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

• US 20070029292A1
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,913,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.590
• 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-generating device comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

a plasma channel extending longitudinally between said cathode and through said anode, having an outlet opening at the end furthest from the cathode;

at least one intermediate electrode arranged at least partly between said anode and said cathode, said at least one intermediate electrode and said anode forming at least a part of the plasma channel, said at least one intermediate electrode being electrically insulated from each other and said anode; and

at least one coolant channel extending longitudinally in the device and having at least one outlet opening at the end closest to the anode, whereby a coolant liquid flowing through said coolant channel cools a portion of the device to which the at least one coolant channel is adjacent,

said at least one outlet opening of the coolant channel is arranged in close proximity to the outlet opening of said plasma channel at the end furthest from the cathode, whereby the coolant liquid flowing out of said at least one outlet opening of the coolant channel restricts an area of a plasma effect.

2. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which the outlet opening of the coolant channel is arranged in the anode.

3. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which a substantial portion of said coolant channel is substantially parallel to said plasma channel.

4. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which an angle of a direction of the coolant channel at said outlet opening of the coolant channel relative to a direction of said plasma channel at the opening of said plasma channel furthest from the cathode is between +30 and −

30 degrees.

5. The plasma-generating device of claim 4, in which a direction of the coolant channel at said outlet opening of the coolant channel is substantially parallel to a direction of the plasma channel at the outlet opening of the plasma channel furthest from the cathode.

6. The plasma-generating device of claim 4, in which the coolant channel at said outlet opening of the coolant channel angles toward the plasma channel.

7. The plasma-generating device of claim 4, in which the coolant channel at said outlet opening of the coolant channel angles away from the plasma channel.

8. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which during operation the coolant liquid flows through said coolant channel in the direction from the cathode to the anode.

9. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which a part of said coolant channel extends along said at least one intermediate electrode.

10. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which a part of said coolant channel extends along the outer periphery of said at least one intermediate electrode.

11. The plasma-generating device of claim 1 further comprising a sleeve connected to the anode, which forms a part of a radially outwardly positioned boundary surface of the coolant channel.

12. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which said at least one intermediate electrode forms a part of a radially inwardly positioned boundary surface of the coolant channel.

13. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which during operation the coolant liquid flows through said coolant channel with a rate of between 1 and 5 ml/s.

14. The plasma-generating device of claim 1, in which said at least one coolant channel has at least two outlet openings.

15. The plasma-generating device of claim 14, in which said at least two outlet openings of said at least one outlet opening are arranged around said outlet opening of the plasma channel.

16. The plasma-generating device of claim 15, in which said at least one coolant channel has at least four outlet openings.

17. The plasma-generating device of claim 16, in which a cross-section of the opening of the at least one coolant channel is elongated.

18. The plasma-generating device of claim 1 comprising two or more coolant channels.

19. The plasma surgical device comprising a plasma-generating device of claim 1.

20. Use of a plasma surgical device as claimed in claim 19 for destruction or coagulation of biological tissue.

21. Use as claimed in claim 20 for use in heart or brain surgery.

22. Use as claimed in claim 20 for use in liver, spleen or kidney surgery.

23. Use as claimed in claim 20 for skin treatment in plastic and cosmetic surgery.