Abstract:
An electrosurgical apparatus includes two assemblies, one of which is the primary assembly intended for a first surgical procedure, such as cutting tissue, and a secondary assembly intended for a second type of electrosurgical procedure, such as tissue coagulation. The secondary assembly fits over the electrode tip of the primary assembly and makes electrical contact with the electrode tip of the primary assembly. This allows for single instrument surgery whereby the secondary (coagulation) assembly provides bleeding control after the primary assembly has cut tissue. This combination significantly reduces operating time. The secondary assembly has a snap fit over the primary assembly so that it may be readily attached and detached several times during any surgical procedure, as the surgeon alternates between cutting tissue and coagulating the resulting incisions using the apparatus.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to electrosurgery generally and more specifically to an electrosurgical instrument. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Electrosurgery is a well known technology utilizing an applied electric current to cut, ablate or coagulate human or animal tissue. See U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,879 issued to Daniel V. Palanker et al., incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Typical electrosurgical devices apply an electrical potential difference or a voltage difference between a cutting electrode and a portion of the patient&#39;s grounded body in a monopolar arrangement or between a cutting electrode and a return electrode in bipolar arrangement, to deliver electrical energy to the operative field where tissue is to be treated. The voltage is applied as a continuous train of high frequency pulses, typically in the RF (radio frequency) range. 
         [0003]    The operating conditions of electrosurgical devices vary, see the above-referenced patent, in particular a configuration of the cutting electrode is described there whereby a conductive liquid medium surrounding the electrode is heated by the applied electric current to produce a vapor cavity around the cutting portion of the electrode and to ionize a gas inside a vapor cavity to produce a plasma. The presence of the plasma maintains electrical conductivity between the electrodes. The voltage applied between the electrodes is modulated in pulses having a modulation format selected to minimize the size of the vapor cavity, the rate of formation of vapor cavity and heat diffusion into the material as the material is cut with an edge of the cutting portion of the cutting electrode. 
         [0004]    The operating principle thereby is based on formation of a thin layer of a plasma along the cutting portion of the cutting electrode. Typically some sort of conductive medium, such as saline solution or normally present bodily fluids, surround the cutting portion of the electrode such that the liquid medium is heated to produce a vapor cavity around the cutting portion. During heating an amount of the medium is vaporized to produce a gas inside a vapor cavity. Since typically the medium is saline solution or bodily fluids, the gas is composed primarily of water vapor. The layer of gas is ionized in the strong electric field or on the cutting electrode to make up the thin layer of plasma. Because the plasma is electrically conductive, it maintains electrical conductivity. 
         [0005]    The energizing electrical energy modulation format in that patent includes pulses having a pulse duration in the range of 10 microseconds to 10 milliseconds. Preferably the pulses are composed of minipulses having a minipulse duration in the range of 0.1 to 10 microseconds and an interval ranging from 0.1 to 10 microseconds between the minipulses. Preferably the minipulse duration is selected in the range substantially between 0.2 and 5 microseconds and the interval between them is shorter than a lifetime of the vapor cavity. The peak power of the minipulses can be varied from minipulse to minipulse. Alternately, the minipulses are made up of micropulses where each micropulse has a duration of 0.1 to 1 microsecond. 
         [0006]    Preferably the minipulses have alternating polarity, that is exhibit alternating positive and negative polarities. This modulation format limits the amount of charge transferred to the tissue and avoids various adverse tissue reactions such as muscle contractions and electroporation. Additional devices for preventing charge transfer to the biological tissue can be employed in combination with this modulation format or separately when the method is applied in performing electrosurgery. This pulsing regime is not limiting. 
         [0007]    Typically the temperature of the cutting portion of the electrode is maintained between 40 and 1,000° C. 
         [0008]    That patent also describes particular shapes of the electrode and especially its cutting portion in terms of shape and dimensionality. Such electrosurgical devices provide several surgical techniques, including cutting, bleeding control (coagulation) and tissue ablation. Typically different types of electrodes and energizing formats are used for various purposes since the amount of energy applied and the type of tissue being worked on differ depending on the surgical technique being used. 
