A retractable plasma electrode for spine

Abstract

The present invention discloses a retractable plasma electrode for spine, which relates to the technical field of medical devices; in order to solve the problem that the existing plasma electrodes need to frequently switch different plasma electrodes for cutting tissues of different areas, which affects the surgical accuracy and operation time, the following technical scheme is proposed: it includes an electrode head, an electrode rod, a handle and a cable connected in sequence; the electrode head includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and an insulating ceramic head, and the first electrode has a state of extending and retracting relative to the insulating ceramic head; in the extended state, the plasma energy excites plasma at the first electrode to cut a small area of ​​tissue; in the retracted state, the plasma energy excites plasma at the second electrode or the third electrode to cut a large area of ​​tissue. The present invention comprehensively considers surgical efficiency, accuracy, safety and ease of operation, and provides an efficient and safe solution for spinal surgery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of medical instruments, and in particular to a retractable plasma electrode for a spine. Background Art

[0002] In recent decades, with the great progress in spinal surgery concepts and scientific and technological advances, the popularity of minimally invasive spinal surgery has greatly increased. Minimally invasive spinal surgery advocates avoiding or reducing tissue damage related to the surgical approach as much as possible, preserving the normal anatomical structure within the surgical range as much as possible, and allowing rapid recovery and better quality of life after surgery. So far, minimally invasive spinal surgery includes minimally invasive anterior lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-ALIF), minimally invasive posterior lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-PLIF) / minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF), oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) and extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusion (XLIF), as well as endoscopic fusion technology that has been initially developed in recent years. Among them, the most representative endoscopic fusion technology is single-incision or double-incision endoscopic laminectomy for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar disc herniation, etc.

[0003] A variety of surgical instruments are used in minimally invasive spinal surgery, and the plasma surgical system is a commonly used surgical instrument. Existing plasma surgical systems mostly use plasma scalpels with fixed working tips. When performing internal spinal surgeries, working tips with different working areas are required for different parts. Therefore, different plasma electrodes are often switched, which has a certain impact on the accuracy and time of the surgery. To address this problem, there are some electrodes with switchable working tips in the prior art. For example, the Chinese invention patent with application number 202110234183.3 discloses a retractable scalpel for the spine, whose discharge end can be switched for different surgical sites, but in this solution, its cutting ability for large areas of tissue still has a lot of room for improvement. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a retractable plasma electrode for the spine to solve the problem that the existing plasma electrodes need to frequently switch different plasma electrodes for cutting tissues of different areas, which affects the surgical accuracy and operation time.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above technical problems is as follows:

[0006] A retractable plasma electrode for spine, comprising: an electrode head, an electrode rod, a handle and a cable connected in sequence;

[0007] The electrode head comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and an insulating ceramic head, wherein the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode are respectively arranged on the insulating ceramic head, and the first electrode has a state of extending and retracting relative to the insulating ceramic head;

[0008] In the extended state, the plasma energy excites plasma at the first electrode to perform small area tissue cutting;

[0009] In the retracted state, the plasma energy excites plasma at the second electrode or the third electrode to perform large-area tissue cutting.

[0010] The present invention provides an electrode head with a unique structure, which can achieve tissue cutting from small to large areas and adapt to different surgical needs. The special end face design formed by the second electrode and the third electrode can concentrate plasma energy and improve cutting efficiency and controllability.

[0011] Furthermore, the insulating ceramic head is provided with a first step, a second step and a third step, and a first hollow portion is provided inside the insulating ceramic head, the first electrode passes through the first hollow portion and is provided on the first step, the second electrode is provided on the second step, and the third electrode is provided on the third step.

[0012] The design of the insulating ceramic head of the present invention not only effectively isolates the current between the electrodes to avoid short circuits, but also further ensures electrical safety during surgery through the outer insulating layer, thereby reducing surgical risks.

[0013] Furthermore, the top end of the first electrode is hook-shaped, and the end thereof is connected to the conductive wire, which is connected to the sliding component in the handle, and the first electrode extends out or retracts from the inside of the insulating ceramic head through the sliding component.

[0014] Furthermore, a first polymer tube is sleeved outside the connection between the conductive wire and the insulating ceramic head.

[0015] The present invention ensures the insulation, mechanical stability and durability of the electrode during repeated use by combining the conductive wire with the first polymer tube and firmly connecting with the sliding component, thereby extending the service life of the device.

[0016] Furthermore, a second hollow portion connected to the second step and a third hollow portion connected to the third step are also provided inside the insulating ceramic head, stainless steel wires are respectively provided in the second hollow portion and the third hollow portion, and a second polymer tube is sheathed outside the stainless steel wires.

[0017] Furthermore, three end faces are formed on the second electrode, and two arc-shaped intersection lines are formed between the three end faces for concentrating plasma energy.

[0018] Further, the shape of the third electrode is the same as that of the second electrode.

[0019] Furthermore, an outer insulating layer is provided on the insulating ceramic head, and the outer insulating layer extends to the inside of the handle.

[0020] Furthermore, a sliding switch and a sliding button are also provided on the handle, the sliding component is connected to the top of the sliding switch, and the sliding button is connected to the top of the sliding component.

