Multifunction laser-powered surgical tool with optical electrocautery capability

A surgical tool for applying a controlled energy flux to selectively engaged tissue in a patient's body, comprising:

• an elongate hollow first element having a first connector part at a first end and a hollow, open, hook element at a second end to hook and engage with selected tissue;
• an energy-conveying elongate second element slidably and rotatably guided inside the first element, having at a first end a second connector part slidably and rotatably connected to the first connector part and having at a distal second end an energy-delivering surface cooperating with said hook element to apply a controlled flux of energy to incise the engaged tissue;
• and
• means for providing an electrical current via said first element to the cauterizing surface of the hook element to cauterize tissue contacted thereby,
• wherein said first element and said hook element each comprise an electrically conductive material and are in electrically conductive communication, and said hook element has an exterior cauterizing surface.

A method for performing surgical operations on selected tissue at a confined internal site in a patient's body, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate tubular first element having a first connector part at an outside end and an open, hollow, hooked portion at a distal end with the hooked portion engaging the selected tissue;
• providing an elongate laser-energy transmitting second element through the tubular first element, With the second element having a second connector at an outside end slidably connected with the first connector and with an energy-delivering tip element at a distal end of the second element located in the open hooked portion of the first element;
• slidably moving the tip element relative to the hooked portion, by slidably moving the first and second connector parts relative to each other outside the patient's body, until an energy-delivering surface of the tip element contacts the engaged tissue;
• providing a controlled flow of laser energy to the tip element to heat said engaged tissue contacted thereby;
• providing a cauterizing surface on said hooked portion of the first element;
• and
• providing a controlled electric current to the cauterizing surface for cauterization of tissue contacted by the cauterizing surface.

A method for performing surgical operations on selected tissue at a confined internal site in a patient's body, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate tubular first element having a first connector part at an outside end and an open, hollow, hooked portion at a distal end with the hooked portion engaging the selected tissue;
• providing an elongate laser-energy transmitting second element through the tubular first element, with the second element having a second connector at an outside end slidably connected with the first connector and with an energy delivering tip element at a distal end of the second element located in the open hooked portion of the first element;
• slidably moving the tip element relative to the hooked portion, by slidably moving the first and second connector parts relative to each other outside the patient's body, until energy-delivering surface of the tip element contacts the engaged tissue;
• providing a controlled flow of laser energy to the tip element to heat said engaged tissue contacted thereby;
• providing an electrically-conducting surface at said hooked element;
• and
• providing a controlled electric current to the electrically-conducting surface for application thereof to tissue to cauterize the same.

A method for performing surgical operations on selected tissue at a confined internal site in a patient's body, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate tubular first element having a first connector part at an outside end and an open, hollow, hooked portion at a distal end with the hooked portion engaging the selected tissue;
• providing an elongate laser-energy transmitting second element through the tubular first element, with the second element having a second connector at an outside end slidably connected with the first connector and with an energy-delivering tip element at a distal end of the second element located in the open hooked portion of the first element;
• slidably moving the tip element relative to the hooked portion, by slidably moving the first and second connector parts relative to each other outside the patient's body, until an energy-delivering surface of the tip element contacts the engaged tissue;
• providing a controlled flow of laser energy to the tip element to heat said engaged tissue contacted thereby;
• providing a controlled flow of laser energy to deliver the same as laser-energy emission from the energy-delivering surface of the tip element to heat the engaged tissue;
• providing an electrically-conducting layer at said hooked portion of the first element;
• and
• providing a controlled electric current to the electrically-conducting layer for application thereof to the engaged tissue to cauterize the same.

A method for performing surgical operations on selected tissue at a confined internal site in a patient's body, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate tubular first element having a first connector part at an outside end and an open, hollow, hooked portion at a distal end with the hooked portion engaging the selected tissue;
• providing an elongate laser-energy transmitting second element through the tubular first element, with the second element having a second connector at an outside end slidably connected with the first connector and with an energy-delivering tip element at a distal end of the second element located in the open hooked portion of the first element;
• sliddably moving the tip element relative to the hooked portion, by slidably moving the first and second connector parts relative to each other outside the patient's body, until an energy-delivering surface of the tip element contacts the engaged tissue;
• providing a controlled flow of laser energy to the tip element to heat said engaged tissue contacted thereby;
• providing a controlled flow of laser energy to an energy-converting surface region under said energy-delivering surface of the tip element, and converting the laser energy into thermal energy to heat the surface region for application of a thermal energy flux thereby by contacting the engaged tissue;
• providing an electrically-conducting layer at said hooked portion of the first element;
• and
• providing a controlled electric current to the electrically-conducting layer for application thereof to the engaged tissue to cauterize the same.