Fluid-assisted medical devices, systems and methods
Adaptors for electrically coupling between an electrosurgical generator and a bipolar electrosurgical device are provided. In one preferred embodiment, the adaptor comprises a power input connector for coupling the adaptor with a monopolar mode power output connector of the electrosurgical generator, a ground connector for coupling the adaptor with a ground connector of the electrosurgical generator, a first and a second power output connector, each for coupling the adaptor with a first and a second bipolar mode power input connector of the bipolar electrosurgical device, respectively, a transformer coupled between the power input connector and the first and second power output connectors, a monopolar hand switch connector for coupling the adaptor with a monopolar mode hand switch connector of the electrosurgical generator, and at least one bipolar mode hand switch connector for coupling the adaptor with a bipolar mode hand switch connector of the electrosurgical device.
This application is being filed as a PCT International Patent application in the name of TissueLink Medical, Inc. (a U.S. national corporation), for the designation of all countries except the U.S., and Michael E. McClurken, David Lipson, David Flanagan and Scott D. O'Brien (all U.S. citizens), for the designation of the US only, on Mar. 27, 2003.
FIELDThis invention relates generally to the field of medical devices and methods for use upon a body during surgery. More particularly, the invention relates to electrosurgical devices, systems and methods for use upon tissues of a human body during surgery, particularly open surgery and minimally invasive surgery such as laparoscopic surgery.
BACKGROUNDElectrosurgical devices configured for use with a dry tip use electrical energy, often radio frequency (RF) energy, to cut tissue or to cauterize blood vessels. During use, a voltage gradient is created at the tip of the device, thereby inducing current flow and related heat generation in the tissue. With sufficiently high levels of electrical power, the heat generated is sufficient to cut the tissue and, advantageously, to stop the bleeding from severed blood vessels.
Current dry tip electrosurgical devices can cause the temperature of tissue being treated to rise significantly higher than 100° C., resulting in tissue desiccation, tissue sticking to the electrodes, tissue perforation, char formation and smoke generation. Desiccation occurs when tissue temperature exceeds 100° C. and all of the intracellular water boils away, leaving the tissue extremely dry and much less electrically conductive. Peak temperatures of target tissue as a result of dry RF treatment can be as high as 320° C., and such high temperatures can be transmitted to adjacent tissue via thermal diffusion. Consequently, this may result in undesirable desiccation and thermal damage to the adjacent tissue.
The use of saline inhibits undesirable effects such as tissue desiccation, electrode sticking, smoke production and char formation. However, an uncontrolled or abundant flow rate of saline can provide too much electrical dispersion and cooling at the electrode/tissue interface. This reduces the temperature of the target tissue being treated, and, in turn, can result in longer treatment time to achieve the desired tissue temperature for treatment of the tissue. Long treatment times are undesirable for surgeons since it is in the best interest of the patient, physician and hospital, to perform surgical procedures as quickly as possible.
RF power delivered to tissue can be less than optimal when using general-purpose generators. Most general-purpose RF generators have modes for different waveforms (e.g., cut, coagulation, or blend) and device types (e.g., monopolar, bipolar), as well as power levels that can be set in watts. However, once these settings are chosen, the actual power delivered to tissue and associated heat generated can vary dramatically over time as tissue impedance changes during the course of RF treatment. This is because the power delivered by most generators is a function of tissue impedance, with the power ramping down as impedance either decreases toward zero or increases significantly to several thousand ohms. Current dry tip electrosurgical devices are not configured to address a change in power provided by the generator as tissue impedance changes or the associated effect on tissue, and rely on the surgeon's expertise to overcome this limitation.
The patent application is related to U.S. provisional application Ser. No.______, filed Mar. 6, 2003 (having attorney docket number 13045.40USP1) and also to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/368,177, filed Mar. 27, 2002, now pending.
This patent application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/947,658, filed Sep. 5, 2001, now pending, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/797,049, filed Mar. 1, 2001, now pending, which claimed priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/187,114, filed Mar. 6, 2000.
This patent application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/668,403, filed Sep. 22, 2000, now pending.
This patent application is also related to PCT patent application serial No. PCT/US02/28488, filed Sep. 6, 2002, now pending.
The entire disclosure of each of these patent applications is incorporated herein by reference to the extent it is consistent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention is directed to various embodiments of electrosurgical devices, systems and methods. In one preferred embodiment, an electrosurgical device has a handle, a shaft extending from the handle having a distal end, and an electrode tip having an electrode surface with at least a portion of the electrode tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the shaft. In one embodiment, preferably the portion of the electrode tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the shaft comprises a cone shaped portion. The device also has a fluid passage being connectable to a fluid source and at least one fluid outlet opening in fluid communication with the fluid passage.
