Ablation cable assemblies and a method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11065053-B2
Application number	US-201615226019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2016
Priority date	Aug 2, 2016
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A cable assembly includes a rigid portion, a flexible central portion, and a radiating portion. The rigid portion is configured to couple to a source of electrosurgical energy and to prevent fluid ingress towards the source of electrosurgical energy. The flexible central portion extends from the rigid portion and includes an inner conductor, a dielectric disposed about the inner conductor, and a conductive braid disposed about the dielectric. The radiating portion extends from the central portion and is configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An ablation cable assembly comprising:
a rigid portion disposed at a proximal end portion of the ablation cable assembly and configured to couple to a source of electrosurgical energy and prevent fluid ingress;
a flexible central portion extending distally from the rigid portion, the central portion including:
an inner conductor;
a dielectric disposed about the inner conductor; and
a conductive braid disposed about the dielectric and forming an outer-most layer of the central portion, the conductive braid having a proximal portion disposed at the proximal end portion of the ablation cable assembly and directly coupled to a distal portion of the rigid portion, wherein adjacent to a distal end of the rigid portion, the proximal portion of the conductive braid transitions from having a first diameter surrounded by the rigid portion to having a second diameter greater than the first diameter and extending distally from the distal end of the rigid portion; and

a radiating portion extending distally from the central portion and configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue.

2. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive braid is pregnable by fluid.

3. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid portion and the central portion are configured to deliver at least 150 watts of continuous electrosurgical energy to the radiating portion.

4. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the entire cable assembly has a diameter of in the range of 0.01 inches to about 0.5 inches.

5. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive braid is in tension between the rigid portion and the radiating portion.

6. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the radiating portion includes a first step and a second step.

7. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the conductive braid extends over the first step and the second step, the conductive braid tucked against the distal end of the dielectric to form a discrete first step down between the dielectric and the first step.

8. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the conductive braid extends over the first step and the second step, the conductive braid tucked against a distal end of the first step to form a discrete second step down between the first step and the second step.

9. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the conductive braid extends over the second step, and wherein the radiating portion includes a choke braid disposed about the conductive braid distal of a second step down defined at a proximal end of the second step.

10. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 9 , wherein a proximal portion of the choke braid is in electrical communication with the conductive braid.

11. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the radiating portion includes a dielectric choke tube disposed between the choke braid and the conductive braid positioned distal of the proximal end of the choke braid.

12. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the radiating portion includes a third tube disposed about the conductive braid and the choke braid, a proximal portion of the third tube disposed about the first step and a distal portion of the third tube disposed about a portion of the choke tube extending distally from a distal end of the choke braid.

13. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the dielectric is disposed between the inner conductor and the conductive braid.

14. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the dielectric is in direct contact with the inner conductor and the conductive braid along an entire length of the central portion.

15. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the inner conductor forms a first conductive path between the rigid portion and the radiating portion to deliver electrosurgical energy to the radiating portion and the conductive braid forms a second conductive path between the rigid portion and the radiating portion to deliver electrosurgical energy to the radiating portion.

16. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the rigid portion forms a proximal segment of the second conductive path that is configured to directly couple to a source of electrosurgical energy.

17. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the inner conductor includes a proximal portion that extends through the rigid portion and a distal portion that extends through the radiating portion.

18. An ablation cable assembly comprising:
a rigid tube disposed at a proximal end portion of the ablation cable assembly and configured to directly couple to a source of electrosurgical energy, the rigid tube having a distal portion;
a distal radiating portion configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue;
an inner conductor extending through the rigid tube and forming a first conductive path from a proximal end portion of the ablation cable assembly to the distal radiating portion;
a dielectric disposed about the inner conductor; and
a conductive braid disposed about the dielectric and forming an outer-most layer of the ablation cable assembly between the rigid tube and the distal radiating portion, the conductive braid having a proximal end portion disposed at the proximal end portion of the ablation cable assembly and directly coupled to the distal portion of the rigid tube and a distal end portion disposed within the distal radiating portion to form a second conductive path from the rigid tube to the distal radiating portion, the proximal end portion of the conductive braid transitioning, adjacent to a distal end of the rigid tube, from having a first diameter surrounded by the rigid tube to having a second diameter greater than the first diameter and extending distally from the distal end of the rigid tube.

19. The ablation cable assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the inner conductor has a proximal portion extending proximally from the rigid tube and a distal portion extending through the radiating portion.

20. An ablation cable assembly, comprising:
a rigid tube disposed at a proximal end portion of the ablation cable assembly and configured to couple to a source of electrosurgical energy;
an inner conductor;
a dielectric surrounding the inner conductor; and
a flexible outer conductor surrounding the dielectric and the inner conductor, the flexible outer conductor having a distal portion disposed distal to the rigid tube and a proximal portion surrounded by the rigid tube such that the rigid tube reduces the diameter of the flexible outer conductor at the proximal portion relative to the diameter of the flexible outer conductor at the distal portion.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Dickhans William J
• Nonalaya Flor De Maria R
• Brannan Joseph D
• Halbur John J

Classifications

• A61B2018/1838

  Dipole antennas · CPC title

• A61B2018/1892

  Details of electrical isolations of the antenna · CPC title

• A61B18/1815

  using microwaves · CPC title

• A61B2018/00077

  high, i.e. electrically conducting · CPC title

• A61B18/18 Primary

  by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves · CPC title