449 results about "Electrosurgery" patented technology

A qualifying connection for an instrument attaches to a source of electrosurgery energy to and the instrument and has first and second parts coupled to the instrument and the source, respectively. Optical couplings on the connection transmit invisible energy to identify the instrument and are proximate on the first and second parts. A light modifier on the first part is proximal to the second part for modification of radiation in the infrared wavelengths so infrared transmitters encode signals and non contact coded proximity detectors on the second part are the coupled detectors. Non contact coded proximity detectors respond to modified infrared light establishing an Nth bit identification code. An infrared light supply in the source pass from the transmitters across the communicating couplings for encoding signals by modification of the infrared light with a light modifier. Mechanical attachments include conjugating male and female portions physically extending between the parts for mating engagement. The attachments juxtaposition the parts when the attachments geometrically conjugate to geographically positioning the couplings proximate for communicating. The attachments have one or more conductors for delivery of high frequency energy from the source to the instrument. A cable fits between the first part of the connection and the instrument and has electrical conductors for carrying energy passing through the first part of the connection from the source to the instrument. An identifying circuit couples to the second part and responds to invisible light optically communicated across the couplings for verifying the type of instrument connected by the cable to the source.

Method for carrying out the recovery of an intact volume of tissue wherein a delivery cannula tip is positioned in confronting adjacency with the volume of tissue to be recovered. The electrosurgical generator employed to form an arc at a capture component extending from the tip is configured having a resistance-power profile which permits recovery of the specimen without excessive thermal artifact while providing sufficient power to sustain a cutting arc. For the recovery procedure, a local anesthetic employing a diluent which exhibits a higher resistivity is utilized and the method for deploying the capture component involves an intermittent formation of a cutting arc with capture component actuation interspersed with pauses of duration effective to evacuate any accumulation or pockets of local anesthetic solution encountered by the cutting electrodes.

Method for carrying out the recovery of an intact volume of tissue wherein a delivery cannula tip is positioned in confronting adjacency with the volume of tissue to be recovered. The electrosurgical generator employed to form an arc at a capture component extending from the tip is configured having a resistance-power profile which permits recovery of the specimen without excessive thermal artifact while providing sufficient power to sustain a cutting arc. For the recovery procedure, a local anesthetic employing a diluent which exhibits a higher resistivity is utilized and the method for deploying the capture component involves an intermittent formation of a cutting arc with capture component actuation interspersed with pauses of duration effective to evacuate any accumulation or pockets of local anesthetic solution encountered by the cutting electrodes.

An electrosurgical device is provided where the device includes a housing including a cavity defined therein for housing an electrosurgical energy source, a controller configured to control the output of the electrosurgical energy source, and a power supply configured to supply power to the electrosurgical energy source and the controller. The housing also includes an active port configured to be operatively coupled to an end effector wherein the end effector applies electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical energy source to tissue. The device also includes a return port configured to be operatively coupled to a return pad to provide a return path for the electrosurgical energy applied to tissue.

Apparatus and methods for treating an intervertebral disc by ablation of disc tissue. A method of the invention includes positioning at least one active electrode within the intervertebral disc, and applying at least a first high frequency voltage between the active electrode(s) and one or more return electrode(s), wherein the volume of the nucleus pulposus is decreased, pressure exerted by the nucleus pulposus on the annulus fibrosus is reduced, and discogenic pain of a patient is alleviated. In other embodiments, a curved or steerable probe is guided to a specific target site within a disc to be treated, and the disc tissue at the target site is ablated by application of at least a first high frequency voltage between the active electrode(s) and one or more return electrode(s). A method of making an electrosurgical probe is also disclosed.

A cooled electrosurgical system includes an electrosurgical device having at least one electrode for applying electrical energy to tissue. In one embodiment, the electrode includes an internal cavity in which a cooling medium such as water is contained. The internal cavity is closed at both ends of the device such that the cooling medium is contained within the electrode at the surgical site such that the cooling medium does not contact the tissue being treated. The electrosurgical device has an electrode and a heat pipe to conduct heat from the electrodes where substantially all heat conducted from the electrode through the heat pipe is dissipated along the length of the heat pipe. The heat pipe can have a thermal time constant less than 60 seconds and preferably less than 30 seconds.

