Temperature indicating electrosurgical apparatus and methods

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods for monitoring temperature at a region near a surgical site during a procedure. A temperature-indicating element of an electrosurgical device comprises an indicator composition adapted to undergo a change in appearance in response to a pre-defined temperature range. The change in appearance of the temperature-indicating element indicates to the operator of the device a temperature condition at the working end of the device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 774,222 filed Feb. 5, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,297,143, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 445,405 filed Feb. 5, 2003, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of electrosurgical devices, and more particularly to methods and devices allowing for the monitoring of temperature in regions adjacent, in contact with, and / or surrounding a working end of such electrosurgical devices. [0003] Electrosurgical procedures are extremely common in today's medical practice. For example, present uses of electrosurgical devices include ablation, dissection, resection, coagulation, contraction, or otherwise modification of a broad range of tissues and organs. Thus, general surgery, cosmetic surgery, neurosurgery, laparoscop...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of visually monitoring a temperature condition at a surgical site during an electrosurgical procedure, wherein the method comprises providing an electrosurgical device having a temperature indicating element at the working end of the device, and observing the temperature-indicating element for a change in appearance of the temperature-indicating element. The appearance of the temperature-indicating element may provide a signal to the user of the device of a temperature condition near the working end of the device. Accordingly, the user may adjust settings, decrease the energy supplied to the device, or shut off the device, according to the appearance of the temperature-indicating element.

Problems solved by technology

However, unintended and excessive heating of non-target tissue during the procedure is a common concern in most electrosurgical applications.

Such unintended heating of non-target tissue may cause inadvertent necrosis or other damage.

The arc results in rapid tissue heating and vaporization of cellular fluids into steam.

Accordingly, such heating of the surrounding tissue may result in undesirable collateral tissue damage.

Another problem may be found as some surgical procedures require a “wet” field, (i.e., the surgical site is immersed in a fluid medium.)

In those cases where the fluid medium is a electrically conductive, shorting of the electrode(s) may also occur and result in additional unintended heating in the treatment area.

Ultimately, too much additional heating may result in excessive collateral tissue damage.

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