Fine dissection electrosurgical device
First Claim
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1. An electrosurgical wand comprising:
- an elongate shaft that defines a handle end and a distal end;
a connector comprising a first and second electrical pins;
an insulative sheath having a distal end that defines a first and second plurality of discharge apertures on the distal end of the elongate shaft, the first and second plurality of discharge apertures fluidly coupled to a first fluid conduit, and the first fluid conduit within the elongate shaft;
a first active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate shaft, the first active electrode having a distal surface and a thickness, and wherein the distal surface comprises at least one inverted cusp portion, defined by two smooth curved surfaces and a line of intersection spaced proximally from the distal surface; and
wherein the first active electrode is electrically coupled to the first electrical pin;
a first return electrode of conductive material, the first return electrode comprising an a distally extending tab arranged on a first side of the shaft and having a shape selected so that the spacing between a distal edge of the tab and the distal surface of the active electrode is near-uniform along the length of the edge of the tab, the first return electrode electrically coupled to the second electrical pin; and
at least one aspiration aperture on a second side of the elongate shaft fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit within the elongate shaft.
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Abstract
An electrosurgical wand. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are electrosurgical wands including an elongate shaft that defines a handle end and a distal end, a first discharge aperture on the distal end of the elongate shaft, a first active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate shaft, the first active electrode has an edge feature, a first return electrode of conductive material disposed a substantially constant distance from the first active electrode, and an aspiration aperture on the distal end of the elongate shaft fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit.
457 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An electrosurgical wand comprising:
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an elongate shaft that defines a handle end and a distal end; a connector comprising a first and second electrical pins; an insulative sheath having a distal end that defines a first and second plurality of discharge apertures on the distal end of the elongate shaft, the first and second plurality of discharge apertures fluidly coupled to a first fluid conduit, and the first fluid conduit within the elongate shaft; a first active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate shaft, the first active electrode having a distal surface and a thickness, and wherein the distal surface comprises at least one inverted cusp portion, defined by two smooth curved surfaces and a line of intersection spaced proximally from the distal surface; and
wherein the first active electrode is electrically coupled to the first electrical pin;a first return electrode of conductive material, the first return electrode comprising an a distally extending tab arranged on a first side of the shaft and having a shape selected so that the spacing between a distal edge of the tab and the distal surface of the active electrode is near-uniform along the length of the edge of the tab, the first return electrode electrically coupled to the second electrical pin; and at least one aspiration aperture on a second side of the elongate shaft fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit within the elongate shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
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an electrosurgical controller, the electrosurgical controller configured to produce radio frequency (RF) energy at an active terminal with respect to a return terminal; an electrosurgical wand coupled to the electrosurgical controller, the electrosurgical wand comprising; an elongate shaft that defines a handle end and a distal end; an insulative sheath disposed along a portion of the length of the elongate shaft and having a sheath distal end defining a first and second plurality of discharge apertures, the first and second plurality of discharge apertures fluidly coupled to a first fluid conduit and operable to deliver an electrically conductive fluid through the discharge apertures to the shaft distal end; a first active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate shaft, the first active electrode having at least one surface asperity for enhanced tissue cutting capability and a smooth portion for coagulating capabilities, and the first active electrode electrically coupled to the first electrical pin; a first return electrode of conductive material, the first return electrode comprising an extended feature disposed a substantially constant distance from the first active electrode, and the first return electrode electrically coupled to the second electrical pin; and an aspiration aperture on the distal end of the elongate shaft fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit within the elongate shaft; wherein the first plurality of discharge apertures are disposed proximally from the return electrode extended feature and partially encircle a proximal and lateral portion of the return electrode; and
wherein the second plurality of discharge apertures is disposed on at least one lateral side of the wand and adjacent at least one surface asperity so that fluid discharging from the second plurality of discharge apertures flows directly to the at least one surface asperity. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method comprising:
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flowing a conductive fluid within a fluid conduit disposed within a electrosurgical wand, the conductive fluid discharges through both a first plurality of discharge apertures and a second plurality of discharge apertures; discharging the fluid from the first plurality of discharge apertures over a return electrode, and then over an active electrode, while concomitantly discharging the fluid from the second plurality of discharge apertures directly over the active electrode, bypassing the return electrode; orienting the wand so that an inverted cusp portion of the active electrode is in contact with a target tissue; applying electrical energy between the active electrode and the return electrode; forming, responsive to the energy, a localized plasma proximate to the inverted cusp portion; ablating, by the localized plasma, a portion of a target tissue proximate to the inverted cusp portion; and heating, responsive to the energy, the target tissue proximate to a smooth portion disposed on the active electrode at locations spaced away from the inverted cusp portion to thereby provide concomitant hemostasis. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification