Fluid-Assisted Medical Devices, Systems and Methods

Abstract

Surgical devices, systems and methods for treating tissue are provided. Also provided are systems for treating tissue and methods of treating tissue. An exemplary surgical device comprises a handle (20a) having a proximal end and a distal end; a shaft extending distally beyond the distal end of the handle, the shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; an electrode tip (45), at least a portion of the electrode tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the shaft, the electrode tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the shaft comprising a spherical end surface portion (25) and a cylindrical side surface portion, the spherical end surface portion located distal to the cylindrical side surface portion and comprising at least a portion of the distal end surface of the surgical device; and a fluid passage directed to provide a fluid towards the cylindrical side portion of the electrode tip.

Description

[0001]This application is being filed as a PCT International Patent application in the name of TissueLink Medical, Inc. (a U.S. national corporation), for the designation of all countries except the US, and Michael E. McClurken, David Lipson, Robert Luzzi, Arnold E. Oyola, Jonathan E. Wilson, Christopher W. Maurer, and Roger D. Greeley (all US citizens), for the designation of the United States only, on 5 Sep. 2002.CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0002]This patent application is related to U.S. Patent Application Ser. Nos. 60 / 356,390, filed Feb. 12, 2002, and 60 / 368,177, filed Mar. 27, 2002, both now pending. This patent application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 947,658, filed Sep. 5, 2001, now pending, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 797,049, filed Mar. 1, 2001, now pending, which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 187,114, filed Mar. 6, 2000. This patent application is also related to U.S....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]For other embodiments, at least one of the radio frequency power level and the flow rate of the conductive fluid is used to effect a boiling of the electrically conductive fluid. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the effect on boiling may comprise at least one of initiating, increasing, decreasing and eliminating boiling of the electrically conductive fluid.

[0028]For other embodiments, the tissue is protected from desiccation with the fluid coupling. Furthermore, for other embodiments, the tissue is protected from desiccation with the fluid coupling by a boiling of at least a portion of the fluid coupling. Furthermore, for other embodiments, the tissue is protected from desiccation with the fluid coupling by a boiling of at least a portion of the fluid coupling at a temperature which protects the tissue from desiccation.

Problems solved by technology

Current dry tip electrosurgical devices can cause the temperature of tissue being treated to rise significantly higher than 100° C., resulting in tissue desiccation, tissue sticking to the electrodes, tissue perforation, char formation and smoke generation.

Undesirable results of such transmission to adjacent tissue include unintended thermal damage to the tissue.

However, an uncontrolled or abundant flow rate of saline can provide too much cooling at the electrode / tissue interface.

This, in turn, can result in longer treatment time to achieve the desired tissue temperature for treatment of the tissue.

Long treatment times are undesirable for surgeons since it is in the best interest of the patient, physician and hospital, to perform surgical procedures as quickly as possible.

RF energy delivered to tissue can be unpredictable and often not optimal when using general-purpose generators.

However, once these settings are chosen, the actual power delivered to tissue and associated heat generated can vary dramatically over time as tissue impedance changes over the course of RF treatment.

Current dry tip electrosurgical devices are not configured to address a change in power provided by the generator as tissue impedance changes or the associated effect on tissue and rely on the surgeon's expertise to overcome this limitation.

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