Patent ID: 7892230

Claim:
An electrosurgical instrument for removing tissue from a target site comprising: a shaft having a proximal end and distal end portion; an electrode support arranged at said distal end portion, said electrode support having a tissue treatment surface; a plurality of planar active electrodes attached to said electrode support wherein said plurality of planar active electrodes each comprise a plate surface extending substantially perpendicular to said tissue treatment surface and disposed substantially parallel to one another, the plurality of planar active electrodes further comprising at least one aperture in each of the plate surfaces; an electrical connector extending through the shaft that connects the plurality of active electrodes with a high frequency power supply; and an aspiration lumen within the shaft having a distal opening at said distal end portion wherein a portion of both the plate surface and the at least one aperture of at least one of the plurality of active electrodes extend into the aspiration lumen and inhibits clogging of the aspiration lumen.