In another preferred embodiment, the electrode tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the shaft has a neck portion and an enlarged end portion with the enlarged end portion located distal to the neck portion and comprising the cone shaped portion.
In another preferred embodiment, the fluid outlet opening is arranged to provide a fluid from the fluid source to the neck portion of the electrode tip.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the fluid outlet opening is arranged to provide a fluid from the fluid source towards the enlarged end portion of the electrode tip.
In another preferred embodiment, an electrosurgical device has a handle, and an electrode tip having an electrode surface with the electrode surface and comprising a cone shaped portion. The device also has a fluid passage being connectable to a fluid source and at least one fluid outlet opening in fluid communication with the fluid passage and arranged to provide a fluid from the fluid source to the cone shaped portion of the electrode tip.
The invention is also directed to a surgical method for treating tissue. The method includes providing tissue having a tissue surface, providing radio frequency power at a power level, providing an electrically conductive fluid at a fluid flow rate, providing an surgical device configured to simultaneously provide the radio frequency electrical power and the electrically conductive fluid to tissue, providing the electrically conductive fluid to the tissue at the tissue surface, forming a fluid coupling comprising the electrically conductive fluid which couples the tissue and the surgical device, providing the radio frequency power to the tissue at the tissue surface and below the tissue surface into the tissue through the fluid coupling, coagulating the tissue without cutting the tissue, and dissecting the tissue after coagulating the tissue. Preferably, the device comprises an electrode tip having an electrode surface, and comprising a cone shaped portion and a distal end. Also preferably, coagulating the tissue is performed with the cone shaped portion and dissecting is performed with the distal end of the device. In various embodiments, the dissection may be blunt as where the distal end of the device is blunt, or sharp as where the distal end of the device is pointed.
The invention is also directed to various embodiments of an adaptor for electrically coupling between an electrosurgical generator and a bipolar electrosurgical device. In one preferred embodiment, the adaptor comprises a power input connector for coupling the adaptor with a monopolar mode power output connector of the electrosurgical generator, a ground connector for coupling the adaptor with a ground connector of the electrosurgical generator, a first and a second power output connector, each for coupling the adaptor with a first and a second bipolar mode power input connector of the bipolar electrosurgical device, respectively, a transformer coupled between the power input connector and the first and second power output connectors, a monopolar hand switch connector for coupling the adaptor with a monopolar mode hand switch connector of the electrosurgical generator, and at least one bipolar mode hand switch connector for coupling the adaptor with a bipolar mode hand switch connector of the electrosurgical device.
The invention is also directed to various embodiments of a bipolar electrosurgical device. In one preferred embodiment, the device comprises a first electrode tip and a second electrode tip with the electrode tips coupled to an impedance transformer provided with the electrosurgical device, at least one fluid delivery passage being connectable to a fluid source, at least one fluid outlet opening in fluid communication with the at least one fluid delivery passage, the electrode tips configured to paint along a tissue surface in the presence of fluid from the fluid outlet opening as the tips are moved along the tissue surface whereby the tissue surface can be coagulated without cutting upon the application of radio frequency energy from the electrodes simultaneously with fluid from the fluid outlet opening while the tips are coupled with the fluid adjacent the tissue surface and moved along the tissue surface.
The invention is also directed to various embodiments of medical kits. In one preferred embodiment, the kit has an electrosurgical device configured to provide radio frequency power and a fluid to a tissue treatment site, and a transformer. In various embodiments, the electrosurgical device and transformer may be provided as separate connectable components, or integrally as a single piece.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Throughout the description, like reference numerals and letters indicate corresponding structure throughout the several views, and such corresponding structure need not be separately discussed. Furthermore, any particular feature(s) of a particular exemplary embodiment may be equally applied to any other exemplary embodiment(s) of this specification as suitable. In other words, features between the various exemplary embodiments described herein are interchangeable as suitable, and not exclusive.
The invention provides devices, systems and methods that control tissue temperature at a tissue treatment site during a medical procedure. This is particularly useful during surgical procedures upon tissues of the body, where it is desirable to seal, coagulate and shrink tissue, to occlude lumens of blood vessels (e.g., arteries, veins), airways (e.g., bronchi, bronchioles), bile ducts and lymphatic ducts.
The invention includes electrosurgical procedures, which preferably utilize RF power and electrically conductive fluid, to treat tissue. Preferably, a desired tissue temperature range is achieved by adjusting parameters, such as fluid flow rate, to affect the temperature at the tissue/electrode interface.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a control device, the device comprising a flow rate controller that receives a signal indicating power applied to the system, and adjusts the flow rate of fluid from a fluid source to the electrosurgical device. The invention also provides a control system comprising a flow rate controller, a measurement device that measures power applied to the system, and a pump that provides fluid at a selected flow rate.
