Abstract: An electrosurgical probe includes an elongated shaft assembly having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis. A distal housing is mounted on the distal end of the shaft and optionally includes a laterally open window where a plane of the window is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. An interior channel extends axially through the shaft and further through an interior of the housing to the window in the housing. An electrode member with a serrated or other elongated edge may extend longitudinally across the window and may be configured to reciprocate the elongated edge longitudinally relative to the window.

Abstract: An arthroscopic cutting probe includes an outer sleeve having a longitudinal bore and an outer cutting window at its distal end. The outer sleeve has a metal body electrically insulated over its exterior except for a portion at least partially surrounding the outer cutting window which comprises an active electrode. An inner sleeve is rotationally disposed in a bore of the outer sleeve, and the inner sleeve has a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal passageway having an electrically conductive inner surface which comprises a return electrode. A dielectric cutting member is attached to the distal end of the inner sleeve and has a central passage extending from an inner cutting window at its distal end to an opening at its proximal end.

Abstract: An arthroscopic tissue resecting probe includes an elongated shaft having outer and inner sleeves which are formed from an electrically conductive material extending about an axis to a working end. Outer and inner resecting windows are formed in the sleeves in the working end. The working end includes a ceramic body having a collar portion extending fully around a region of the outer sleeve proximal to outer resecting window. A radiofrequency (RF) electrode is disposed on an outer surface of the ceramic body and is spaced-apart from the outer resecting window.

Abstract: An arthroscopic or other surgical system includes a handpiece and a probe. The handpiece carries a motor drive, and the probe has a proximal hub and an elongate shaft which extends about a longitudinal axis to a working end of the probe. The hub is configured for detachably coupling to the handpiece, and the motor drive is configured to couple to a rotating drive coupling in the hub when the hub is coupled to the handpiece. A first magnetic component is carried by the hub, and a second magnetic component is coupled to rotate with the rotating drive coupling.

Abstract: A medical device includes an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end. A cutting member having sharp edges formed from a wear-resistant ceramic material is carried at the distal end of the elongated sleeve. A motor drive is coupled to the proximal end of the elongated sleeve to rotate the sleeve at cutting member at high speed to cut bone and other hard tissue. An electrode is carried in a surface portion of ceramic cutting member for cautery or radiofrequency ablation of tissue when the sleeve and cutting member are is a stationary position.

Abstract: An arthroscopy system includes both a motorized handpiece and a detachable probe. The motorized handpiece includes a rotating driver which is configured to engage a rotatable drive coupling within a hub of the probe. The probe has a shaft with an articulating distal region, and the rotatable drive coupling is configured to convert the rotary motion of the rotating driver to an articulating motion within the articulating region of the probe.

Abstract: A tissue treatment device has a shaft assembly including an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The inner sleeve is co-axially and rotatably received in an axial passageway in the outer sleeve. A dielectric housing has an outer cutting window forming a distal portion of the outer sleeve, and a distal portion of the inner sleeve forms an RF electrode and has an inner cutting window formed therein. The outer and inner cutting windows have outer and inner cutting edges disposed to close together as the inner sleeve is rotated relative to the outer sleeve.

Abstract: A bipolar radiofrequency (RF) device for treating tissue in the presence of an electrically conductive fluid includes a headpiece and a probe. The handpiece has a motor drive, a receiving channel, and an active electrical contact on an inner wall of the receiving channel. A return electrical contact is disposed proximally of the active electrical contact on the inner wall of the receiving channel. A probe includes a proximal hub and an elongated shaft extending distally about a longitudinal axis from the proximal hub, and the hub being may be inserted into and removed from the receiving channel of the handpiece. A working end of the probe is located at a distal end of the elongated shaft, and the working end includes an active electrode and a return electrode. A return electrical contact is located proximally of an active electrical contact on an outer surface of the hub.

Abstract: Cartilage and other tissues are treated by generating a plasma in an interior space of a probe and exposing the tissue to the plasma. The plasma is released through a gap in a working end of the probe.

Abstract: An arthroscopic cutting probe includes a shaft assembly having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis. A distal cutting member is rotatably attached at the distal end of the shaft assembly, and at least a portion of an exterior surface of the distal cutting member is electrically insulated. One or more burr elements extend radially outwardly from the electrically insulated portion of the exterior surface of the distal cutting member, wherein the burr element is electrically conductive to form an active electrode.

Abstract: An arthroscopic cutting probe includes an elongated shaft assembly having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween. A working end at the distal end of the elongated shaft assembly includes a first active electrode and a second active electrode The shaft assembly is rotates the first electrode relative to the second electrode about the longitudinal axis, and a return electrode is carried on the shaft assembly proximal of the working end. The first and second active electrodes are electrically coupled to each other and electrically isolated from the return electrode.

