Abstract:
An electrode tip for electrosurgery is provided with a protective insulation arrangement that covers some, but not all, of the surgical end of the tip. This reduces the possibility of undesired harmful effects of electrical current delivered by the electrode tip during electrosurgery.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates generally to electrosurgery and, more particularly, to electrode tips used in electrosurgery.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Electrosurgery refers to any process by which an electrode delivers AC electric current at a point of tissue contact to perform a surgical function. Examples of surgical procedures which can be accomplished using conventional electrosurgery techniques include anatomic dissection or hemostasis, and tissue removal through desiccation.  
         [0003]     Of course, safety considerations arise whenever electrical power is used for any purpose, and electrosurgery is no exception. As in any situation where electrical power is utilized, it is possible that the electric current provided in the electrosurgery delivery electrode will produce undesired harmful effects  
         [0004]     It is therefore desirable to reduce the possibility that the electric current delivered during electrosurgery will produce undesired harmful effects. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide on the surgical end of an electrode tip a protective insulation arrangement which covers some, but not all, of the surgical end. This permits electrosurgery to proceed, while also reducing the possibility that the electric current delivered during electrosurgery will produce undesired harmful effects.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of an electrode tip apparatus for electrosurgery according to exemplary embodiments of the invention.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the electrode tip apparatus of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the electrode tip apparatus of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of an electrode tip apparatus for electrosurgery according to further exemplary embodiments of the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the electrode tip apparatus of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the electrode tip apparatus of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of an electrode tip apparatus for electrosurgery according to further exemplary embodiments of the invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 8  illustrates an electrosurgery apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 9  diagrammatically illustrates various examples of surface area covered by insulating material on the surgical end of an electrode tip apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 10  illustrates exemplary electrode tip apparatus manufacturing operations according to the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]      FIGS. 1, 2  and  3  are plan, side and isometric views, respectively, of an electrode tip apparatus for electrosurgery according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. The electrode tip apparatus of  FIGS. 1-3  includes an electrically conductive electrode tip  12  with an insulating material  16  deposited thereon. The insulating material  16  is shown by dark shading. The electrode tip  12  includes a surgical end  13  which contacts the patient to perform electrosurgery. The electrode tip  12  further includes a connector end  14  for connecting to a source of electrical energy, and an elongated body  15  extending between the surgical end  13  and the connector end  14 . An optional guard  20  is also carried on the elongated body  15 .  
         [0016]     In the exemplary embodiments of  FIGS. 1-3 , the insulating material  16  is deposited on the electrode tip  12  so as to cover the entire external surface area of the elongated body  15 , and a portion of the external surface area of the surgical end  13 . The conductive electrode tip  12  of  FIGS. 1-3  is a straight “bovie” type tip as is well known in the art. The surgical end  13  basically defines two distinct surfaces, designated at  17  and  18 , with an edge  19  therebetween. The surface portion  17 , and possibly the edge  19 , will contact the tissue of the patient during electrosurgery. The surface portion  18  is covered by the insulating material  16 . The insulating material  16  can be electrically insulating, thermally insulating, or both electrically and thermally insulating. Accordingly, the insulating material  16  provided on the surface portion  18  of the surgical end  13  will function to insulate the surgical end  13  electrically, thermally, or both electrically and thermally, from patient tissue which is not subject to the surgical operation.  
         [0017]      FIGS. 4, 5  and  6  are plan, side and isometric views, respectively, of an electrode tip apparatus according to further exemplary embodiments of the invention. The electrode tip apparatus of  FIGS. 4-6  includes a curved spoon “bovie” type tip  22  with a curved, spoon-shaped surgical end  23 . The electrode tip  22  further includes a connector end  14  as in  FIGS. 1-3 , and an elongated body  25  extending between the surgical end  23  and the connector end  14 . In the exemplary embodiments of  FIGS. 4-6 , the insulating material  16  is deposited on and covers the elongated body  25  and a surface portion of the surgical end  23 , designated at  28 . The surgical end  23  basically defines two distinct surfaces, designated at  27  and  28 , with an edge  29  therebetween. The surface portion  28  is generally convex in shape. The corresponding generally concave-shaped surface portion  27 , and possibly the edge  29 , will contact the patient to perform the surgical operation.  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of an electrode tip apparatus  71  for electrosurgery according to further exemplary embodiments of the invention. The apparatus  71  includes an electrode tip  32  having a connector end  14 , a surgical end  33  and an elongated body  35  extending therebetween. The insulating material  16  is deposited on the electrode tip so as to cover the elongated body  35  and a surface portion of the surgical end  33 , designated at  38 . Another surface portion of the surgical end  33 , designated at  37 , is not covered by the insulating material  16 , and remains exposed for contacting the patient to perform the surgical operation. The surgical end  33  of  FIG. 7  has a generally continuous external surface which includes the surface portions designated at  37  and  38 .  
