becerra, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhisma
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, LARRY ROSS
• Application Number:
  US12/416,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: 606/37, 606/38, 606/41, 606/42, 606/45, 606/48, 606/49, 606 50- 52, 606/46
• US Class Current: 606/51
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/07207 the staples being applied sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• 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 18/16 Indifferent or passive electrodes for grounding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2945 Curved jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00041 Heating, e.g. defrosting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00077 high, i.e. electrically conducting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00178 Electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00208 actively driven, e.g. by a motor
• 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 2018/00494 Stomach, intestines or bowel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00511 Kidney
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00607 Coagulation and cutting with the same instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00619 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 : using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 : Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00869 : Phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 : Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 : Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00898 : Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00916 : with means for switching or controlling the main function of the instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00922 : by switching or controlling the treatment energy directly within the hand-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 : Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/124 : switching the output to different electrodes, e.g. sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 : bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1266 : with DC current output
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1412 : Blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1432 : curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/144 : Wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1455 : having a moving blade for cutting tissue grasped by the jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 : using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/162 : located on the probe body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 : Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags

Abstract

An electrosurgical tool can be used for tissue dissection. The tool can include several electrodes positioned on a jaw assembly. The electrodes can be selectively connected to a power source in a cutting arrangement or a coagulation arrangement. Switching from the cutting arrangement to the coagulation arrangement can be provided by opening and closing a handle to actuate the jaw assembly.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical tool comprising:

a first jaw;

a second jaw pivotable with respect to the first jaw;

a plurality of electrodes including;

a first electrode positioned on the first jaw;

a second electrode positioned on the first jaw; and

a third electrode positioned on the first jaw; and

wherein the electrosurgical tool is selectively configurable in a coagulation configuration and a cutting configuration wherein in the coagulation configuration at least one of the first, second, and third electrodes is electrically coupled with a source of electrical energy having a first polarity and at least one other of the plurality of electrodes is electrically coupled with a source of electrical energy having a second polarity generally opposite the first polarity, and in the cutting configuration such that one of the first, second, and third electrodes is electrically coupled with a source of electrical energy having a cutting voltage and at least one other of the plurality of electrodes is configured to be a return electrode;

further comprising a fourth electrode positioned on the second jaw and a fifth electrode positioned on the first jaw, the third and fifth electrodes are similar in dimensions and the first and second electrodes are similar in dimensions;

wherein in the cutting configuration, the third and fifth electrodes are electrically coupled with the source of electrical energy having the cutting voltage and the first and second electrodes are configured to be return electrodes;

wherein the third electrode is planar and is between the first and second electrodes both of which are hemispherical and the third electrode extends towards the second jaw and is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first jaw;

wherein the fifth electrode is planar aligned with the third electrode and is between the first and second electrodes and the fifth electrode extends away from the second jaw and is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first jaw.

2. The electrosurgical tool of claim 1 wherein the first jaw is stationary and the second jaw is movable.

3. The electrosurgical tool of claim 1 wherein the fourth electrode is curved and has a surface area that extends and covers over a combined surface area of the first, second and third electrodes.

4. The electrosurgical tool of claim 3 wherein in the cutting configuration electrical energy having a cutting voltage is transmitted between the fifth electrode and the first and second electrodes away from the second jaw.

5. The electrosurgical tool of claim 4 wherein in the cutting configuration electrical energy having a cutting voltage is transmitted between the third electrode and the first and second electrodes towards the second jaw.

6. The electrosurgical tool of claim 5 wherein in the coagulation configuration, the fourth electrode is electrically coupled with the source of electrical energy having the first polarity and the first and second electrodes are electrically coupled with the source of electrical energy having the second polarity.

7. The electrosurgical tool of claim 6 wherein the fifth electrode extends from a middle portion of the first jaw and towards and beyond the outer surface of the first jaw and the third electrode is positioned over the fifth electrode extending from the middle portion of the first jaw and towards and beyond the inner surface of the first jaw.

8. The electrosurgical tool of claim 6 wherein in the cutting configuration electrical energy having a cutting voltage is transmitted between the fifth electrode and the first and second electrodes away from the second jaw to cut tissue positioned on the outer surface of the first jaw.

9. The electrosurgical tool of claim 8 wherein in the cutting configuration electrical energy having a cutting voltage is transmitted between the third electrode and the first and second electrodes towards the second jaw to cut tissue positioned between the first and second jaws and on the inner surface of the first jaw.

10. The electrosurgical tool of claim 6 wherein the second jaw has a length, a width and a height and the first jaw has a length the same as the length of the second jaw, a width the same as the width of the second jaw and a height greater than twice the height of the second jaw.

11. The electrosurgical tool of claim 10 wherein the first jaw has a circular shape and the second jaw has an arcuate shape.

12. The electrosurgical tool of claim 11 wherein the first and second jaws in a closed position delimits a circular shape.

13. The electrosurgical tool of claim 1 wherein the first jaw has a proximal end and a distal end with an inner surface and an outer surface extending longitudinally from the proximal end to the distal end and the first jaw has a pair of side surfaces connecting the inner and outer surfaces and wherein the first electrode extends from the inner surface along one of the pair of side surfaces to the outer surface and the second electrode extends from the inner surface along the other of the pair of side surfaces to the outer surface.

14. The electrosurgical tool of claim 13 wherein in the coagulation configuration, the first electrode is electrically coupled with the source of electrical energy having the first polarity and the second electrode is electrically coupled with the source of electrical energy having the second polarity to transmit electrical energy between the first and second electrodes towards the second jaw to coagulate tissue positioned between the first and second jaws and on the inner surface of the first jaw.

15. The electrosurgical tool of claim 14 wherein in the coagulation configuration, the first electrode is electrically coupled with the source of electrical energy having the first polarity and the second electrode is electrically coupled with the source of electrical energy having the second polarity to transmit electrical energy between the first and second electrodes away from the second jaw to coagulate tissue positioned on the outer surface of the first jaw.

16. The electrosurgical tool of claim 1 wherein only the electrodes on the first jaw are used to transmit electrical energy therebetween when the first and second jaws are in a fully open position.