US 6,780,180 B1 · Electrosurgical instrument

Abstract

An electrosurgical instrument, which is used for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid medium, comprises an instrument shaft (10), and an electrode assembly (12) at one end of the shaft. The electrode assembly (12) comprises a tissue treatment electrode (14) and a return electrode (18) which is electrically insulated from the tissue treatment electrode by means of an insulation member (16). The tissue treatment electrode (14) is exposed at the distal end portion of the instrument (10), and the return electrode (18) has a fluid contact surface spaced proximally from the exposed end of the tissue treatment electrode by the insulation member (16). The exposed end of the tissue treatment electrode (14) is constituted by a plurality of tissue treatment filamentary members made of an electrically-conductive material, the filamentary members being electrically connected to a common electrical supply conductor.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of corrective treatment of bladder neck descent including the steps of:

obtaining access via a conduit to a cavity in a region of a treatment site which includes the bladder neck;
introducing an electrosurgical instrument into the cavity via the conduit;
supplying electrically conductive fluid to the treatment site;
using the instrument to apply radio frequency power to the treatment site via first and
second electrodes on the instrument, wherein a conductive path between the first and second electrodes is completed by means of the conductive fluid, and inducing, as a result of applied radio frequency power, shrinkage of the pelvic floor thereby to correct the bladder neck descent.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrosurgical instrument

Life of this patent

Electrosurgical instrument

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13