The invention will be discussed generally with reference to
For example, in addition to the conductive fluid comprising physiologic saline (also known as “normal” saline, isotonic saline or 0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution), the conductive fluid may comprise hypertonic saline solution, hypotonic saline solution, Ringers solution (a physiologic solution of distilled water containing specified amounts of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and potassium chloride), lactated Ringer's solution (a crystalloid electrolyte sterile solution of distilled water containing specified amounts of calcium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, and sodium lactate), Locke-Ringer's solution (a buffered isotonic solution of distilled water containing specified amounts of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium chloride, and dextrose), or any other electrolyte solution.
While a conductive fluid is preferred, as will become more apparent with further reading of this specification, fluid 24 may also comprise an electrically non-conductive fluid. The use of a non-conductive fluid is less preferred than a conductive fluid, however, the use of a non-conductive fluid still provides certain advantages over the use of a dry electrode including, for example, reduced occurrence of tissue sticking to the electrode of device 5 and cooling of the electrode and/or tissue. Therefore, it is also within the scope of the invention to include the use of a non-conducting fluid, such as, for example, deionized water.
Returning to
When capacitation and induction effects are negligibly small, from Ohm's aw, power P, or the rate of energy delivery (e.g., joules/sec), may be expressed by he product of current times voltage (i.e., I×V), the current squared times resistance (i.e., I2×R), or the voltage squared divided by the resistance (i.e., V2/R); where the current I may be measured in amperes, the voltage V may be measured in volts, the electrical resistance R may be measured in ohms, and the power P may be measured in watts (joules/sec). Given that power P is a function of current I, voltage V, and resistance R as indicated above, it should be understood, that a change in power P is reflective of a change in at least one of the input variables. Thus, one may alternatively measure changes in such input variables themselves, rather than power P directly, with such changes in the input variables mathematically corresponding to a changes in power P as indicated above.
Heating of the tissue is preferably performed by electrical resistance heating. That is, the temperature of the tissue increases as a result of electric current flow through the tissue, with the electrical energy being absorbed from the voltage and transformed into thermal energy (i.e., heat) via accelerated movement of ions as a function of the tissue's electrical resistance.
Referring again to
In one embodiment, flow rate controller 11 is configured and arranged to be connected to a source of RF power (e.g., generator 6), and a source of fluid (e.g., fluid source 1), for example, a source of conductive fluid. The device of the invention receives information about the level of RF power applied to electrosurgical device 5, and adjusts the flow rate of fluid 24 to electrosurgical device 5, thereby controlling temperature at the tissue treatment site.
In another embodiment, elements of the system are physically included together in one electronic enclosure. One such embodiment is shown by enclosure within the outline box 14 of
Pump 3 can be any suitable pump to provide saline or other fluid at a desired flow rate. Preferably, pump 3 is a peristaltic pump. With a rotary peristaltic pump, typically a fluid 24 is conveyed within the confines of a flexible tube (e.g., 4a) by waves of contraction placed externally on the tube which are produced mechanically, typically by rotating rollers which intermittently squeeze the flexible tubing against a support with a linear peristaltic pump, typically a fluid 24 is conveyed within the confines of a flexible tube by waves of contraction placed externally on the tube which are produced mechanically, typically by a series of compression fingers or pads which sequentially squeeze the flexible tubing against a support. Peristaltic pumps are generally preferred, as the electromechanical force mechanism (e.g., rollers driven by electric motor) does not make contact the fluid 24, thus reducing the likelihood of inadvertent contamination.
Similar pumps can be used in connection with the invention, and the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only. The precise configuration of pump 3 is not critical to the invention. For example, pump 3 may include other types of infusion and withdrawal pumps. Furthermore, pump 3 may comprise pumps which may be categorized as syringe pumps, piston pumps, rotary vane pumps (e.g., axial impeller, centrifugal impeller), cartridge pumps and diaphragm pumps. In some embodiments, pump 3 can be substituted with any type of flow controller, such as a manual roller clamp used in conjunction with an IV bag, or combined with the flow controller to allow the user to control the flow rate of conductive fluid to the device. Alternatively, a valve configuration can be substituted for pump 3.
Fluid 24, such as conductive fluid, is preferably provided from an intravenous (IV) bag full of saline (e.g., fluid source 1) that flows by gravity. Fluid 24 may flow directly to electrosurgical device 5, or first to pump 3 located there between. Alternatively, fluid 24 from a fluid source 1 such as an IV bag can be provided through an IV flow controller that may provide a desired flow rate by adjusting the cross sectional area of a flow orifice (e.g., lumen of the connective tubing with the electrosurgical device 5) while sensing the flow rate with a sensor such as an optical drop counter. Furthermore, fluid 24 from a fluid source 1 such as an IV bag can be provided through a manually or automatically activated device such as a flow controller, such as a roller clamp, which also adjusts the cross sectional area of a flow orifice and may be adjusted manually by, for example, the user of the device in response to their visual observation (e.g., fluid boiling) at the tissue treatment site or a pump.