An endoscopic forceps includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom for treating tissue. A longitudinal axis is defined through the shaft. An end effector assembly is operably coupled to a distal end of the shaft and includes a pair of first and second jaw members. A rotating assembly operably coupled to the shaft is configured to rotate the shaft and the end effector about the longitudinal axis. A drive assembly is configured to selectively and releasably engage the rotating assembly. Engagement of the rotating assembly with the drive assembly couples the rotating assembly to the shaft such that the shaft is rotatable about the longitudinal axis in a predetermined direction when the rotating assembly is rotated. And, disengagement of the rotating assembly from the drive assembly uncouples the rotating assembly from the shaft such that the shaft is non-rotatable about the longitudinal axis when the rotating assembly is rotated.

Methods and apparatus for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within a patient's body, particularly including tissue in the spine. In a method of the invention high frequency (RF) electrical energy is applied to one or more active electrodes on an electrosurgical probe in the presence of an electrically conductive fluid to remove, contract or otherwise modify the structure of tissue targeted for treatment. In one aspect, a dura mater and spinal cord are insulated from the electrical energy by an insulator positioned on a non-active side of the probe. In another aspect, a plasma is aggressively formed in the electrically conductive fluid by delivering a conductive fluid to a distal end portion of the probe and aspirating the fluid from a location proximal of the return electrode. In another aspect, a distal end of an electrosurgical probe having at least one electrode on a biased, curved, bent, or steerable shaft is guided or steered to a target site within an intervertebral disc having a disc defect for treatment of tissue to be treated at the target site by the selective application of electrical energy thereto.

A bipolar forceps includes a shaft extending from a housing and includes an end effector assembly at its distal end. The end effector assembly has a pair of jaw members movable between an open position and a closed position. A knife assembly includes a cutter having a generally circular cross-section. The cutter is configured to cut tissue when the jaw members are in the closed position. One or more electrically conductive tissue sealing plates are disposed on each of the jaw members. The tissue sealing plates are adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue held between the jaw members to effect a tissue seal. An actuator is operably coupled to the knife assembly and is configured to selectively reciprocate the cutter relative to the jaw members.

A circuit is disclosed which minimizes the amount of tissue vaporized during a first half (positive half cycle) of an electrosurgical current cycle and minimizes the amount of current applied to tissue during a second half (negative half cycle) of the electrosurgical current cycle to control thermal spread. The circuit is preferably provided within an electrosurgical generator which is capable of controlling the amount of energy delivered to a patient during electrosurgery on a per arc basis.

An electrosurgical instrument with a disposable electrosurgical cartridge is provided. The cartridge has first and second energy-delivery surfaces that carry first and second opposing polarity conductors coupled to a voltage source, together with first and second temperature-responsive variable impedance bodies exposed partly in the respective-delivery surfaces. The cartridge further carries a slidable blade member. The temperature-responsive variable impedance bodies are coupled to the voltage source by series and parallel circuitry. In use, the variable impedance bodies are adapted to modulate current flow and ohmic heating in engaged tissue by providing controlled current paths in the tissue and through the variable impedance bodies as the temperature-responsive bodies sense the temperature of adjacent engaged tissue. The engagement surfaces are capable of highly localized modulation of Rf energy application to engage engaged tissue to provide high and low temperatures, voltage and current in the tissue to create high strength welds.

An electrosurgical apparatus for performing a surgical procedure on a target site, comprising a shaft having a distal end portion, the distal end portion comprising an active electrode including a fuse leg, the fuse leg adapted to break and disable the instrument upon applying a voltage differential between the active electrode and a return electrode for a predetermined amount of time. In another embodiment, the present invention is a method of performing an electrosurgical procedure on a target tissue, comprising: placing an electrosurgical instrument in close proximity to the target tissue, the electrosurgical instrument comprising an active electrode having a pre-selected portion adapted to break and disable the instrument upon applying a voltage differential thereto for a working time; and applying the voltage differential.