         [0009]    Further, it is known in the field for a single electrosurgery hand piece to have detachable electrodes, such as for instance a cutting electrode and a coagulation electrode. At any one time, only a single electrode is attached to the hand piece, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,918 issued to Garito et al. where multiple sized electrosurgical electrodes are connected to a handle using a collet member. 
         [0010]    Therefore a known technical problem is that during a surgical procedure, the surgeon must switch between various types of electrosurgical equipment, at least by changing the electrode type. This is typically done by swapping between various electrodes either by changing the electrode portion applied to the body as in Garito et al., or by using entirely different sets of equipment for cutting and coagulation or ablation. 
         [0011]    It has been found by the present inventors that this is undesirable and a better system would provide several types of surgical techniques using a single electrosurgical apparatus. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0012]    An apparatus for electrosurgery in accordance with the invention has been found to reduce operating time, increase ease of use of the equipment, and combine several surgical techniques in one device, including especially cutting and coagulation. In surgery, typically cutting of tissue in the operative field is followed by coagulation of the remaining tissue in the resulting wound to prevent bleeding. Coagulation generally refers to heating the tissue surface so as to seal off small severed blood vessels that would otherwise leak blood into the wound. Coagulation is necessary to prevent blood loss and also because blood leaking into the wound obscures the surgeon&#39;s view of the operative field. 
         [0013]    The present electrosurgical apparatus provides what is referred to as single instrument surgery and carries out both precision resection (cutting) as well as enhanced coagulation (bleeding control). A typical use is in transcolation, for joint replacement surgery. In some embodiments, this apparatus includes an integrated feature to suck out blood, fluids, smoke, etc. from the operative field to keep the operative field clear, or to supply fluid such as saline solution to the operative field. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment the present apparatus includes a hand unit which is mostly conventional for grasping by the surgeon, and which is conventionally coupled at its proximal portion by an electric cable to a control unit which provides the energizing electric pulses or current. The hand unit includes controls including at least one switch or button. The hand unit terminates at its distal portion in a conventional electrosurgical blade (electrode) which is intended for a first electrosurgical procedure such as the cutting (dissection) of tissue, thereby forming the primary assembly. In one embodiment, this electrode is a conventionally shaped electrosurgical blade intended for cutting soft tissue and is typically of metal most of the surface area of which is electrically insulated such as by a thin layer of glass. 
         [0015]    The type of electrical energy applied to this blade by the control unit is, e.g., as described in the above-referenced patent so as to provide plasma type conditions at the electrode tip for tissue cutting, but this is not limiting. In one embodiment, this blade has a 3.0 mm wide spatula shaped tip mounted on a variable length (extendable) shaft. An example is in the PEAK PlasmaBlade® 3.05 surgical instrument supplied by PEAK Surgical, Inc., of Palo Alto, Ca. which has a telescoping electrode shaft and a spatula shaped electrode tip which is 3 mm wide, and an integrated aspiration feature. This device includes the hand unit. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the present apparatus is a monopolar type cutting device (like the PEAK PlasmaBlade instrument) whereby the return current path is via a grounding pad or other return electrode affixed to the patient&#39;s body remote from the electrosurgical instrument. In other embodiments, the present apparatus is a bipolar type where the return electrode is located on or near the main electrode and is an integral part of the electrosurgical apparatus, as also well known in the field. 
