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US 8,197,477 B2Granted
Tissue ablation methods
AssigneeHermes Innovations LLC
InventorCsaba Truckai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Tissue is treated using a radiofrequency power supply connected to an applicator having a chamber filled with an electrically non-conductive gas surrounded by a thin dielectric wall. A radiofrequency voltage is applied at a level sufficient to ionize the gas into a plasma and to capacitively couple the ionized plasma with the tissue to deliver radiofrequency current to ablate or otherwise treat the tissue.
Claims10
A method for treating tissue of a patient, said method comprising:
- flowing an electrically non-conductive gas through an interior chamber of an applicator, said interior chamber having a thin dielectric wall surrounding at least a portion thereof;
- conforming an external surface of the thin dielectric wall against a target region of tissue;
- and
- applying a radiofrequency voltage across the gas and dielectric wall, wherein the voltage is sufficient to initiate plasma filaments in the gas, wherein the plasma filaments randomly engage an inner surface of the thin dielectric wall to capacitively couple current across the dielectric wall and into the engaged tissue.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.