Similar configurations of the system can be used in connection with the invention, and the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only. For example, the fluid source 1, pump 3, generator 6, power measurement device 8 or flow rate controller 11, or any other components of the system not expressly recited above, may be present as a part of the electrosurgical device 5. For example, fluid source 1 may be a compartment of the electrosurgical device 5 which contains fluid 24, as indicated at reference character 1a. In another exemplary embodiment, the compartment may be detachably connected to electrosurgical device 5, such as a canister which may be attached via threaded engagement with device 5. In yet another embodiment, the compartment may be configured to hold a pre-filled cartridge of fluid 24, rather than the fluid directly.
Also for example, with regards to alternatives for the generator 6, an energy source, such as a direct current (DC) battery used in conjunction with inverter circuitry and a transformer to produce alternating current at a particular frequency, may comprise a portion of the electrosurgical device 5, as indicated at reference character 6a. In one embodiment the battery element of the energy source may comprise a rechargeable battery. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the battery element may be detachably connected to the electrosurgical device 5, such as for recharging.
Use of the components of the system will now be described in further detail. From the specification, it should be clear that any use of the terms “distal” and “proximal” are made in reference from the user of the device, and not the patient.
Flow rate controller 11 controls the rate of flow from the fluid source 1. Preferably, the rate of fluid flow from fluid source 1 is based upon the amount of RF power provided from generator 6 to electrosurgical device 5. Referring to
Throughout this disclosure, when the terms “boiling point of saline”, “vaporization point of saline”, and variations thereof are used, what is actually referenced for explanation purposes, is the boiling point of the water (i.e., 100° C.) in the saline solution given that the difference between the boiling point of normal saline (about 100.16° C.) and the boiling point of water is negligible.
P=ΔT/R+ρcρQ1ΔT+ρQbhv (1)
where P=the total RF electrical power that is converted into heat.
Conduction. The first term [ΔT/R] in equation (1) is heat conducted to adjacent tissue, represented as 70 in
-
- ΔT=(T−T∞) the difference in temperature (° C.) between the peak tissue temperature (T) and the normal temperature (T∞) of the body tissue; normal temperature of the body tissue is generally 37° C.; and
- R=Thermal resistance of surrounding tissue, the ratio of the temperature difference to the heat flow (° C./watt).
This thermal resistance can be estimated from published data gathered in experiments on human tissue (see for example, Phipps, J. H., “Thermometry studies with bipolar diathermy during hysterectomy,” Gynaecological Endoscopy, 3:5-7 (1994)). As described by Phipps, Kleppinger bipolar forceps were used with an RF power of 50 watts, and the peak tissue temperature reached 320° C. For example, using the energy balance of equation (1), and assuming all the RF heat put into tissue is conducted away, then R can be estimated:
R=ΔT/P=(320−37)/50=5.7≈6° C./watt
However, it is undesirable to allow the tissue temperature to reach 320° C., since tissue will become desiccated. At a temperature of 320° C., the fluid contained in the tissue is typically boiled away, resulting in the undesirable tissue effects described herein. Rather, it is preferred to keep the peak tissue temperature at no more than about 100° C. to inhibit desiccation of the tissue. Assuming that saline boils at about 100° C., the first term in equation (1) (ΔT/R) is equal to (100−37)/6=10.5 watts. Thus, based on this example, the maximum amount of heat conducted to adjacent tissue without any significant risk of tissue desiccation is 10.5 watts.
Referring again to
Convection. The second term [ρcρQ1ΔT] in equation (1) is heat used to warm up the saline without boiling the saline, represented as 72 in
-
- ρ=Density of the saline fluid that gets hot but does not boil (approximately 1.0 gm/cm3);
- cρ=Specific heat of the saline (approximately 4.1 watt-sec/gm-° C.);
- Q1=Flow rate of the saline that is heated (cm3/sec); and
- ΔT=Temperature rise of the saline. Assuming that the saline is heated to body temperature before it reaches the electrode, and that the peak saline temperature is similar to the peak tissue temperature, this is the same ΔT as for the conduction calculation above.
The onset of boiling can be predicted using equation (1) with the last term on the right set to zero (no boiling), i.e. ρQbhv=0, and solving equation (1) for Q1 leads to:
Q1=[P−ΔT/R]/ρcρΔT (2)
This equation defines the line shown in
Boiling. The third term [ρQbhv] in equation (1) relates to heat that goes into converting the water in liquid saline to water vapor, and is represented as 74 in
-
- Qb=Flow rate of saline that boils (cm3/sec); and
- hv=Heat of vaporization of saline (approximately 2,000 watt-sec/gm).