         [0017]    The secondary assembly of the present apparatus, in one embodiment, is intended for a second electrosurgical procedure such as tissue coagulation. It terminates at its distal portion in its own electrode blade or tip which in one case is hemispherical (ball shaped) and which is the distal end of an electrode shaft which is at least partially insulated. The proximate portion of the electrode shaft terminates in a housing which fits closely around the electrode shaft and provides heat and electrical insulation and a finger grip region. However, the housing itself is not intended to be held by the surgeon when the apparatus is in use. Instead, this housing fits snugly over the electrode blade of the primary assembly so that the electrode of the primary assembly also makes electrical contact with the electrode shaft of the secondary assembly. The electrical energy (pulsing) or continuous wave regime applied to the electrode of the secondary assembly (via the hand unit) may differ from that supplied to the primary assembly. The selection of the electrical energy regime is conventionally performed by the surgeon by manipulating controls on the control unit or on the hand unit 
         [0018]    For coagulation, the duty cycle regime of the applied electrical energy is, e.g., in the range of 12% to 19%. With associated peak to peak voltages in the range of 1300 to 5000 volts, the coagulation effect can be achieved using the electrode of the secondary assembly with conventional settings of the associated pulse generator of “cut”, “coagulation” or “blend.” Since the surface area of this coagulation electrode is large with respect to the applied voltage, the effect is resistive heating of the tissue rather than plasma generation that would ablate (cut) the tissue. For coagulation, generally the electrode is heated to about 100° C. so as to heat fluids in the tissue so the tissue in contact with the active portion of the electrode desiccates or stops bleeding: 
         [0019]    When the secondary assembly is thus mounted to the primary assembly, the apparatus is suitable for coagulation since the primary assembly&#39;s electrode blade is now hidden and only serves as a mechanical mounting and electrical connection to the electrode of the coagulation (secondary) assembly. The secondary assembly fits over the distal portion of the primary assembly, e.g., with a snap (friction) fit so the secondary assembly can be readily attached and removed by the surgeon during surgery, without unscrewing or any tool. Thereby the surgeon can quickly switch between cutting and coagulation procedures, with essentially the same apparatus. When the surgeon mounts the coagulation (secondary) assembly to the primary assembly, he also may reset the control unit to supply electrical energy (pulsing or continuous) in the desired modulation regime suitable for tissue coagulation by the coagulation electrode. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the two electrodes each carry a non-stick coating on their exposed (non insulated) portions. The coagulation electrode may be a ball, tube, screen, suction coagulator or forceps type electrode. Also the secondary (coagulation) assembly may be provided with a drip chamber near its distal portion or a perforated shaft so as to deliver fluid to the operative field, such as saline, or to provide aspiration. In some embodiments, a conventional channel or other type of passage such as a tube is provided for aspiration of smoke and/or fluid from the wound or fluid delivery. This passage (or passages) may be provided in only the secondary or primary assembly or in both in a fluid communication fashion. In some embodiments, the secondary assembly near its distal portion defines one or more aspiration ports, such as three such ports arranged around the circumference of the assembly and spaced at  120  degrees from one another, all in communication with the aspiration channel. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, the coagulation assembly&#39;s electrode shaft is bendable so that the surgeon can bend it and it remains in the bent position for ease of reaching portions of the operative field. The housing of the secondary assembly defines exterior finger grip ridges (ribs) in one embodiment so as to make it easier for the surgeon to attach and detach it from the primary assembly. 
         [0022]    Therefore the secondary assembly, which in one embodiment is intended for coagulation, attaches to the primary assembly and by making electrical and mechanical contact thereto, conducts the electrical energy originating at the control unit, via the primary assembly electrode, to the tip of the coagulation assembly electrode. The shape of the electrode of the primary assembly is not limited to being a blade, but may take any other typical shape, such as a ball, tube, screen, suction coagulator or forceps. In one embodiment, the mechanical and electrical contact between the two assemblies is maintained at least partly by a spring in the housing of the secondary assembly. 
         [0023]    Further, in other embodiments the functionality of the primary and secondary assemblies is reversed, so the primary electrode is for coagulation and the secondary electrode is for cutting. In other embodiments, the two electrodes have other intended uses in terms of electrosurgical procedures. 
         [0024]    Advantages of the present device include reduced cost in use, since there is no need to supply saline solution to the operative field. This also reduces smoke production, making the surgery easier. Further there is no need for a separate aspiration device, since aspiration is integrated into the device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the present apparatus as fully assembled, including the coagulation (secondary) assembly and the hand piece and electrode of the primary (main or cutting) assembly. 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  shows the primary assembly separated from the coagulation assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  shows the distal end of the primary assembly, including its cutting electrode. 
           [0028]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded view of the coagulation assembly. 
           [0029]      FIG. 5  shows detail of the coagulation assembly in a cross-sectional view. 
           [0030]      FIG. 6  shows detail of the tip of the coagulation assembly. 
