Serpentine ablation/coagulation electrode

An electrosurgical probe comprising:

• a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axis therebetween;
• and
• a serpentine electrosurgical wire disposed near the distal end of the shaft, the wire defining a plurality of laterally oriented arches coupled in electrical series, the arches aligned substantially axially to avoid drag when the electrosurgical wire is energized with a tissue removal energy and the arches are translated through tissue, the arches each having a radially outwardly oriented surface, the outer surfaces of the arches being substantially aligned so as to slide concurrently over a tissue surface when the electrosurgical wire is energized with an ablation energy.

An electrosurgical system comprising:

• an electrosurgical potential source capable of selectively supplying an ablation/coagulation energy and a tissue removal energy;
• and
• an electrosurgical device couplable to the potential source, the electrosurgical device including a plurality of wire segments coupled in electrical series that define a lateral surface area which is aligned axially along an axis of the device to avoid drag when the potential source energizes the wire segments with the tissue removal energy and the wire segments are translated through tissue along the axis, the wire segments each having a laterally oriented ablation surface, the ablation surfaces being aligned for simultaneous sliding over a tissue surface when the wire segments are energized with the ablation/coagulation energy.

An electrosurgical device comprising:

• a primary electrosurgical wire having a length and a cross-section, the primary wire defining an arch;
• and
• a secondary electrosurgical wire wound over at least a portion of the length of the primary wire along the arch, the secondary wire having a helical shape, an inner diameter of the helix being substantially equal to the diameter of the primary wire, the secondary wire being immovably affixed to the primary wire.