Patent ID: 8840610

Claim:
An electrosurgical system comprising an electrosurgical generator for generating a radio frequency (RF) voltage, and an electrosurgical instrument for the vaporisation of tissue, the instrument comprising an instrument shaft having a longitudinal axis, the instrument shaft being substantially straight along its entire length, and an electrode assembly at one end of the shaft, the electrode assembly comprising a tissue treatment electrode and a return electrode electrically insulated one from another by means of an insulation member, the tissue treatment electrode having first and second exposed planar surfaces for treating tissue, the first exposed surface being such as to treat tissue disposed on the longitudinal axis, and the second exposed surface being such as to treat tissue disposed laterally of the longitudinal axis, the second exposed surface of the tissue treatment electrode being such that it presents a substantially planar face lying in a plane angled at between 120° and 177.5° to the longitudinal axis, with 0° and 180° being the proximal and distal directions of the longitudinal axis, the generator being such that the magnitude of the RF voltage delivered to the tissue treatment electrode is sufficient to cause tissue vaporisation when the system is used for tissue treatment.