Electrosurgical tool
AssigneeStryker Corporation
InventorsChristopher Earley, Andrew Hamel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrosurgical tool for cauterizing or ablating targeted tissue, which tool includes a conductive outer shaft which defines a return or reference electrode, and a conductive inner tube disposed within the outer shaft. The inner tube defines both a suction pathway for removing fluid and/or surgical debris from the surgical site through the distal end of the tool, and a pathway for delivering electrical energy to an active electrode secured to the distal end of the suction tube.
Claims31
An electrosurgical tool comprising:
- a housing disposed at and defining a proximal end of said tool;
- and
- a lumen assembly projecting from a distal end of said housing and including an elongated outer shaft defining a hollow interior, a distal end of said outer shaft comprising an electrically conductive material and defining a return electrode, a suction tube disposed within said hollow interior of said outer shaft and defining a conduit therein in communication with a suction source, said suction tube comprising an electrically conductive material and being connected to a source of electrical energy, an electrode element disposed at a distal end of said lumen assembly, said electrode element comprising an electrically conductive material and having a distal end defining an active, energy-delivering electrode and a proximal end, and an insulator disposed between said return electrode and said active electrode, said proximal end of said electrode element and a distal end of said suction tube defining respective connectors which cooperate to define a connection area between said electrode element and said suction tube, said connection area electrically connecting said electrode element to said suction tube such that said suction tube delivers electrical energy to said active electrode.
An electrosurgical tool comprising a handle defining a proximal end portion of said tool, an elongate tubular shaft projecting from said handle and comprising a conductive material, said shaft having a tubular distal end and defining a conduit therein in communication with a suction source to permit suction to be drawn through and along said shaft through a suction opening defined at a distal end of said tool, and a tubular electrode element comprising a conductive material and having a tubular proximal end, one of said ends being disposed within the other said end, said electrode element having a distal end defining an active, energy-delivering electrode for treating tissue, and said shaft being connected to a source of electrical energy such that said shaft defines an electrical energy-delivering pathway along said tool to said active electrode.
A method of assembling an electrosurgical tool including a handle defining a proximal end portion of the tool, an elongate, electrically-conductive tubular shaft projecting from the handle and defining a suction conduit therein in communication with a suction source to permit suction to be drawn through and along the shaft through a suction opening defined at a distal end of the tool, the shaft having a tubular distal end, and an electrically-conductive electrode element having a distal end defining an active, energy-delivering electrode for treating tissue and a tubular proximal end, said method comprising the steps of:
- inserting once of the ends into the other of the ends to interconnect the electrode element and the shaft;
- and
- connecting the shaft to a source of electrical energy such that the shaft defines an electrical energy-delivering pathway along said tool to the active electrode.
A method of assembling an electrosurgical tool comprising the steps of:
- providing an electrically conductive and elongate tubular shaft defining a conduit therein and having a first proximal end and a second distal end;
- connecting the first end of the shaft to a source of suction to allow suction to be drawn through the shaft conduit through a distal end of the tool;
- providing an electrode element which is a separate component from the shaft, the electrode element having a first distal end defining an active, energy-delivering electrode and a second proximal end;
- and
- connecting the second ends of the shaft and the electrode element to one another at a connection area and electrically connecting the active electrode to the shaft through the connection area to allow the shaft to deliver electrical energy to the active electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.