# US 2014/0155882 A1 · Electrosurgical wand and related method and system

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- Number: US 2014/0155882 A1
- Document ID: US20140155882A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/173,900
- Filed: 2014-02-06
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-15
- Assignees: ArthroCare Corporation
- Applicants: ArthroCare Corporation
- Inventors: David A. Cox; Johnson E. Goode; Philip M. Tetzlaff; Jean Woloszko
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155882A1

## CPC

- A61B 18/042: {using additional gas becoming plasma}
- A61B 18/14: Probes or electrodes therefor
- A61B 18/1402: {Probes for open surgery}
- A61B 2018/0047: {Upper parts of the skin, e.g. skin peeling or treatment of wrinkles}
- A61B 2018/00583: {Coblation, i.e. ablation using a cold plasma}
- A61B 2018/122: {ionizing, with corona}
- A61B 2018/1435: {Spiral}
- A61B 2018/144: {Wire}
- A61B 2018/1472: {for use with liquid electrolyte, e.g. virtual electrodes}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

An electrosurgical wand. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are electrosurgical wands including an elongate housing that defines a handle end and a distal end, a first discharge aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing, a first active electrode of conductive material disposed on the distal end of the elongate housing, a first return electrode of conductive material disposed within the first fluid conduit, and an aspiration aperture on the distal end of the elongate housing fluidly coupled to a second fluid conduit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
flowing a conductive fluid within a fluid conduit disposed within a electrosurgical wand, the conductive fluid flows past a return electrode disposed within the fluid conduit, and is then discharged through a discharge aperture;
applying electrical energy between an active electrode and the return electrode;
forming, responsive to the energy, a plasma proximate to the active electrode; and
treating a wound by placing the active electrode adjacent to the wound, and translating the active electrode along the wound.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein flowing further comprises flowing the conductive fluid past the return electrode in the form of a coil of wire.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein flowing further comprises flowing the conductive fluid past the return electrode in the form of a coil of wire that defines a central axis, and wherein the direction of flow of the conductive fluid prior to encountering the coil of wire is perpendicular to the central axis.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein flowing further comprises flowing the conductive fluid past the return electrode in the form of a wire mesh.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein flowing further comprises flowing the conductive fluid such that the conductive fluid is discharged at least partially toward the active electrode in the form of loop of wire.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising aspirating through a fluid conduit in the electrosurgical wand, the aspirating proximate to the discharge aperture.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein treating the wound comprises detaching at least one wound tissue strip from the wound and aspirating the at least one strip away from the wound such that the at least one strip does not substantially contact an underlying remaining wound portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein detaching the at least one wound tissue strip comprises ablating at least a portion of the wound without completely molecularly dissociating the at least one strip.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein treating the wound comprises debriding at least a portion of the wound and aspirating a plurality of wound tissue strips away from the wound.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein the steps of debriding and aspirating further comprise removing a substantial concentration of bacteria from the wound.