Plasma-generating device, plasma surgical device and use of a plasma surgical device

• US 9,913,358 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plasma Surgical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Plasma Surgical Investments Limited
• Inventors: Suslov, Nikolay, Rubiner, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thien S
• Application Number:
  US11/482,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20070029292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,260 Days
• Field of Search: 21912148-12152, 21912144, 606 39, 606 40, 606 45, 606 48, 606 49, 606 50, 606111, 604 20, 604 21, 31323131, 31323141, 427569, 427570, 31511121, 31511131
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/28 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/34 Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/341 Arrangements for providing coaxial protecting fluids
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/3452 Supplementary electrodes between cathode and anode, e.g. cascade
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/3484 Convergent-divergent nozzles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plasma-generating device, comprising an anode, a cathode and at least one intermediate electrode, said intermediate electrode being arranged at least partly between said anode and said cathode, and said intermediate electrode and said anode forming at least a part of a plasma channel which has an opening in said anode. Further, the plasma-generating device comprises at least one coolant channel which is arranged with at least one outlet opening which is positioned beyond, in the direction from the cathode to the anode, said at least one intermediate electrode, and the channel direction of said coolant channel at said outlet opening has a directional component which is the same as that of the channel direction of the plasma channel at the opening thereof. The invention also concerns a plasma surgical device and use of such a plasma surgical device.

Claims

1. A plasma surgical device having an operational end, the plasma surgical device comprising:

an anode at the operational end of the plasma surgical device, the anode having a hole therethrough;

a cathode having a tapered portion narrowing toward the anode;

an intermediate electrode, having a hole therethrough, the intermediate electrode being arranged between the cathode and the anode;

an end sleeve forming an outer casing of the operation end of the plasma surgical device, the end sleeve having an outer diameter of less than 5 mm; and

an insulator sleeve extending along and surrounding only a portion of the cathode and having a distal end,

wherein the hole through the intermediate electrode and the hole through the anode, at least in part, form a first channel for conducting plasma and discharging a plasma jet through an external outlet opening at the operational end of the plasma surgical device;

wherein a gap between the end sleeve and the intermediate electrode and a gap between the end sleeve and the anode, at least in part, form a second channel for conducting a coolant for cooling the intermediate electrode and the anode for discharging the coolant through one or more external outlet openings at the operational end of the plasma surgical device;

wherein the end sleeve of the plasma surgical device is replaceable so as to provide different external outlet openings of the first and second channels corresponding to different desired properties and performance characteristics of the plasma surgical device,

wherein only a part of the tapered portion of the cathode projects beyond the distal end of the insulator sleeve, and

wherein a distal end of the cathode is located some distance away from an inlet of the first channel.

2. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, in which the one or more external outlet openings of the second channel are arranged in the anode.

3. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, in which a substantial portion of the second channel is substantially parallel to the first channel.

4. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, in which angles between the second channel at the one or more external outlet openings of the second channel and the first channel at the external outlet opening of the first channel are between +30 and −

30 degrees.

5. The plasma surgical device of claim 4, in which the angles are zero.

6. The plasma surgical device of claim 4, in which the second channel at the one or more external outlet openings of the second channel angles toward the first channel.

7. The plasma surgical device of claim 4, in which the second channel at the one or more external outlet openings of the second channel angles away from the first channel.

8. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, wherein during operation a coolant in the second channel flows toward the one or more external outlet openings.

9. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, in which during operation a coolant in the second channel is in contact with the intermediate electrode.

10. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, wherein the outer sleeve forms an integral structure with the anode.

11. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, in which the second channel has two or more external outlet openings.

12. The plasma surgical device of claim 11, in which the two or more external outlet openings of the second channel are arranged around the external outlet opening of the first channel.

13. The plasma surgical device of claim 12, in which the second channel has four or more external outlet openings.

14. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, in which a cross-section of one of the at least one of the one or more external outlet openings of the second channel is elongated.

15. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, wherein the gap between the end sleeve and the intermediate electrode and the gap between the end sleeve and the anode, at least in part, form two or more second channels.

18. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, wherein the intermediate electrode extends partially along the cathode.

19. The plasma surgical device of claim 1 wherein the discharged coolant is operable to restrict the discharged plasma jet radially and longitudinally.

20. The plasma surgical device of claim 1 adapted for minimally invasive surgery.

21. The plasma surgical device of claim 1, wherein the end sleeve has an outer diameter of less than or equal to 3 mm.

16. A method of using a plasma surgical device having a cathode including a tapered portion narrowing toward an anode, an insulator sleeve extending along and surrounding only a portion of the cathode and having a distal end, only a part of the tapered portion of the cathode projecting beyond the distal end of the insulator sleeve, a distal end of the cathode being located some distance away from an inlet of a first channel, and a second channel and a replaceable end sleeve forming an outer casing of the operational end of the plasma surgical device, said sleeve providing different external outlet openings of the first and second channels corresponding to different desired properties and performance characteristics of the plasma surgical device, the method comprising:

discharging a plasma jet on a spot of a biological tissue from an outlet opening of the first channel in the end sleeve;

cooling electrodes of the plasma surgical device by passing a coolant through the second channel; and

discharging the coolant near the spot of the biological tissue through one or more outlet openings of the second channel in the end sleeve.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

restricting the discharged plasma jet radially and longitudinally with the discharging coolant at the spot of the biological tissue.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the coolant is discharged at a rate of between 1 and 5 ml/s.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

coagulating, vaporizing, or cutting of the biological tissue with the plasma jet.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the biological tissue is a tissue of one or more of:

heart, brain, liver, spleen, kidney, and skin.

22. A plasma-generating device comprising:

a plasma chamber for generating plasma,

a plasma channel extending longitudinally from the plasma chamber to a plasma outlet at an operational end of the of the plasma-generating device, the plasma channel defining a path for discharge of the plasma;

an anode at the operational end of the plasma-generating device with the plasma channel passing therethrough;

a cathode having a tapered portion narrowing toward the anode, only a part of the tapered portion projecting into the plasma chamber, a distal end of the cathode being located some distance away from an inlet of the plasma channel;

an intermediate electrode, the intermediate electrode being arranged between the cathode and the anode with the plasma channel passing therethrough; and

a coolant channel extending longitudinally in the plasma-generating device and having a coolant outlet at the operational end of the of the plasma-generating device, whereby coolant liquid flowing through the coolant channel cools a portion of the plasma-generating device proximate to the cooling channel and the coolant liquid discharges through the coolant outlet.

23. The plasma-generating device of claim 22, wherein the coolant outlet is arranged in the anode.

24. The plasma-generating device of claim 23, wherein the coolant outlet angles toward the plasma channel arranged in the anode.