Spinal tissue ablation apparatus, system, and method

A system for ablating unhealthy spinal tissue at a surgical site in a patient comprising:

• a spinal tissue ablation apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
• an elongated housing, the housing including an outer surface, an inner surface, an interior space defined by the inner surface, a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end and the distal end defining therebetween a mid-longitudinal axis, a proximal direction and a distal direction;
• an anode defined on the outer surface at the distal end of the housing, the anode including an outer surface and an inner surface;
• at least one thermocouple disposed on the outer surface of the housing, the at least one thermocouple being configured to measure a temperature of spinal tissue proximate the at least one thermocouple;
• a cathode defined on the outer surface of the housing, intermediate the distal end and the proximal end;
• a cooling system disposed at least partially within the interior space;
• at least a first layer of resistive heating elements substantially encircling at least a portion of the outer surface of the housing relative to the mid-longitudinal axis, the at least the first layer of the resistive heating elements extending in a proximal direction from a first position proximate the cathode to a second position intermediate the first position and the proximal end of the housing;
• at least a second layer of resistive heating elements, the at least the second layer of resistive heating elements substantially encircling, relative to the mid-longitudinal axis, at least one of a portion of the at least the first layer of resistive heating elements extending from between the first position to the second position intermediate the first position and the proximal end, a portion of the at least the first layer of resistive heating elements extending from the first position to a third position intermediate the first position and the second position, a portion of the at least the first layer of resistive heating elements extending from the second position to a fourth position intermediate the first position and the second position;
• and
• at least one sensor mounted on the outer surface of the housing, the at least one sensor configured to measure tissue impedance proximate the at least one sensor;
• and
• a power generator, the power generator including at least a detector, the detector being configured to receive the spinal tissue impedance measured by the at least one sensor, and the spinal tissue temperature measured by the at least one thermocouple, a control module, a touch screen display, the touch screen display being configured to display the spinal tissue impedance data, and the spinal tissue temperature, and a human interface panel, the human interface panel configured to control at least one of electric current to the at least the first layer of resistive heating elements and coolant flow to the cooling system.

A spinal tissue ablation apparatus comprising:

• an elongated housing, the housing including an outer surface, an inner surface, an interior space defined by the inner surface, a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end and the distal end defining therebetween a mid-longitudinal axis;
• an anode provided on the outer surface at and/or adjacent the distal end of the housing;
• at least one thermocouple provided on the outer surface of the housing for measuring a temperature of spinal tissue proximate the at least one thermocouple;
• a cathode provided on the outer surface of the housing intermediate the distal end and the proximal end;
• a cooling system disposed at least partially within the interior space;
• a first layer of resistive heating elements substantially encircling at least a portion of the outer surface of the housing relative to the mid-longitudinal axis, the first layer of the resistive heating elements extending between a first position proximate the cathode to a second position intermediate the first position and the proximal end of the housing;
• a second layer of resistive heating elements, the second layer of resistive heating elements substantially encircling, relative to the mid-longitudinal axis, at least one of a portion of the first layer of resistive heating elements extending from between the first position to the second position intermediate the first position and the proximal end, a portion of the first layer of resistive heating elements extending from the first position to a third position intermediate the first position and the second position, a portion of the first layer of resistive heating elements extending from the second position to a fourth position intermediate the first position and the second position;
• and
• at least one sensor provided on the outer surface of the housing for measuring tissue impedance proximate the at least one sensor.