Electrosurgical working end for controlled energy delivery
AssigneeSurgRx, Inc.
InventorsCsaba Truckai, John H. Shadduck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrosurgical working end for automatic modulation of active Rf density in a targeted tissue volume. The working end of the probe of the present invention defines a tissue-engagement surface of an elastomeric material with conductive elements that extend therethrough. In one embodiment, the expansion of the elastomeric material can de-couple the conductive elements from an interior electrode based temperature to modulate current flow. In another embodiment, the elastomeric material can couple and de-couple the conductive elements from an interior electrode based engagement pressure to modulate current flow.
Claims24
An electrosurgical probe for delivering energy to tissue, the probe comprising:
- a body having a working end comprising an interior conductor covered by a surface layer comprising a substantially insulative material;
- at least one conductive element extending though the surface layer, wherein the conductive element has an exposed first end and an interior second end disposed proximate to the interior conductor;
- wherein the surface layer has a thermal expansion coefficient configured such that the surface layer at a first lower temperature maintains said second end of the conductive element in contact with the interior conductor, and at a second higher temperature moves said second end away from contact with the interior conductor.
A working end of a surgical probe for pressure-controlled Rf energy application to tissue, the working end comprising:
- an interior electrode having an elastomeric surface layer;
- at least one conductive element extending through the elastomeric surface layer, the element having a first exposed end and a second end disposed proximate to the interior electrode;
- the second end being movable into or away from electrical contact with the interior electrode responsive to a selected pressure on the surface layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.