           [0031]      FIG. 7  shows an “X-ray” view of the distal end of the primary assembly and the proximal end of the coagulation assembly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0032]      FIG. 1  shows an electrosurgical apparatus  10  in accordance with the invention, having two main portions or assemblies. Primary assembly  14  is intended for tissue cutting and includes a conventional hand piece  20  to which is conventionally coupled an insulated electrical cable  22  for providing the energizing electrical current or pulses. Also provided is extension  26  from which extends conventionally a tube or tubes for aspiration and/or providing fluid. These tubes are connected through suitable channels to a distal portion of the primary assembly. Also shown in  FIG. 1  is the boot or seal  34  between the hand piece  20  and shaft  38 ; boot  34  is typically of electrically insulative material such as silicone, extending from which is the electrode shaft  38 . Assembly  14  is, e.g., the PEAK PlasmaBlade device as described above. Conventional cut/coagulation control buttons are respectively at  21 ,  23 . 
         [0033]    The second portion of the apparatus  10  is the secondary (here a coagulation “cap”) assembly  16  which includes housing  42  including exterior finger grip ridges  46 , and from which extends an insulated shaft  44  terminating in electrode tip  48 . Note that dimensions and materials here are largely conventional, as explained hereinafter. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  also shows the two assemblies  14  and  16  in a slightly different view, but detached (demounted) from one another. Generally the same reference numbers used in different figures here refer to the same or similar structures. In  FIG. 2 , extension portion  38  of the primary assembly is not visible since it is retracted. 
         [0035]    In  FIG. 2 , since the two assemblies are shown detached, also visible is the base portion  52  of the primary assembly which in one embodiment has its own grip  52  as described and shown further below. Typically grip  52  is, e.g., of a high durometer (hard) polymer material. Blade  50  extends from an insulated portion  51 . 
         [0036]    In one embodiment, shaft  44  of secondary assembly  16  is bendable. While here assembly  16  has a hemispherical or ball electrode  48 , this electrode may have any other shapes, such as tube, screen or forceps. Moreover, the exposed conductive (non-insulated) portion of electrode  48  may carry a non-stick coating, such as carbon with a protein such as a collagen, or a material such as PTFE or other flouro-polymer. This electrode is metal and glass coated, but the glass defines a large number of voids or micro-cracks which in use define hot spots by increasing the local impedance to the energizing electrical current. So these hot spots are intended to cause arcing and heating. A typical impedance is 50 to 2K ohms. While this glass insulation wears away as a result of the arcing, this is not problematic due to the use of this electrode for only one surgical procedure. A typical thickness of this glass layer is 0.003 to 0.007 inches (0.076 to 0.178 mm). 
         [0037]    In one embodiment, the shaft of the coagulation electrode immediately proximal its tip  48  is surrounded by a drip chamber  49  for supplying fluid to the operative field, supplied via a suitable passage defined through secondary assembly  16  and connecting to a similar passage in the primary assembly  14 . This passage and drip chamber provide, for instance, saline solution to the operative field. 
         [0038]      FIG. 3  shows detail of the distal portion of the primary assembly  14 , including similar structures as in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 3  also shows in greater detail the grip  52 . Arrow indicator  53  is provided so that the operator, such as a surgeon, has a reference indicator that the shaft  38  extends from the boot  34 . Attachment of the secondary assembly  16  onto the primary assembly  14  is not orientation specific in this embodiment. 
         [0039]      FIG. 4  is an “exploded” view of the coagulation assembly  16 . The ball tip  48  of the electrode is the distal portion of a conventional metal (or similar electrically conductive material) shaft  66  which can be bendable. The outer portion  44  of the shaft here is an electrically insulative tubing, such as plastic, which covers most of the length of conductive shaft  66 . This tubing  44  may be perforated to deliver saline or serve as an aspiration channel for smoke. In other embodiments it is not so perforated. Spring  68  surrounds and contacts the proximal end of shaft  66 , as explained hereinafter. Housing  42  includes two mating portions  42   a  and  42   b,  each for instance of plastic. 
         [0040]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of the coagulation assembly  16 .  FIG. 6  shows detail of the tip of the coagulation assembly  16 . As shown, a short distance proximal from ball electrode  48 , aspiration port  67  is defined in the shaft  66  and its outer portion  44 , for passage of smoke, blood, etc. into an interior channel defined in shaft  66 , in this embodiment. There are for instance three such ports disposed around shaft  66 , equally spaced apart circumferentially. A typical diameter of the ball electrode is 0.18 inches (4 mm) and the port diameter is typically 0.06 inches (1.5 mm). The outer shaft  44  is electrically and heat insulative, for instance made of plastic, and is typically 0.10 inch (2.5 mm) thick. Some of this insulation extends into the port  67 , to prevent debris build up in the port. 
