Conductive Protective Hull for Electrosurgical Tip Contact Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrosurgical instruments face challenges in minimizing bleeding and tissue perforation during procedures due to the loss of physical contact and high impedance issues when using RF energy, particularly in narrow lumens of endoscopic devices, which can obscure vision and prolong surgery.
Innovation Solution
An electrosurgical instrument with a protective hull made of conductive biocompatible material, such as stainless steel, provides a conductive path between the coaxial cable and active tip, reducing the need for additional connecting components and minimizing tissue damage by maintaining contact and reducing friction, while also allowing for simultaneous delivery of RF and microwave energy and fluid injection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If RF energy is used to cut tissue, then cutting capability is improved, but physical contact is lost due to tissue desiccation and plasma formation, leading to high impedance and reduced effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive fluid (electrolyte solution) is introduced as an intermediary medium between the RF electrode and the tissue. The fluid maintains continuous electrical contact by capillary action and surface tension, preventing the loss of contact that occurs with direct RF application. This mediator allows current to flow through the tissue via the fluid pathway, maintaining reliable electrical connection even when tissue desiccates or plasma forms at the electrode-tissue interface.
2Reliability
If additional connecting components are added to maintain electrical contact, then electrical continuity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive fluid delivery system is merged with the RF electrode structure itself. The electrode is designed with fluid delivery channels that directly supply electrolyte to the treatment site, combining the electrical energy delivery function with the fluid delivery function in a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for separate connecting components to maintain electrical contact, reducing overall device complexity while ensuring reliable electrical continuity.
3Productivity
If the instrument is made more aggressive to ensure tissue cutting, then cutting efficiency is improved, but tissue perforation and damage to sensitive structures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The introduction of conductive fluid changes the physical and electrical parameters at the tissue interface. The fluid creates a more controlled current distribution pattern, reducing current density concentrations that lead to excessive heating and tissue charring. This parameter change allows for more precise energy delivery, improving cutting efficiency while reducing the risk of perforation and damage to adjacent sensitive structures through better thermal and electrical field management.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The instrument effectively cuts and coagulates tissue with reduced bleeding and perforation risk, enhancing surgical precision and speed by maintaining electrical continuity and protecting sensitive structures like the bowel and pancreatic duct.
Implementation Method 1
the coaxial cable being for conveying RF EM energy or microwave EM energy
Implementation Method 2
the coaxial cable being for conveying RF EM energy or microwave EM energy
Implementation Method 3
the first and second conductive elements are arranged to emit the RF EM energy or the microwave EM energy from the coaxial cable at a distal side portion of the planar body
Implementation Method 4
the first and second conductive elements are arranged to emit the RF EM energy or the microwave EM energy from the coaxial cable at a distal side portion of the planar body
Implementation Method 5
the protective hull having a smoothly contoured convex undersurface... the outer conductor is electrically connected to the second conductive element via the protective hull to enable the instrument tip to receive the RF and/or the microwave signal
Data Source
AI summary
An electrosurgical instrument for delivering electromagnetic energy to biological tissue, the instrument comprising an active tip having an electrically conductive protective hull mounted on an underside thereof. The hull has a smoothly contoured convex undersurface, and is formed as a shaped piece of electrically conductive bio-compatible material having a low coefficient of friction with biological tissue (e.g. stainless steel) which has the dual function of (i) physically protecting tissue that lies underneath the active tip, and (ii) providing an electrical connection between a coaxial feed line and the active tip.