A flow rate of only 1 cc/min will absorb a significant amount of heat if it is completely boiled, or about ρQbhv=(1) (1/60) (2,000)=33.3 watts. The heat needed to warm this flow rate from body temperature to 100° C. is much less, or ρcρQ1ΔT=(1) (4.1) (1/60) (100−37)=4.3 watts. In other words, the most significant factor contributing to heat transfer from a wet electrode device can be fractional boiling. The present invention recognizes this fact and exploits it.
Fractional boiling can be described by equation (3) below:
If the ratio of Qb/Q1 is 0.50 this is the 50% boiling line 78 shown in
As indicated previously in the specification, use of a fluid to couple energy to tissue inhibits undesirable effects such as tissue desiccation, electrode sticking, char formation and smoke production. Tissue desiccation, which occurs if the tissue temperature exceeds 100° C. and all the intracellular water boils away, is particularly undesirable as it leaves the tissue extremely dry and much less electrically conductive.
As shown in
Another control strategy that can be used for the electrosurgical device 5 is to operate device 5 in the region T<100° C., but at high enough temperature to shrink tissue containing Type I collagen (e.g., walls of blood vessels, bronchi, bile ducts, etc.), which shrinks when exposed to about 85° C. for an exposure time of 0.01 seconds, or when exposed to about 65° C. for an exposure time of 15 minutes. An exemplary target temperature/time for tissue shrinkage is about 75° C. with an exposure time of about 1 second. A determination of the high end of the scale (i.e., when the fluid reaches 100° C.) can be made by the phase change in the fluid from liquid to vapor. However, a determination at the low end of the scale (e.g., when the fluid reaches, for example, 75° C. for 1 second) requires a different mechanism as the temperature of the fluid is below the boiling temperature and no such phase change is apparent.
In order to determine when the fluid reaches a temperature that will facilitate tissue shrinkage, for example 75° C., a thermochromic material, such as a thermochromic dye (e.g., leuco dye), may be added to the fluid. The dye can be formulated to provide a first predetermined color to the fluid at temperatures below a threshold temperature, such as 75° C., then, upon heating above 75° C., the dye provides a second color, such as clear, thus turning the fluid clear (i.e., no color or reduction in color). This color change may be gradual, incremental, or instant. Thus, a change in the color of the fluid, from a first color to a second color (or lack thereof) provides a visual indication to the user of the electrosurgical device 5 as to when a threshold fluid temperature below boiling has been achieved. Thermochromic dyes are available, for example, from Color Change Corporation, 1740 Cortland Court, Unit A, Addison, Ill. 60101.
It is also noted that the above mechanism (i.e., a change in the color of the fluid due to a dye) may also be used to detect when the fluid reaches a temperature which will facilitate tissue necrosis; this generally varies from about 60° C. for an exposure time of 0.01 seconds and decreasing to about 45° C. for an exposure time of 15 minutes. An exemplary target temperature/time for tissue necrosis is about 55° C. for an exposure time of about 1 second.
In order to reduce time, use of the electrosurgical device 5 in the region T=100° C. of
For consistent tissue effect, it is desirable to control the saline flow rate so that it is always on a “line of constant % boiling” as, for example, the line of the onset of boiling 76 or the 100% boiling line 80 or any line of constant % boiling located in between (e.g., 50% boiling line 78) as shown in
It should be noted, from the preceding equations, that the slope of any line of constant % boiling is known. For example, for the line of the onset of boiling 76, the slope of the line is given by (ρcρΔT), while the slope of the 100% boiling line 80 is given by 1/(ρcρΔT+ρhv). As for the 50% boiling line 78, for example, the slope is given by 1/(ρcρΔT+ρhv0.5).
If, upon application of the electrosurgical device 5 to the tissue, boiling of the fluid is not detected, such indicates that the temperature is less than 100° C. as shown by the area T<100° C. of
Conversely, if upon application of the electrosurgical device 5 to the tissue, boiling of the fluid is detected, such indicates that the temperature is approximately equal to 100° C. as shown by the area T=100° C. of
With regards to the detection of boiling of the fluid, preferably such is physically detected by the user (e.g., visually by the naked eye) in the form of either bubbles or steam evolving from the fluid coupling at the electrode/tissue interface. Alternatively, such a phase change (i.e., from liquid to vapor or vice-versa) may be measured by a sensor which preferably senses either an absolute change (e.g., existence or non-existence of boiling with binary response such as yes or no) or a change in a physical quantity or intensity and converts the change into a useful input signal for an information-gathering system. For example, the phase change associated with the onset of boiling may be detected by a pressure sensor, such as a pressure transducer, located on the electrosurgical device 5. Alternatively, the phase change associated with the onset of boiling may be detected by a temperature sensor, such as a thermistor or thermocouple, located on the electrosurgical device 5, such as adjacent to the electrode. Also alternatively, the phase change associated with the onset of boiling may be detected by a change in the electric properties of the fluid itself. For example, a change in the electrical resistance of the fluid may be detected by an ohm meter; a change in the amperage may be measured by an amp meter; a change in the voltage may be detected by a volt meter; and a change in the power may be determined by a power meter.
