US 7,004,174 B2 · Electrosurgery with infiltration anesthesia

Abstract

Method for carrying out the recovery of an intact volume of tissue wherein a delivery cannula tip is positioned in confronting adjacency with the volume of tissue to be recovered. The electrosurgical generator employed to form an arc at a capture component extending from the tip is configured having a resistance-power profile which permits recovery of the specimen without excessive thermal artifact while providing sufficient power to sustain a cutting arc. For the recovery procedure, a local anesthetic employing a diluent which exhibits a higher resistivity is utilized and the method for deploying the capture component involves an intermittent formation of a cutting arc with capture component actuation interspersed with pauses of duration effective to evacuate any accumulation or pockets of local anesthetic solution encountered by the cutting electrodes.

Claims31

Dependent claims

The method for accessing subcutaneous target tissue of an animal comprising the steps of:

providing an electrosurgical system including an electrosurgical generator and an operatively associated cutting electrode assembly energizable to provide a tissue cutting arc;
anesthetizing said animal by parenterally administering at the site of said tissue a solution of a local anesthetic agent and biocompatible diluent exhibiting an electrical conductivity of value effective for providing an electrical resistance at tissue confronting said electrode sustaining said tissue cutting arc when said solution is infiltrated within the tissue of said animal;
positioning said electrode subcutaneously at said site;
energizing said cutting electrode to provide said tissue cutting arc;
and
maneuvering said electrode with respect to said target tissue.

3 more elements

The method for surgically accessing a target tissue volume of a patient comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an accessing instrument having an electrosurgical assembly at a distal end thereof which is energizable from an electrosurgical cutting output to form an electrosurgical cutting arc;
(b) providing an electrosurgical generator assembly controllable to provide a said electrosurgical output at a boost cutting voltage level effective to create said cutting arc, and to provide a said electrosurgical output at an arc supporting cutting voltage level less than said boost cutting voltage level;
(c) forming an opening of limited depth in the skin of said patient;
(d) positioning said distal end of said instrument within said opening;
(e) controlling said electrosurgical generator assembly to provide a said electrosurgical output at said boost cutting voltage level for a boost interval effective to create said cutting arc;
(f) then controlling said electrosurgical generator assembly to provide a said electrosurgical output at said arc supporting cutting voltage level;
and
(g) maneuvering said accessing instrument to access said target tissue volume.

5 more elements

The method for accessing and isolating a target tissue volume of given peripheral extent within adjacent tissue of a patient, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electrosurgical generator controllable to derive an electrosurgical output;
(b) providing a tissue accessing and isolating assembly having a forwardly disposed portion with an accessing electrosurgical electrode and a deployable tissue isolating electrosurgical electrode assembly;
(c) providing a local anesthetic as a solution of local anesthetic agent and a biocompatible diluent;
(d) anesthetizing said patient by parenterally administering said local anesthetic to effect infiltration of said solution within said adjacent tissue;
(e) applying said electrosurgical output from said electrosurgical generator to said accessing electrosurgical electrode to an extent effective to derive an electrosurgical cutting arc while maneuvering said tissue accessing and isolating assembly forwardly disposed portion within said adjacent tissue into a location adjacent to said target tissue volume;
(f) terminating said step (e) application of said electrosurgical output to said accessing electrosurgical electrode when said tissue accessing and isolating forwardly disposed portion is within said adjacent tissue at said location adjacent to said target tissue volume;
(g) applying said electrosurgical output from said electrosurgical generator to said tissue isolating electrode at a voltage level effective to derive an electrosurgical cutting arc while substantially avoiding formation of caloric artifact at said target tissue volume;
and
(h) maneuvering said tissue isolating electrode circumscriptively within said adjacent tissue about said target tissue volume during said step (g) to effect the isolation thereof from said adjacent tissue.

6 more elements

The method for accessing and isolating a target tissue volume of given peripheral extent within adjacent tissue of a patient, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electrosurgical generator controllable to derive an electrosurgical output;
(b) providing a tissue accessing and isolating assembly having a forwardly disposed portion with an accessing electrosurgical electrode and a deployable tissue isolating electrosurgical electrode assembly;
(c) providing a fluid evacuation assembly having a fluid intake port at said tissue accessing and isolating assembly forwardly disposed portion and actuable to effect a fluid suction condition at said fluid intake port;
(d) providing a local anesthetic as a solution of local anesthetic agent and a biocompatible diluent;
(e) anesthetizing said patient by parenterally administering said local anesthetic to effect infiltration of said solution within said adjacent tissue;
(f) applying said electrosurgical output from said electrosurgical generator to said accessing electrosurgical electrode to an extent effective to derive an electrosurgical cutting arc while maneuvering said tissue accessing and isolating assembly forwardly disposed portion within said adjacent tissue into a location adjacent to said target tissue volume
(g) terminating said step (f) application of said electrosurgical output to said accessing electrosurgical electrode when said tissue accessing and isolating forwardly disposed portion is within said adjacent tissue at said location adjacent to said target tissue volume
(h) applying said electrosurgical output from said electrosurgical generator to said tissue isolating electrode at a voltage level effective to derive an electrosurgical cutting arc while substantially avoiding formation of caloric artifact at said target tissue volume;
(i) maneuvering said tissue isolating electrode circumscriptively within said adjacent tissue about said target tissue volume during said step (g) to effect the isolation thereof from said adjacent tissue;
and
(k) actuating said fluid evacuation assembly to effect said fluid suction condition during said steps (f), (h) and (i).

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrosurgery with infiltration anesthesia

Life of this patent

Electrosurgery with infiltration anesthesia

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31