Patent ID: 6856834

Claim:
An arthroscopic probe for applying a current to mammalian cartilage in order to determine an impedance of said mammalian cartilage so as to detect degeneration of said cartilage, said probe comprising: an inner core, said inner core having a first surface, a second surface substantially parallel to said first surface and at least one side surface connecting said first and second surface; said first surface having a set of electrodes mounted thereon, said electrodes having at least two electrical conductors extending from said set of electrodes along said at least one side surface; said at least one side surface having at least two electrically conductive plates thereon, said electrically conductive plates for respectively contacting said at least two conductors extending along said side surface, each of said at least two electrically conductive plates having electrical conductors connected thereto for providing said current to said electrodes, said electrical conductors connected to said at least two electrically conductive plates extending through a substantially hollow portion of said inner core; said second surface having a recessed portion, said recessed portion connecting to said substantially hollow portion of said inner core; a hollow pusher/plunger having one end thereof engaging said recess formed on said second surface, said electrical conductors connected to said conductive plates extending from said recessed portion into said hollow pusher/plunger and extending inside said hollow pusher/plunger; a first sheath covering at least a portion of said inner core, said first sheath having an opening at an end co-located to said first surface for exposing said set of electrodes, and a second sheath covering said first sheath, said inner core and at least covering a portion of said hollow pusher/plunger, said second sheath having an opening at an end co-located to said first surface for exposing said set of electrodes.