Patent ID: 8696663
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An electrosurgical device for use with an electrosurgical generator to remove a polyp from a gastrointestinal tract of a patient, the electrosurgical device comprising: a hand piece including a housing connected to an operator handle and a snare support member attached to the housing; a snare support comprising a proximal elongated hollow base member mounted on a distal end portion of said snare support member, the proximal elongated hollow base member including at least one elongated side wall forming an elongated channel extending through the proximal elongated hollow base member to a distal open end of the proximal elongated hollow base member, the proximal elongated hollow base member further including a snare aperture formed through the at least one elongated side wall of the proximal elongated hollow base member, the snare aperture directed at an angle with respect to the distal open end, the snare support further comprising a distal flexible elongated snare guide having a snare channel formed therethrough to slidably receive in the snare channel at least a first portion of a polyp snare, the distal flexible elongated snare guide being affixed to a distal end portion of said proximal elongated hollow base member; said polyp snare comprising an electrically nonconductive sheath having an electrically conductive snare wire at least partially disposed therein and terminating in a snare loop; a snare positioning assembly mounted on an exterior side surface of said snare support member adjacent said snare aperture, said snare positioning assembly having a longitudinal axis that is offset from and parallel to a longitudinal axis of said snare support member and coupled to said polyp snare to selectively move said polyp snare between an extended position and a retracted position through said snare aperture such that said electrically nonconductive sheath and said electrically conductive snare wire extend from said snare positioning assembly through said snare aperture into an interior of said proximal elongated hollow base member and through said snare channel of said distal flexible elongated snare guide to a distal end portion thereof; and a switch assembly coupled to the electrosurgical generator, the snare positioning assembly, and the electrically conductive snare wire, the switch assembly being configured to selectively energize the electrosurgical generator and to selectively operate said snare positioning assembly to move said polyp snare from said retracted position to said extended position such that said snare loop encircles the polyp to be removed from the gastrointestinal tract of the patient, the switch assembly being further configured to selectively supply energy from the electrosurgical generator to said snare loop to cut the polyp from the gastrointestinal tract and to move said polyp snare from the extended position to said retracted position once the polyp is cut.