Patent ID: 8876746

Claim:
An electrosurgical method of treating a chronic wound tissue comprising: positioning an active electrode in proximity to the chronic wound tissue and a wound bed; delivering an electrically conductive fluid proximate the active electrode; and applying a high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode in the presence of the electrically conductive liquid sufficient to generate an ionized vapor layer at the active electrode; and modifying the chronic wound tissue and the wound bed so as to stimulate healthy tissue growth and promote healing of the wound bed, comprising the steps of: removing at least a substantial portion of the chronic wound tissue in a substantially non-thermal manner by application of the ionized vapor layer to the chronic wound tissue while leaving the wound bed intact, wherein the step of removing the chronic wound tissue while leaving the wound bed intact induces an altering of an inflammatory response in the wound bed; and sterilizing at least a portion of the intact wound bed while applying the ionized vapor layer; and then removing at least a discrete pattern area of the wound bed with the ionized vapor layer so as to induce blood flow from the tissue underlying the wound bed.