Apparatus, system, and method for performing surface tissue desiccation having an internal cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9468493-B2
Application number	US-201213343158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2012
Priority date	Jan 4, 2012
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

Three types of internal cooling mechanisms for cooling one or more electrodes of a surface tissue desiccation device are described. Each cooling mechanism is closed-ended thereby preventing the cooling fluid from being dispensed from an electrosurgical handset of the device and onto the surgical site. The cooling fluid re-circulates in a conduit or lumen assembly between a fluid source, such as a fluid reservoir, and the electrode(s) at a distal end of the electrosurgical handset. A method is also provided for performing an electrosurgical procedure using the surface tissue desiccation device. The method includes activating an energy source; causing one or more electrodes to heat tissue; and internally cooling at least a portion of the at least one electrode(s) via an internal cooling mechanism. The internal cooling mechanism keeps the electrode(s) in a cooled state during the electrosurgical procedure, such as surface tissue desiccation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrosurgical apparatus adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source for performing surface tissue desiccation, comprising:
a handset having a shaft that extends therefrom that defines a longitudinal axis therethrough and at least one non-circular electrode extending substantially along a direction which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and from a distal-most end of the shaft to a distance beyond the distal-most end of the shaft, such that a distal-most end of the apparatus is defined by a distal end of the at least one non-circular electrode; and
a cooling mechanism having at least one conduit coaxially disposed within the at least one electrode for delivering a cooling fluid through the at least one electrode and returning the cooling fluid from the at least one electrode in a closed loop configuration to a fluid source.

2. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electrosurgical apparatus is selected from the group consisting of monopolar and bipolar electrosurgical apparatuses.

3. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrode includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and wherein the at least one conduit is coaxially disposed within the first and second electrodes.

4. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one conduit is separated from the first and second electrodes by an electrical insulator.

5. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conduit is coated with an electrically insulative material.

6. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one conduit couples to an insulator between the first and second electrodes.

7. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conduit includes a first conduit for cooling the first electrode and a second conduit for cooling the second electrode.

8. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one conduit is metallic to provide good thermal conductivity to the at least one electrode.

9. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conduit is coaxially disposed within an electrical insulator.

10. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the electrical insulator is coaxially disposed within the at least one electrode.

11. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one conduit is housed within a thermally insulative tubing except for a region of the at least one conduit in proximity to the at least one electrode.

12. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling mechanism is electrically isolated from the user.

13. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid is a low conductive substance.

14. An electrosurgical apparatus adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source for performing surface tissue desiccation, comprising:
a handset having a shaft that extends therefrom that defines a longitudinal axis therethrough and a first and a second non-circular electrode extending substantially along a direction which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and from a distal-most end of the shaft to a distance beyond the distal-most end of the shaft, such that a distal-most end of the apparatus is defined by a distal end of at least one of the non-circular first and second electrodes; and
a cooling mechanism having at least one conduit coaxially disposed within the first and second electrodes for delivering a cooling fluid through the first and second electrodes and returning the cooling fluid from the first and second electrodes in a closed loop configuration to a fluid source.

15. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one conduit couples to an insulator between the first and second electrodes.

16. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one conduit is coaxially disposed within the first and second electrodes and separated by an electrical insulator.

17. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one conduit includes a first conduit for cooling the first electrode and a second conduit for cooling the second electrode.

18. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the at least one conduit is metallic to provide good thermal conductivity to the first and second electrodes.

19. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one conduit is coaxially disposed within an electrical insulator.

20. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the electrical insulator is coaxially disposed within the first and second electrodes.

21. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one conduit is housed within a thermally insulative tubing except for a region of the at least one conduit in proximity to the first and second electrodes.

22. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the cooling mechanism is electrically isolated from the user.

23. An electrosurgical apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the cooling fluid is a low conductive substance.

Assignees

• Heard David N
• Sartor Joe D
• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Heard David N
• Sartor Joe D

Classifications

• A61B18/148 Primary

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

• A61B2018/1407

  Loop · CPC title

• A61B2018/00023

  closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid · CPC title