Patent ID: 9649144
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A method for treating target tissue at a target site comprising: applying electrical energy between at least one active electrode and a return electrode in proximity to a conductive fluid, said active electrode and return electrode disposed on an electrosurgical wand; forming, responsive to the energy, a plasma proximate to the at least one active electrode and treating a portion of the target tissue using the plasma resulting in a variety of sizes of tissue and plasma by-products; aspirating larger sized tissue and plasma by-products through a first plurality of aspiration apertures disposed through a proximal portion of the active electrode and into an aspiration cavity; and aspirating tissue and plasma by-products limited to be smaller in size through a second plurality of aspiration apertures disposed through a distal portion of the active electrode and into an aspiration cavity; aspirating the largest sized tissue and plasma and by-products though a single largest aspiration aperture through the active electrode and coincident with an axis of strongest realized suction within the aspiration cavity; wherein the first and second plurality of aspiration apertures and the single largest aspiration aperture are arranged so as to at least partially compensate for a variation in realized suction pressure along the cavity length and width, so as to improve overall evacuation of the aspiration cavity.