Yet another control strategy which may be employed for the electrosurgical device 5 is to eliminate the heat conduction term 70 of equation (1) (i.e., ΔT/R). Since the amount of heat conducted away to adjacent tissue can be difficult to precisely predict, as it may vary, for example, by tissue type, it may be preferable, from a control point of view, to assume the worst case situation of zero heat conduction, and provide enough saline so that if necessary, all the RF power could be used to heat up and boil the saline, thus providing that the peak tissue temperature will not go over 100° C. significantly. This is shown in the schematic graph of
Stated another way, if the heat conducted to adjacent tissue 70 is overestimated, the power P required to intersect the 100% boiling line 80 will, in turn, be overestimated and the 100% boiling line 80 will be transgressed into the T >>100° C. region of
Upon determination of the line of the onset of boiling 76, the 100% boiling line 80 or any line of constant % boiling there between, it is generally desirable to control the flow rate Q so that it is always on a particular line of constant % boiling for consistent tissue effect. In such a situation, flow rate controller 11 will adjust the flow rate Q of the fluid 24 to reflect changes in power P provided by the generator 6, as discussed in greater detail below. For such a use flow rate controller 11 may be set in a line of constant boiling mode, upon which the % boiling is then correspondingly selected.
As indicated above, it is desirable to control the saline flow rate Q so that it is always on a line of constant % boiling for consistent tissue effect. However, the preferred line of constant % boiling may vary based on the type of electrosurgical device 5. For example, if with use of the device 5, shunting through saline is not an issue, then it can be preferable to operate close to or directly on, but not over the line of the onset of boiling, such as 76a in
Q1=K×P (4)
In essence, when power P goes up, the flow rate Q will be proportionately increased. Conversely, when power P goes down, the flow rate Q will be proportionately decreased.
The proportionality constant K is primarily dependent on the fraction of saline that boils, as shown in equation (5), which is equation (3) solved for K after eliminating P using equation (4), and neglecting the conduction term (ΔT/R):
Thus, the present invention provides a method of controlling boiling of fluid, such as a conductive fluid, at the tissue/electrode interface. In a preferred embodiment, this provides a method of treating tissue without use of tissue sensors, such as temperature or impedance sensors. Preferably, the invention can control boiling of conductive fluid at the tissue/electrode interface and thereby control tissue temperature without the use of feedback loops.
In describing the control strategy of the present invention described thus far, focus has been drawn to a steady state condition. However, the heat required to warm the tissue to the peak temperature (T) may be incorporated into equation (1) as follows:
P=ΔT/R+ρcρQ1ΔT+ρQbhv+ρcρVΔT/Δt (6)
where ρcρVΔT/Δt represents the heat required to warm the tissue to the peak temperature (T) 68 and where:
-
- ρ=Density of the saline fluid that gets hot but does not boil (approximately 1.0 gm/cm3);
- cρ=Specific heat of the saline (approximately 4.1 watt-sec/gm-° C.);
- V=Volume of treated tissue;
- ΔT=(T−T∞) the difference in temperature (° C.) between the peak tissue temperature (T) and the normal temperature (T∞) of the body tissue; normal temperature of the body tissue is generally 37° C.; and
- Δt=(t−t∞) the difference in time to achieve peak tissue temperature (T) and the normal temperature (T∞) of the body tissue (° C).
The inclusion of the heat required to warm the tissue to the peak temperature (T) in the control strategy is graphically represented at 68 in
Typical RF generators used in the field have a monopolar power selector switch to 300 watts of power, and on occasion some have been found to be selectable up to 400 watts of power. In conformance with the above methodology, at 0% boiling with a corresponding power of 300 watts, the calculated flow rate Q is 69.7 cc/min and with a corresponding power of 400 watts the calculated flow rate Q is 92.9 cc/min. Thus, when used with typical RF generators in the field, a fluid flow rate Q of about 100 cc/min or less with the present invention is expected to suffice for the vast majority of applications.