A relay device relays signals between a single switch unit and each of an ultrasonic surgical device that supplies an ultrasonic signal and an electrosurgical device that supplies a high-frequency signal, the switch unit being used for on / off control of outputs of the ultrasonic surgical device and the electrosurgical device, the ultrasonic surgical device and the electrosurgical device being connected to an ultrasonic / high-frequency treatment instrument capable of performing an ultrasonic treatment using ultrasonic vibration in accordance with the supplied ultrasonic signal and performing a high-frequency treatment in accordance with the supplied high-frequency signal. The relay device includes a switch detection unit for detecting the turn-on / off of the switch unit, a switch element for outputting a switch signal, which is used for on / off control of outputs of the ultrasonic signal and the high-frequency signal, to each of the ultrasonic surgical device and the electrosurgical device in accordance with a detection output of the switch detection unit, and a control unit for performing on / off control of the switch signal of the switch element in accordance with the detection output to control at least one of an output timing and an output mode of each of the ultrasonic signal and the high-frequency signal.

An electrosurgical electrode and electrosurgical generator system utilizing the same are disclosed capable of controlling or limiting the current per arc in real-time during an electrosurgical procedure. The conductive electrosurgical electrode is configured for being connected to an electrosurgical generator system and has a non-conductive, porous ceramic coating that “pinches” or splits the arc current generated by the electrosurgical generator system into the smaller diameter pores of the coating, effectively keeping the same current and voltage, but creating several smaller diameter arcs from one larger diameter arc. This has the effect of separating the arc current, effectively increasing the current frequency, resulting in a finer cut or other surgical effect. That is, the non-conductive, porous ceramic coating enables a low frequency current to achieve surgical results indicative of a high frequency current, while minimizing or preventing thermal damage to adjacent tissue.

The present invention relates to comprehensive systems, devices and methods for delivering energy to tissue for a wide variety of applications, including medical procedures (e.g., tissue ablation, resection, cautery, vascular thrombosis, treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and dysrhythmias, electrosurgery, tissue harvest, etc.). In certain embodiments, systems, devices, and methods are provided for treating a tissue region (e.g., a tumor) through application of energy.

Aspects of the present disclosure include a surgical device comprising electrodes on the sides of an end of an effector to aide in sealing during various surgical procedures, such as a liver resection. During a sealing procedure, the surgeon may wipe the surgical site with the end effector, causing the electrodes to touch the fractured area. Electrosurgical energy may be applied to the electrodes during the wiping, causing coagulation of smaller vessels, such as tiny blood vessels and bile ducts in the parenchyma of the liver. In some cases, due to the nature of some smaller vessels, electrosurgical energy should be delicately applied to cause sealing but to avoid overly damaging the remaining tissue. In some embodiments, the thin design of the electrodes allows for an appropriate amount of electrosurgical energy to be applied to the fractured area.

A surgical system comprises a device adapted to deliver a plurality of surgical instruments to a site within a patient's body, a first surgical instrument comprising an active electrode probe, a second surgical instrument for performing a non-electrosurgical procedure, a conductive shield surrounding the active electrode probe of the first surgical instrument and connected to a reference potential, and a cold instrument monitor connected to the second surgical instrument and to the reference potential.

A multiple RF return pad contact detection system is provided which is adaptive to different physiological characteristics of patients without being susceptible to electrosurgical current interference (e.g., interference or measurement interaction between components of the detection system). The detection system can measure or sense the contact resistance or impedance between the patient and pairs of RF return pads or return electrodes where multiple pairs of RF return pads are utilized due to the high current frequently needed during electrosurgery while eliminating or minimizing the risk of measurement interaction between the RF return pad pairs. The system allows for the independent and simultaneous measurement of the pad contact impedance for each pair of RF return pads. If the impedance of any pad pair is above a predetermined limit, the system turns off or reduces the electrosurgical output of the electrosurgical generator to prevent excess heating. The system eliminates or minimizes interference or measurement interaction between the pad pairs by providing a different signal source frequency for each pad contact pair, but a frequency which matches an associated series resonant network frequency. The current that flows in the series resonant network is a direct reflection or function of the pad impedance of the corresponding pad pair.