[0021] Furthermore, the sliding switch includes a switching button, and the sliding component is fixedly connected to the switching button.

[0022] The present invention provides a control system consisting of a sliding switch, a sliding component and a sliding button, so that doctors can easily adjust the extension and retraction of electrodes during surgery without frequent tool replacement, thereby improving the continuity of the surgical process and the doctor's operational convenience.

[0023] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] The hook-shaped design and retractable function of the top of the first electrode of the present invention enable the electrode to flexibly penetrate into the surgical area and perform precise small-area cutting, which is particularly important for spinal surgery that requires delicate operations and can reduce damage to surrounding tissues. The present invention can achieve tissue cutting from small to large areas by setting different usage modes of the three electrodes to meet different surgical needs. The special end face design formed by the second electrode and the third electrode can concentrate plasma energy and improve cutting efficiency and controllability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 The overall structure diagram of the plasma electrode of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 The overall structure diagram of the electrode head of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of the electrode head when the first electrode of the present invention is retracted into the insulating ceramic head;

[0028] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of the second electrode and the third electrode of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 It is a structural diagram of the insulating ceramic head of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of the electrode switching device of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 It is a front view of the electrode switching device of the present invention;

[0032] Figures 1 to 7 The reference numerals shown in the figure represent respectively:

[0033] 1-electrode head; 11-first electrode; 12-second electrode; 13-third electrode; 14-insulating ceramic head; 141-first step; 142-second step; 143-third step; 144-first hollow part; 145-second hollow part; 146-third hollow part; 147-second polymer tube; 15-conductive wire; 16-first polymer tube; 17-second wire; 18-third wire;

[0034] 2-electrode rod; 21-outer insulation layer;

[0035] 3-handle; 31-slide switch; 311-pin; 3111-first pin; 3112-second pin; 3113-third pin; 3114-fourth pin; 3115-fifth pin; 3116-sixth pin; 312-switch; 313-first wire; 314-fourth wire; 315-fifth wire; 315-sixth wire; 32-slide component; 33-slide button;

[0036] 4- Cables. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solution of the present invention is described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] Reference Figure 1-2 The present invention provides a retractable plasma electrode for the spine, which includes an electrode head 1, an electrode rod 2, a handle 3 and a cable 4. The electrode head 1 includes a first electrode 11, a second electrode 12, a third electrode 13, an insulating ceramic head 14 and an outer insulating layer 21.

[0039] Among them, the insulating ceramic head 14 is the core part (refer to Figure 5), which consists of a first step 141, a symmetrically arranged second step 142 and a third step 143, and the insulating ceramic head 14 is provided with three hollow parts (144, 145, 146) to accommodate the electrodes and maintain insulation. Stainless steel wires are respectively arranged in the second hollow part 145 and the third hollow part 146, and a second polymer (PI) tube 147 is sleeved on the outside of the stainless steel wire. The second polymer tube 147 is used for insulation and improving mechanical support performance. The stainless steel wire used for conduction is connected to the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13 respectively. The second step 142 and the third step 143 are of equal height and symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first step 141, and the first step 141 is higher than the second step 142 and the third step 143. The first electrode 11 installed on the first step is hook-shaped, ensuring flexible positioning and stable contact during the operation. The material of the first electrode 11 is molybdenum or tungsten molybdenum. The end of the first electrode 11 is connected to the conductive wire 15. The conductive wire 15 is connected to the sliding part 32 in the handle 3, and the sliding part 32 is pushed so that the first electrode 11 can be extended or retracted in the insulating ceramic head 14. The conductive wire 15 is made of molybdenum or tungsten molybdenum, or stainless steel. However, since stainless steel is not resistant to high temperatures and is easily burned during use, affecting normal use, stainless steel is not used in this embodiment.

[0040] Reference Figure 4 , a first polymer (PEEK) tube 16 is provided on the outer cover of the area where the conductive wire 15 intersects with the insulating ceramic head 14 to ensure the insulation between the electrodes; the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13 have the same shape and are respectively arranged on the second step 142 and the third step 143. Specifically, three end faces are formed on the second electrode 12, and two arc-shaped intersection lines are formed between the end faces. The second wire 17 and the third wire 18 are respectively connected to the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13 after passing through the second hollow part 145 and the third hollow part 146. After power is turned on, if most of the end faces of the second electrode 12 are blocked by tissue, the energy can be concentrated and emitted from the two intersection lines, and the electrolyte (for example, saline) is stimulated to form a sufficient amount of plasma at the two intersection lines for cutting. The outer insulating layer 21 is sleeved on the insulating ceramic head 14 and extends into the handle 3 to ensure the insulation of each electrode from the external environment.

