Electrosurgical systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10582963-B2
Application number	US-201615098824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

System and methods of an electrosurgical controller having multiple modes of operation that are configured for treatment of a specific targeted tissue type and the electrosurgical effect desired where the treatment and effect are provided by a single controller and an electrosurgical probe. The electrosurgical controller includes an integrated fluid control apparatus or pump where activation of the controller allows for selective energy delivery and corresponding fluid volume flow rates. The electrosurgical probe includes a fluid transport lumen and is in communication with the controller and the pump for operation of the probe in the various user selected modes with accompanying energy delivery and fluid control directed to the desired treatment and surgical effect.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
implementing at least two modes of ablation during an electrosurgical procedure, the implementing with a first active electrode of an electrosurgical wand coupled to an, electrosurgical controller, the implementing by:
controlling an aspiration flow of fluid into an aperture on a distal end of the electrosurgical wand, the aperture proximate to the first active electrode; and
controlling energy delivered to the first active electrode by an electrosurgical controller; the energy delivered different for each of the at least two modes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein implementing further comprises implementing the at least two modes of ablation with each mode of ablation characterized in steady state by a distinct combination of aspiration flow rate into the aperture and energy delivered to the first active electrode.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein implementing at least two modes of ablation further comprises implementing modes of ablation selected from the group consisting of a low mode for use ablating cartilage; a medium mode for use ablating, fibro-cartilage; a high mode for ablating soft tissue; and a vacuum mode for removal of free floating tissue.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein implementing further comprises implementing at least three modes of ablation during the electrosurgical procedure, the at least three modes of ablation implemented with the first active electrode on the electrosurgical wand.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least three modes of ablation are at least three modes of ablation selected from the group consisting of. a low mode for use ablating cartilage; a medium mode for use ablating meniscus; a high mode for ablating soft tissue; and a vacuum mode for removal of free floating tissue.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling, aspiration flow of fluid further comprises controlling a peristaltic pump.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein controlling the peristaltic pump flintier comprises controlling speed of a rotor of the peristaltic pump.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein controlling the speed of the rotor of the peristaltic pump further comprises reversing the direction of the rotor of the peristaltic pump.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling an aspiration flow of fluid further comprises controlling the aspiration flow at a higher rate for a more aggressive mode of ablation of the at least two modes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein each mode is implemented mutually exclusive to each other.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling impedance of an electrode circuit during a first mode of ablation further comprises regulating at least one of the suction volume flowrate or the energy delivered to maintain the impedance of the electrode circuit within a predetermined range.

12. A method comprising:
implementing at least two modes of ablation on a target tissue during electrosurgical procedure, the implementing with a first active electrode of an electrosurgical wand coupled to an electrosurgical controller, the implementing by:
controlling impedance of an electrode circuit during a first mode of ablation of an electrosurgical procedure; and then
controlling impedance of the electrode circuit during a second mode of ablation of the electrosurgical procedure, the impedance of the electrode circuit during the second mode different than the impedance during the first mode; wherein controlling impedance of the electrode circuit further comprises controlling a suction volume flowrate into an aperture on a distal end of the electrosurgical wand and also controlling energy delivered to the first active electrode by the electrosurgical controller, the energy delivered in the first mode of ablation different than in the second mode.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein controlling impedance of the electrode circuit during the first mode further comprises:
controlling the suction volume flow rate of fluid at a different volume flowrate than during the second mode.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein controlling the suction volume flowrate of fluid further comprises controlling a peristaltic pump.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein controlling the peristaltic pump further comprises controlling speed of a rotor of the peristaltic pump.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein controlling the speed of the rotor of the peristaltic pump further comprises reversing the direction of the rotor of the peristaltic pump.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein implementing at least two modes of ablation further comprises controlling impedance of the electrode circuit during a third mode of ablation of the electrosurgical procedure, the impedance of the electrode circuit during the third mode different than the impedance during the first and second modes.

18. The method of claim 17
wherein controlling impedance of the electrode circuit during the third mode further comprises:
controlling the suction volume flowrate of fluid into the aperture, the volume flowrate of fluid in the third mode different than the volume flowrate of fluid in the first and second modes; and
controlling energy delivered to the first active electrode by the electrosurgical controller, the energy delivered to the first active electrode in the third mode different than the energy delivered to the first active electrode in the first and second modes.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein implementing at least two modes of ablation further comprises implementing at least two modes of ablation selected from the group consisting of: a low mode for use ablating cartilage; a medium mode for use ablating fibro-cartilage; a high mode for ablating soft tissue, and a vacuum mode for removal of free floating tissue.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein implementing further comprises implementing at least four modes of ablation during the electrosurgical procedure, the at least four modes of ablation implemented with the first active electrode.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the at least four modes of ablation comprise: a low mode for use ablating cartilage; a medium mode for use ablating meniscus; a high mode for ablating soft tissue; and a vacuum mode for removal of free floating tissue.

22. The method of claim 12 the at least two modes of ablation are implemented serially such that each mode is implemented in the absence of the other modes of ablation.

23. A method comprising:
implementing at least two modes of ablation during an electrosurgical procedure, the implementing with a first active electrode of an electrosurgical wand coupled to an electrosurgical controller, the implementing by:
regulating an average power delivered to an electrode circuit and volume flowrate of fluid through an aperture of the electrosurgical wand during a first mode of ablation of an electrosurgical procedure; and then
regulating the average power delivered to the electrode circuit and volume flowrate of fluid through the aperture during a second mode of ablation of the electrosurgical procedure, the average power delivered and volume flowrate of fluid during the second mode different than the average power and volume flowrate during the first mode.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein regulating the average power delivered to the electrode circuit during the first mode further comprises:
controlling energy delivered to the first active electrode by the electrosurgical controller.

25. The met

Assignees

• Arthrocare Corp

Inventors

• Woloszko Jean
• Marion Duane W
• Goode Johnson E
• Morrison George
• Yuan David

Classifications

• A61B2218/007

  Aspiration · CPC title

• A61B2018/00636

  Sensing and controlling the application of energy · CPC title

• A61B2018/00744

  Fluid flow · CPC title

• A61B18/148

  having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy · CPC title

• A61B2018/00875

  Resistance or impedance · CPC title