As discussed herein, RF power delivery to tissue can be unpredictable and vary with time, even though the generator has been “set” to a fixed wattage. The schematic graph of
Combining the effects shown in
According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the control device, such as flow rate controller 11, receives a signal indicating the drop in actual power delivered to the tissue and adjusts the flow rate Q of saline to maintain the tissue/electrode interface at a desired temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the drop in actual power P delivered is sensed by the power measurement device 8 (shown in
Flow rate controller 11 of
An exemplary electrosurgical device of the present invention which may be used in conjunction with the system of the present invention is shown at reference character 5a in
As shown in
Referring back to
As shown in
It is understood that shapes other than a sphere can be used for the contact element. Examples of such shapes include oblong or elongated shapes. However, as shown in
As shown in
Also as shown in
As for cavity 81, the internal diameter of cavity 81 surrounding electrode 25 is preferably slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere, typically by about 0.25 mm. This permits the sphere to freely rotate within cavity 81. Consequently, cavity 81 of sleeve 82 also preferably has a diameter in the range of about 1 mm to about 7 mm.
As best shown in
As best shown in
As shown in
As shown in
It should be understood that the particular geometry of fluid outlet opening provided by the fluid exit hole located at the distal end of device 5a to the electrode is not critical to the invention, and all that is required is the presence of a fluid exit hole which provides fluid 24 as required. For example, fluid exit hole 26 may have an oval shape while electrode 25 has a different shape, such as a round shape.
As shown in
Turning to the proximal end of the tip (comprising electrode 25, spring 88 and sleeve 82) of the device 5a, as shown in
While distal pinched region 86 and proximal pinched region 87 may be used olely to support electrode 25, in its position of use, the electrode may be further supported by a compression spring 88 as shown in
In addition to the above, spring 88 provides a multitude of functions and advantages. For example, the configuration of the distal pinched region 86, proximal pinched region 87 and spring 88 offers the ability to move electrode 25 distally and proximally within sleeve 82. As shown in
Conversely, upon application of electrode 25 against surface 22 of tissue 32 with sufficient force to overcome the compression force of the spring 88, spring 88 compresses and electrode 25 retracts proximally away from distal pinched region 86, in this case perimeter edge 92 of crimp 84, changing the position thereof. In the above manner, the contact element comprising electrode 25 is retractable into the cavity 81 of the housing provided by sleeve 82 upon the application of a proximally directed force against surface 42 of the portion 43 of electrode 25 extending distally beyond the distal opening 26 located at the distal end 83 of the housing and spring 88 functions as a retraction biasing member.
By making electrode 25 positionable in the above manner via spring 88, electrosurgical device 5a can be provided with a damper mechanism which dampens the force of electrode 25 on tissue 32 being treated.
Furthermore, electrode 25 which can be positioned as outlined above can comprise a fluid flow rate adjustment mechanism which incrementally increases the area of fluid exit hole 26 and the corresponding fluid flow rate in response to the incremental proximal retraction of electrode 25. In such an instance, electrode 25 functions as a valve by regulating flow of fluid 24 through fluid exit hole 26.
In various embodiments, spring 88 may be used in conjunction with the distal pinched region 86 (e.g., crimp 84 comprising a single continuous circular pattern) to provide a fluid seal between electrode 25 and the distal pinched region 86 which stops fluid flow from the electrosurgical device 5a. In this manner, the electrosurgical device 5a may be used to provide both a wet electrode and dry electrode (i.e., when the fluid flow is on and off, respectively) with the energy and fluid provided sequentially as opposed to simultaneously.
Furthermore, in various embodiments of electrosurgical device 5a, an electrode 25 which can be positioned as outlined above can include a declogging mechanism. Such a mechanism can retract to provide access for unclogging fluid exit holes (e.g., 26 and 85), which may become flow restricted as a result of loose debris (e.g., tissue, blood, coagula) becoming lodged therein. For example, when a biasing force, such as from a handheld cleaning device (e.g., brush) or from pushing the distal tip against a hard surface such as a retractor, is applied to surface 42 of electrode 25 which overcomes the compression force of the spring 88 causing the spring 88 to compress and electrode 25 to retract, the tip of the handheld cleaning device may by extended into the fluid exit hole 26 for cleaning the fluid exit hole 26, perimeter edge 92, slot 85 and edge 91. Stated another way, electrode 25, which can be positioned as outlined, provides a methodology for declogging a fluid exit hole by increasing the cross-sectional area of the fluid exit hole to provide access thereto.
Additionally, in various embodiments of device 5a, spring 88 comprises an electrical conductor, particularly when electrode 25, is retracted to a non-contact position (i.e., not in contact) with sleeve 82.
In other embodiments, proximal pinched region 87 may comprise one or more crimps similar to distal pinched region 86, such that electrode 25 is retained in sleeve 82 both distally and proximally by the crimps. Also, in other embodiments, sleeve 82 may be disposed within shaft 17 rather than being connected to the distal end 53 of shaft 17. Also, in still other embodiments, sleeve 82 may be formed unitarily (i.e., as a single piece or unit) with shaft 17 as a unitary piece.
