Electrosurgical device with discontinuous flow density

• US 8,951,249 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Godara, Neil, Dawkins, Wesley, Hillier, Taylor, Leung, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): HUPCZEY, JR, RONALD JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/356,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,280 Days
• Field of Search: 606/41, 606/42, 606 48- 50
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0044 Spinal cord
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1497 Electrodes covering only part of the probe circumference

Abstract

An electrosurgical device comprising a means for impeding flow for delivering energy to a region of tissue is described. In addition, a method of treating the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body by delivering energy is also described. The method includes the steps of inserting a probe into a target site within the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body and delivering energy to the probe to treat tissue within the target site.

Claims

1. A method of treating the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body by delivering energy, comprising the steps of:

providing a probe having an active portion at a distal end thereof, the active portion having at least two regions of electrical discontinuity which result in a region of increased current density about the probe when energy is delivered to the probe, the active portion slidably disposed within an insulating member such that a position of the active portion relative to the insulating member may be altered;

inserting the probe into a patient'"'"'s body proximate a sacrum and positioning the probe at a target site external to a sacroiliac joint;

delivering energy to the probe to treat tissue within the target site; and

moving the insulating member along a length of the active portion during the step of delivering energy such that a position of at least one of the regions of electrical discontinuity is adjusted, wherein the active portion of the probe creates a strip lesion during a single energy delivery step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered to the target site to create a substantially homogeneous lesion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an active portion of the probe is at least 10 mm in length.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the active portion of the probe is at least 15 mm in length.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered in a monopolar configuration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered in a bipolar configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering energy comprises delivering electrical energy selected from the group consisting of radiofrequency current and microwave current.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered in order to reduce one or more symptoms of sacroiliac joint syndrome.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein energy is delivered in order to ablate one or more neural structures.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the target site comprises at least a portion of a sacral neural crescent.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the energy is delivered to treat at least two branches of a sacral nerve.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of repositioning the probe at another sacral neural crescent and delivering energy to treat tissue within the other sacral neural crescent.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the active portion has at least three of the regions of electrical discontinuity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least three regions of electrical discontinuity include at least three electrically conductive and exposed regions separated by electrically insulated regions and wherein the lengths of at least two of the conductive regions differ along a line extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the probe.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the conductive regions towards the middle of the active portion has a length less than another of the conductive portions located away from the middle of the active portion along the line extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the probe.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe is inserted towards an inferior portion of the sacrum and wherein the step of positioning the probe comprises advancing the probe in a cephalad direction substantially along the sacrum.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein advancement of the probe substantially follows a curve of a sacrum.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering energy comprises delivering energy to treat nerves exiting from at least two foraminal apertures in a single continuous period of energy delivery.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the probe is positioned lateral to sacral foramen and medial to the sacroiliac joint.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the probe is advanced until a superior aspect of the sacrum.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering energy comprises delivering energy to create a lesion substantially along a caudal-cranial axis of the patient'"'"'s body.

22. A method of treating the sacroiliac region of a patient'"'"'s body comprising the step of delivering energy to a sacral neural crescent to create a substantially homogeneous lesion to ablate at least two branches of sacral nerve passing through the sacral neural crescent while the probe remains in a substantially static position.