[0041] Reference Figure 6-7The handle 3 is provided with an electrode switching device, which specifically includes a sliding switch 31, a sliding component 32 and a sliding button 33. The structure of the sliding switch 31 is the prior art. The sliding switch 31 used in this embodiment includes six pins and a switching button 312. The first wire 313 is welded to the first pin 3111 and the third pin 3113, and is crimped with the conductive wire 15. The fourth wire 314 is welded to the second pin 3112 and the sixth pin 3116. The fifth wire 315 is welded to the fourth pin 3114 and connected to the second wire 17. The sixth wire 316 is welded to the fifth pin 3115 and connected to the third wire 18. The fourth wire 314 and the fifth wire 315 form a cable, which extends from the rear end of the handle 3 and is used to connect electrical energy from the plasma host. This wire connection method is related to the internal structure of the sliding switch 31. When different sliding switches 31 are used, the wire connection method is different. The slide switch 31 is fixed in the handle 3 , and the slide component 32 is fixed to the switch button 312 in the handle 3 and to the movable button outside the handle 3 .

[0042] The two cutting conversion modes of this embodiment are:

[0043] 1. Push the movable button 33 outside the handle 3 forward. The movable button 33 can drive the sliding component 32 to move forward, so that the first electrode 11 extends from the insulating ceramic head 14. At this time, the switch button 33 also moves forward to connect the second electrode 12 with the third electrode 13. At this time, the first electrode 11 serves as an active electrode, and the second electrode 12 and the third electrode 13 serve as inert electrodes. Energy is mainly emitted from the first electrode 11, and a large amount of plasma is generated at the first electrode 11. Since the first electrode 11 is hook-shaped, it can accurately hook up the tissue to be cut, thereby achieving fine cutting.

[0044] 2. Push the movable button backwards, and the first electrode 11 retracts into the insulating ceramic head 14 (refer to Figure 3), the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are connected. At this time, the second electrode 12 is brought close to a larger area of ​​tissue to be cut. Since most of the end surface of the second electrode 12 is blocked by the tissue, the plasma energy is concentrated from the two arc-shaped intersection lines. Therefore, the second electrode 12 is mainly used as an active electrode, and the third electrode 13 is used as an inert electrode. Alternatively, the third electrode 13 is brought close to a larger area of ​​tissue to be cut. Since most of the end surface of the third electrode 13 is blocked by the tissue, the energy is concentrated from the two arc-shaped intersection lines. At this time, the third electrode 13 is mainly used as an active electrode, and the second electrode 12 is used as an inert electrode. That is to say, when the first electrode 11 is retracted into the insulating ceramic head 14, the second electrode 12 or the third electrode 13 performs tissue cutting of a larger area, and since the plasma energy forms two arc-shaped intersection lines on the second electrode 12 or the third electrode 13, the energy can be concentrated to form a sufficient amount of plasma. Therefore, compared with the solution of application No. 202110234183.3, it can achieve a good and fast cutting effect, ensure the accuracy of the operation and shorten the operation time.

[0045] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A retractable plasma electrode for spine, characterized in that: include: An electrode head (1), an electrode rod (2), a handle (3) and a cable (4) connected in sequence; The electrode head (1) comprises a first electrode (11), a second electrode (12), a third electrode (13) and an insulating ceramic head (14); the first electrode (11), the second electrode (12) and the third electrode (13) are respectively arranged on the insulating ceramic head (14); the first electrode (11) has a state of being extended and retracted relative to the insulating ceramic head (14); In the extended state, the plasma energy excites plasma at the first electrode (11) to perform small area tissue cutting; In the retracted state, plasma energy excites plasma at the second electrode (12) or the third electrode (13) to perform large-area tissue cutting; the top end of the first electrode (11) is hook-shaped, and the end thereof is connected to a conductive wire (15), the conductive wire (15) is connected to a sliding component (32) in the handle (3), and the first electrode (11) extends out of or retracts from the inside of the insulating ceramic head (14) through the sliding component (32); three end faces are formed on the second electrode (12), and two arc-shaped intersection lines are formed between the three end faces for concentrating plasma energy; The shape of the third electrode (13) is the same as that of the second electrode (12); The insulating ceramic head (14) is provided with a first step (141), a second step (142) and a third step (143), and a first hollow portion (144) is provided inside the insulating ceramic head (14); the first electrode (11) passes through the first hollow portion (144) and is provided on the first step (141); the second electrode (12) is provided on the second step (142); and the third electrode (13) is provided on the third step (143).

2. The retractable plasma electrode for spine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first polymer tube (16) is sleeved on the outside of the connection between the conductive wire (15) and the insulating ceramic head (14).

3. The retractable plasma electrode for spine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating ceramic head (14) is further provided with a second hollow portion (145) in communication with the second step (142) and a third hollow portion (146) in communication with the third step (143); stainless steel wires are respectively provided in the second hollow portion (145) and the third hollow portion (146); and a second polymer tube (147) is sheathed on the outside of the stainless steel wires.

4. The retractable plasma electrode for spine according to claim 1, characterized in that: An outer insulating layer (21) is sleeved on the insulating ceramic head (14), and the outer insulating layer (21) extends to the interior of the handle (3).

5. The retractable plasma electrode for spine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handle (3) is also provided with a sliding switch (31) and a sliding button (33); the sliding component (32) is connected to the top of the sliding switch (31); and the sliding button (33) is connected to the top of the sliding component (32).

6. The retractable plasma electrode for spine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sliding switch (31) comprises a switching button (312), and the sliding component (32) is fixedly connected to the switching button (312).

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