Electrosurgical instrument
AssigneeGyrus Medical Limited
InventorsNigel Mark Goble, Colin Charles Owen Goble
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrosurgical instrument is disclosed for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid. The instrument comprises an instrument shaft, and a tissue treatment electrode at one end of the shaft, the tissue treatment electrode being constructed to define a plurality of pockets for trapping electrically-conductive fluid. Alternatively, the tissue treatment electrode is made from an electrically-conductive material and is coated with a resistive inert material which is effective to increase the local power density within the tissue treatment electrode.
Claims21
An electrosurgical instrument for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid, the instrument comprising an instrument shaft, and, at one end of the shaft, a tissue treatment electrode and an exposed return electrode electrically insulated from the tissue treatment electrode by means of an insulation member,
- the tissue treatment electrode being constructed from at least one length of material shaped so that portions of said at least one length of material are sufficiently close to one another to form a plurality of pockets for trapping electrically-conductive fluid and vapour to thereby reduce power required to achieve vaporisation,
- said plurality of pockets being formed only within said tissue treatment electrode so as to not be formed as part of a fluid delivery channel or formed using portions of said insulation member.
An electrosurgical instrument for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid, the instrument comprising an instrument shaft, and, at one end of the shaft, a tissue treatment electrode and an exposed return electrode electrically insulated from the tissue treatment electrode by means of an insulation member, the tissue treatment electrode being constructed to define a plurality of pockets for trapping electrically-conductive fluid and vapour,
- said plurality of pockets being formed within said tissue treatment electrode distally of said insulation member so as to not be formed as part of a fluid delivery channel or formed using portions of said insulation member, and
- wherein the tissue treatment electrode is constituted by a plurality of interlaced strands of electrically-conductive material.
An electrosurgical instrument for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid, the instrument comprising an instrument shaft, and, at one end of the shaft, a tissue treatment electrode and an exposed return electrode electrically insulated from the tissue treatment electrode by means of an insulation member, the tissue treatment electrode being constructed to define a plurality of pockets for trapping electrically-conductive fluid and vapour,
- said plurality of pockets being formed within said tissue treatment electrode distally of said insulation member so as to not be formed as part of a fluid delivery channel or formed using portions of said insulation member, and
- wherein the tissue treatment electrode comprises a plurality of strands of electrically-conductive material, with the strands being wound about each other.
An electrosurgical instrument for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid, the instrument comprising:
- an instrument shaft, and
- an electrode assembly at one end of the shaft,
- the electrode assembly comprising a tissue treatment electrode with an exposed treatment portion and a return electrode with an exposed fluid contact surface and which is electrically insulated from the tissue treatment electrode by means of an insulation member,
- the tissue treatment electrode being exposed at the instrument's extreme distal end and including a plurality of pockets for trapping said electrically-conductive fluid,
- the return electrode having a smooth, polished, fluid contact surface spaced proximally from the exposed end of the tissue treatment electrode by the insulation member,
- said plurality of pockets being formed only within said tissue treatment electrode so as to not be formed as part of a fluid delivery channel or formed using portions of said insulation member, and
- the ratio of the surface area of the tissue treatment electrode's exposed treatment portion to the surface area of the return electrode's exposed fluid contact surface being equal to or less than 1 to 1.
An electrode unit for an electrosurgical instrument for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid medium, the electrode unit comprising a shaft having at one end means for connection to an instrument handpiece, and, mounted on the other end of the shaft, a tissue treatment electrode and an exposed return electrode which is electrically insulated from the tissue treatment electrode by means of an insulation member, the tissue treatment electrode being constructed from at least one length of material shaped so that portions of said at least one length of material are sufficiently close to one another to form a plurality of pockets for trapping electrically-conductive fluid and vapour to thereby reduce power required to achieve vaporisation, said plurality of pockets being formed within said tissue treatment electrode distally of said insulation member so as to not be formed as part of a fluid delivery channel or formed using portions of said insulation member.
Electrosurgical apparatus comprising a radio frequency generator and an electrosurgical instrument for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid medium, the instrument comprising an instrument shaft, and an electrode assembly at one end of the shaft, the electrode assembly comprising a tissue treatment electrode and a return electrode which is electrically insulated from the tissue treatment electrode by means of an insulation member, the tissue treatment electrode being exposed at the distal end portion of the instrument, the return electrode having a fluid contact surface spaced proximally from the exposed end of the tissue treatment electrode by the insulation member, and the radio frequency generator having a bipolar output connected to the electrodes, wherein the exposed end of the tissue treatment electrode is constructed from at least one length of material shaped so that portions of said at least one length of material are sufficiently close to one another to form a plurality of pockets for trapping electrically-conductive fluid and vapour to thereby reduce power required to achieve vaporisation, said plurality of pockets being formed within said tissue treatment electrode distally of said insulation member so as to not be formed as part of a fluid delivery channel or formed using portions of said insulation member.
An electrosurgical apparatus comprising a radio frequency generator and an electrosurgical instrument for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid medium, the instrument comprising an instrument shaft, and an electrode assembly at one end of the shaft,
- the electrode assembly comprising a tissue treatment electrode and a return electrode which is electrically insulated from the tissue treatment electrode by an insulation member, the tissue treatment electrode being exposed at the distal end portion of the instrument, the return electrode having an exposed fluid contact surface spaced proximally from the exposed end of the tissue treatment electrode by the insulation member, and the radio frequency generator having a bipolar output connected to the electrodes,
- wherein the exposed end of the tissue treatment electrode is constructed from at least one length of material shaped so that portions of said at least one length of material are sufficiently close to one another to form a plurality of pockets for trapping electrically-conductive fluid and vapour to thereby reduce power required to achieve vaporisation, said plurality of pockets being formed only within said tissue treatment electrode so as to not be formed as part of a fluid delivery channel or formed using portions of said insulation member, and
- wherein the radio frequency generator includes a control means for varying the output power delivered to the electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.