Abstract: A probe for ablating tissue comprises an electrosurgical working end configured to provide a first plasma about a first surface location and a second plasma about a second surface location, the first plasma having first ablation parameters and the second plasma having second ablation parameters. The probe has a working end with a thickness below 3 mm and produces a low temperature plasma.

Abstract: Arthroscopic cutters are used for resecting tissues, such as meniscal tissues, in meniscectomies or other arthroscopic procedures. The arthroscopic cutters have a shaft assembly with openable-closeable jaws at a working end of the shaft. A handpiece having a motor drive may be detachably coupled to a hub on a hub end of the handpiece. When the shaft is coupled to the handpiece, the motor drive will couple to the jaw structure to open and close the jaw structure to cut meniscal and other tissues.

Abstract: An arthroscopic cutting probe includes an outer sleeve having a longitudinal bore and an outer cutting window at its distal end. An inner sleeve is rotationally disposed in a bore of the outer sleeve, and the inner sleeve has a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal passageway, and an inner cutting window at its distal. An active electrode sleeve is disposed on an outer surface of the inner sleeve in a position opposed to the inner cutting window. Rotation of the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve causes the inner cutting window to rotate past the outer cutting window to resect tissue received through the cutting windows as they pass each other. Radiofrequency current can be applied to the active electrode to enhance tissue cutting then the cutting windows are being rotated or to able or cauterize tissue when the cutting windows are held stationary with the active electrode disposed through the outer cutting window.

Abstract: An arthroscopic or other surgical cutter has features which facilitate fabrication by ceramic molding. The arthroscopic cutter includes a cutter body having a longitudinal axis and a window, an interior channel, and a plurality of cutting edges extending radially outwardly from an outer surface thereof. The features include non-helical, longitudinally aligned cutting edges, controlled thicknesses of the cutting edges, controlled heights of the cutting edges, controlled areas of the windows, controlled diameters of the internal channels, controlled rake angles of the cutting edges, and other parameters.

Abstract: An electrosurgical probe for ablating tissue includes an elongated shaft having an axis and a distal end. An electrically insulating housing at the distal end of the shaft has a window, and an interior channel in the shaft extends through the housing to the window. The window faces laterally relative to the axis, and a moveable member with a blade-like electrode edge is disposed within the window. A motor drives the energized electrode edge axially in the window to ablate tissue.

Abstract: A medical device for cutting bone and soft tissue includes a shaft having a rotating component with a distal working end. A cutting member is carried on the working end of the rotating component and a motor rotates the rotating component. The cutting member has a ceramic body with cutting edges, and the ceramic body is formed of a ceramic composite including alumina and zirconia, wherein the alumina has a grain size ranging between 0.5-1.5 microns and the zirconia has a grain size ranging between 0.1-1.0 micron. The alumina grain shape and zirconia grain shape are non-elongated.

Abstract: An arthroscopic system includes a hand piece with a motor drive. an elongate shaft assembly is detachably secured to a distal end of the hand piece, and the elongate shaft assembly includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve rotatably mounted in the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve couples to the motor drive when the elongate shaft assembly is attached to the hand piece, and an inner distal cutting window on the inner sleeve moves in and out of alignment with an outer distal cutting window on the outer sleeve as the motor drive rotates the inner sleeve.

Abstract: A tissue resecting device includes an outer sleeve having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end and opening to an outer window near the distal end. An inner sleeve is rotatably received in the axial bore of the outer sleeve and has an axial channel adapted for communication with a negative pressure source. A distal housing is attached to a distal end of the inner sleeve and has an annular dielectric portion and a circumferentially adjacent annular metal portion having an inner window with circumferentially spaced-apart sharp cutting edges that opens to the axial channel. An active electrode is carried by the annular dielectric portion, and the inner window is circumferentially spaced-part from the active electrode so that the inner window and the active electrode rotate alternately into alignment with the outer window as the inner sleeve is rotated within the outer sleeve.

Abstract: A fluid management system includes a pump connectable to a fluid source. An inflow line removably connects to a cannula for delivering a fluid flow from the pump into a surgical site, such as a joint cavity. A flow pressure sensor is coupled to measure flow pressure in the inflow line and produce a measured pressure value, A controller is connected to the pump and the flow pressure sensor, and the controller maintains a pressure set point by controlling a pump speed based on a backpressure-adjusted pressure value calculated by subtracting a backpressure value selected from a backpressure table from the measured pressure value. The BAPV is monitored to determine whether the BAPV deviates outside an initial BAPV range, and corrective measure are taken should such deviations occur.