         [0041]      FIG. 7  shows in a “X-ray” view how primary assembly  14  mates with coagulation assembly  16 . Again, the reference numbers refer to the same structures as in the other figures. The two housing halves  42   a,    42   b  of the coagulation assembly fit over and engage the grip  52  of the primary assembly  14 . The mating is intended to be finger tight so the two assemblies can be attached and detached with normal hand strength. Spring  68  of coagulation assembly  16  fits over and engages blade  50  of the primary assembly  14 . Arrow indicator  53  on primary assembly  14  points to an associated indicator mark on the exterior of the coagulation assembly housing  42 , as described above. The mating portions of the two assemblies in this embodiment are both rotatably symmetric, so there is no need to align one to the other rotationally. 
         [0042]    Other portions of the present electrosurgical system which are conventional are not shown here. Notably the control unit provides the electric current or pulses as explained above and is of the type well known in the field and is electrically coupled via cable  22  to the present apparatus. An example of such a control unit is the PULSAR® Generator power supply supplied by PEAK Surgical, Inc. 
         [0043]    Also provided, if needed, is a conventional source of fluid and/or a source of vacuum, for aspiration, as well known in the field. Typically the electrically non-conductive portions of the apparatus are polymer or plastic in terms of the housings, tubing, etc. and of conventional materials. The insulative tubing is typically heat shrink or silicone material. The two halves  42   a,    42   b  of housing  42  are glued or otherwise fastened together, although in other embodiments, this housing is a single piece of material. As explained above, the coagulation assembly shaft  66  may be of a bendable material, such as a somewhat flexible or annealed metal rod such as, for instance, stainless steel and has a typical diameter of 0.5 to 2 mm. 
         [0044]    Typically the two electrodes are single use (disposable) so as to be used for only a single surgical operation. In particular the entire coagulation subassembly  16  is typically disposable. In terms of the primary assembly  14 , the entire assembly is also disposable, or at least its distal portions including the electrode and its shaft are disposable and detachable from the hand piece which then may be reusable. 
         [0045]    As described above, the exposed (non-insulated) electrode tips of both the primary assembly and the coagulation assembly in one embodiment carry a non-stick coating. These coatings in one embodiment are conventional polymers or flouro-polymers. In another embodiment they are diamond like carbon which conventionally is one of several forms of an amorphous carbon material formed by deposition. 
         [0046]    In other embodiments, the electrode tip coatings are carbon together with a collagen or other protein. For instance this coating may be carbon graphite with a protein or albumin binder. The thickness of the carbon coating on the metal (or other conductive material) surface of the electrode, as needed to support an electrical discharge, is in the range of 10 μm to 1 mm. Conventional carbon sputtering provides only a thickness of 0.1 μm, which is inadequate. A pyrolitic carbon deposition method is known from Morrison, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,710 incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, forming carbon on an electrode by burning carbohydrate-containing materials deposited on the electrode. 
         [0047]    The present coating process is different and first involves providing a mixture of carbon or graphite powder (of any convenient particle size) and a binder. The mixture is 1% to 50% powdered carbon or graphite (by weight or volume), preferably about 30% by volume. The binder is a solution of a protein or similar material such as albumin, gelatin, collagen or other biocompatible material in water or other solvent. For instance, the binder may be a 35% solution by volume of albumin in saline solution. 
         [0048]    The bare electrode is briefly dipped into the mixture. The coated electrode is then air dried for, e.g., one minute to one hour at an ambient temperature of 200° C. to 300° C., or until all the solvent has evaporated. Then the coated electrode is placed in an oven for a few seconds to an hour, at a temperature of 200° C. to 600° C. E.g., this baking step takes 5 minutes at 300° C. (Note that the drying and baking can be combined into one step.) 
         [0049]    The electrode is then cooled in the air and ready for assembly with the associated components of the apparatus. 
         [0050]    This disclosure is illustrative and not limiting. Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure, and are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.