An arthroscopic cutting system, comprising:
- a cutting probe, comprising:
- a proximal hub;
- a metal outer sleeve extending distally from the proximal hub to a working end of the cutting probe, the metal outer sleeve including a proximal end fixedly attached to the proximal hub, the metal outer sleeve further including an outer cutting window formed in a first distal side of the metal outer sleeve, the outer cutting window communicating with an axial bore in the metal outer sleeve that extends proximally from the outer cutting window back through the metal outer sleeve, the outer cutting window including a first sharp metal cutting edge extending around at least part of the outer cutting window;
- a metal inner sleeve extending distally from the proximal hub to the working end of the cutting probe and being rotatably received in the axial bore in the metal outer sleeve, the metal inner sleeve including a distal metal portion with an inner cutting window formed therein, the inner cutting window including a second sharp metal cutting edge extending around at least part of the inner cutting window, the metal inner sleeve rotatable in the axial bore in the metal outer sleeve for moving the second sharp metal cutting edge past the first sharp metal cutting edge for resecting tissue at the working end of the cutting probe, the inner cutting window communicating with an axial extraction channel in the metal inner sleeve that extends proximally from the inner cutting window back through the metal inner sleeve for connecting to a negative pressure source;
- a dielectric insert carried by the distal metal portion of the metal inner sleeve, wherein, in a longitudinal direction along the metal inner sleeve, a distal end of the dielectric insert extends distally beyond a proximal end of the inner cutting window, and wherein the dielectric insert is circumferentially spaced apart from the inner cutting window around an outer surface of the metal inner sleeve;
- and
- an active electrode carried by the dielectric insert so as to be at least partly exposed along an outer surface of the dielectric insert, the active electrode also circumferentially spaced apart from the inner cutting window around the outer surface of the metal inner sleeve such that the inner cutting window and the active electrode are alternately rotatable into alignment with the outer cutting window as the metal inner sleeve is rotated in the axial bore in the metal outer sleeve,
- wherein the metal outer sleeve and the metal inner sleeve are each formed entirely of metal, the metal outer sleeve and the metal inner sleeve being electrically coupled within the cutting probe to form a combined return electrode providing an electrically-conductive pathway extending from the working end of the cutting probe back to the proximal hub.