Patent ID: 11877788
Assignee: APYX MEDICAL CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 20:
21. An electrosurgical apparatus comprising:
an assembly including at least one actuator;
a rigid shaft including a proximal end, a distal end, and a hollow interior, the proximal end of the shaft coupled to the assembly;
a tip including an electrode housing, the electrode housing including a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the electrode housing including a generally cylindrical ceramic insert having diametrically opposed slots disposed on an inner circumference of the ceramic insert configured to slidably receive portions of an electrically conducting blade electrode such that the ceramic insert and the blade electrode are fixed rotationally with respect to the electrode housing, the blade electrode being disposed through the distal end of the electrode housing;
a hinging mechanism coupling the proximal end of the electrode housing to the distal end of the shaft, the hinging mechanism including at least two hinging members that enable three dimensional pivoting of the electrode housing relative to the shaft, each hinging member including an aperture therethrough;
a flexible tube including a proximal end and a distal end, the flexible tube disposed through the hollow interior of the shaft, the distal end of the flexible tube disposed through the apertures of the at least two hinging members and coupled to the proximal end of electrode housing and the proximal end of the flexible tube coupled to the assembly and configured to receive a gas to be provided to the electrode housing;
a conductive wire disposed in the flexible tube, the conductive wire including a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the conductive wire coupled to a source of electrosurgical energy via the assembly, the distal end of the conductive wire disposed through the apertures of the at least two hinging members and coupled to the blade electrode to provide electrosurgical energy to the blade electrode; and
a plurality of pulling mechanisms, each of the plurality of pulling mechanisms disposed through the hollow interior of the shaft and including a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of each of the plurality pulling mechanisms coupled to a respective one of the at least one actuator and the distal ends of each of the plurality of pulling mechanisms coupled to the proximal end of the electrode housing,
wherein the at least one actuator is configured to be rotated to selectively pull one or more of the plurality of pulling mechanisms in a proximal direction to pivot the tip relative to the shaft via the hinging mechanism, and
wherein the conductive wire is slidable within the flexible tube and the proximal end of the conductive wire is coupled to a second actuator disposed in the assembly, the second actuator configured to be rotated to control the extension of the blade electrode past the distal end of the electrode housing and retraction of the blade electrode within the distal end of the electrode housing.