         [0019]     The insulating material provided on each of the electrode tip apparatuses of  FIGS. 1-7  can reduce collateral electrical and/or thermal energy transmission from the surgical end ( 13 ,  23 ,  33 ) of the electrode tip to patient tissue that is not involved in the surgical operation. This can reduce pain, avoid injury, and quicken healing.  
         [0020]     The insulating material  16  of  FIGS. 1-7  can be any suitable material which insulates electrically, thermally or both electrically and thermally. Some specific conventional examples of suitable insulating materials include polyphenylsulfone, polyarylethersulfone, polysulfone, polyethermide, and polycarbonate. Although the insulating material  16  covers the elongated body ( 15 ,  25 ,  35 ) of the electrode tip in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-7 , coverage of the elongated body is not necessary to practice the invention. Other embodiments cover only a surface portion of the surgical end, without covering any of the elongated body. Still further embodiments cover a surface portion of the surgical end and only a portion of the elongated body.  
         [0021]     In some embodiments, the electrode tips ( 12 ,  22 ,  32 ) of  FIGS. 1-7  have a one-piece (unitary) construction. Other embodiments use a multi-component, composite construction.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  illustrates an electrosurgery apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. The exemplary apparatus of  FIG. 8  includes the electrode tip apparatus  71  of  FIG. 7 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the connector end  14  of the electrode tip apparatus  71  is received into a handle  81  and is thereby removably fastenable to the handle  81 . The handle  81  effectuates an electrical connection between the connector end  14  and a flexible electrically conductive cable  82 . The cable  82  is connected, at an end thereof opposite the handle  81 , to a power supply unit  83 . The power supply unit  83  provides the electrode tip apparatus  71  with the current necessary for electrosurgery, via the cable  82  and the handle  81 . In various exemplary embodiments, the cable  82  is removably connectable (e.g., pluggable) to either or both the handle  81  and the power supply unit  83 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  diagrammatically illustrates various examples of insulating material coverage of the surface area of the surgical end of an electrode tip according to exemplary embodiments of the invention.  FIG. 9  illustrates the concept of insulation material coverage on a surgical end. For clarity of exposition, the covered and uncovered surface portions of the surgical ends are depicted only from a conceptual standpoint, and  FIG. 9  does not, of course, strictly reflect the actual shapes and relative sizes of the surface portions. Nevertheless, the surface portion representations of  FIG. 9 , together with the explanations provided hereinbelow, adequately convey various examples of insulating material coverage on the surgical ends.  
         [0024]     The surface area that will contact the patient is represented generally at  91  in  FIG. 9 . The remaining surface area of the surgical end is represented at  92 . The broken lines extending through the area  92  illustrate various examples of possible coverages of the insulating material on the surgical end of the electrode tip. In some embodiments, the entire surface portion illustrated at  92  can be covered by the insulating material. In other embodiments, only the area represented by  92 A is covered by insulating material. In other embodiments, only the area represented by  92 A and  92 B is covered by insulating material. In other embodiments, only the area represented by  92 A and  92 C is covered with insulating material. In other embodiments, only the area represented by  92 B and  92 C is covered with insulating material. In other embodiments, only the area represented by  92 B is covered with insulating material. In other embodiments, only the area represented by  92 C is covered with insulating material. Furthermore, in any one of the embodiments described with respect to  FIG. 9 , the solid line  93  or either of the two broken lines can correspond to an edge between surface portions (see, e.g.  19  and  29  in  FIGS. 1-6 ). As the size of the surface portion covered by insulating material increases, the level of patient protection increases, and the amount of current required for electrosurgery decreases. This latter factor can simplify the design of the power supply  83  in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  illustrates exemplary operations that can be performed to manufacture an electrode tip apparatus (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 1-7 ) according to exemplary embodiments of the invention. After providing the desired electrode tip at  100 , the desired insulating material (e.g.,  16  in  FIGS. 1-7 ) is deposited on the electrode tip at  101 . The deposition at  101  can be performed according to any one of many well-known conventional deposition techniques.  
         [0026]     Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described above in detail, this does not limit the scope of the invention, which can be practiced in a variety of embodiments.