As best shown in
In locations where shaft 17 and sleeve 82 are electrically conductive (for device 5a, preferably shaft 17 and sleeve 82 are completely electrically conductive and do not comprise non-conductive portions) an electrical insulator 90 (i.e., comprising non-conductive or insulating material) preferably surrounds shaft 17 and sleeve 82 along substantially its entire exposed length (e.g., the portion outside the confines of the handle 20), terminating a short distance (e.g., at the proximal onset of crimp 84 or less than about 3 mm) from distal end 83 of sleeve 82. Insulator 90 preferably comprises a shrink wrap polymer tubing.
As with the other electrosurgical devices described within, a input fluid line 4b and a power source, preferably comprising generator 6 preferably providing RF power via cable 9, are preferably fluidly and electrically coupled, respectively, to the tip portion 45 of the electrosurgical device 5a.
As indicated above, device 5a comprises a monopolar device. For electrosurgical device 5a, electrode 25 provides an active electrode, while a ground pad dispersive electrode 125 (shown in
Switch 15a preferably comprises a dome switch having two electrical contacts. The contacts preferably comprise upper and lower contacts disposed on a platform in overlying relationship. Preferably the upper contact comprises a dome shaped configuration overlying and spaced from the lower contact which is flat. Preferably the contacts are spaced from one another by virtue of the domed configuration of the upper contact when the switch 15a is in an undepressed position, thus creating an open control circuit relative to switch 15a. However, when the upper contact is pressed into a depressed position, the upper contact comes into contact with the lower contact thus closing the hand switch control circuit. The presence of the closed control circuit is then sensed by generator 6 which then provides power to the electrode 25.
When a depression force is removed from the upper contact, the contact returns to its undepressed domed position as a result of its resiliency or elastic memory, thus returning switch 15a to its undepressed position and reopening the hand control circuit. The presence of the open control circuit is then sensed by the generator which then stops providing power to electrode 25.
In some embodiments, shaft 17 may be made of an electrical non-conducting material except for a portion at its distal end 53 that comes in contact with sleeve 82. This portion of shaft 17 that contacts sleeve 82 should be electrically conducting. In this embodiment, the wire conductor from insulated wire cable 9 extends to this electrically conducting portion of shaft 17. In still other embodiments, shaft 17 may completely comprise a non-conducting material as where the wire conductor from insulated wire cable 9 extends directly to sleeve 82.
With respect to the fluid coupling, fluid 24 from the fluid source 1 preferably is communicated from fluid source 1 through a flexible, polyvinylchloride (PVC) outlet fluid line 4a to a flexible, polyvinylchloride (PVC) inlet fluid line 4b connected to electrosurgical device 5a. Outlet fluid line 4a and inlet fluid line 4b are preferably connected via a male and female mechanical fastener configuration; a preferred such connection is a Luer-Lok® connection from Becton, Dickinson and Company. The lumen of the inlet line is then preferably interference fit over the outside diameter of shaft 17 to provide a press fit seal there between. An adhesive may be used there between to strengthen the seal. Fluid 24 is then communicated down lumen 23 of shaft 17 through lumen 89 and cavity 81 of sleeve 82 where it is expelled from around and on the exposed surface 42 of electrode 25. This provides a wet electrode for performing electrosurgery.
As shown in
Another exemplary electrosurgical device is shown at reference character 5b in
In the above manner, tip portion 45 now includes a first tissue treating surface (e.g., distal end spherical surface 42) and a second tissue treating surface (e.g., side surface 40). As discussed above, preferably the first tissue treating surface is configured for blunt dissection while the second tissue treating surface is configured for coagulation. Additionally, tip portion 45 also has a third tissue treating surface (e.g., surface 41) located between the first tissue treating surface (e.g., surface 42) and a second tissue treating surface (e.g., surface 40). Furthermore, tip portion 45 also has a fourth tissue treating surface (e.g., surface 47) located proximal and adjacent to surface 40.
With device 5a, when electrode 25 is placed directly in contact with surface 22 of tissue 32, tissue 32 may occlude fluid flow from fluid exit holes 26, 85 located at the distal end of device 5a. Consequently, for device 5b fluid exit holes 93, 94 may be located in the cylindrical side portion 39 of sleeve 82, either proximal or adjacent to electrode 25, and either in addition to or as an alternative to fluid exit holes 26, 85.
As shown in
Preferably, holes 93, 94 each comprise more than one hole which are equally spaced radially in a circular pattern around the longitudinal axis 31 of tip portion 45, and more particularly sleeve 82. More preferably, holes 93, 94 each comprise four discrete holes equally spaced 90 degrees around the cylindrical side portion 39 of sleeve 82. Preferably holes 93, 94 have a diameter in the range between and including about 0. 1 mm to 1.0 mm, and more preferably have a length in the range between and including about 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm.
Electrode 25, which can be positioned as outlined above, can comprise not only a valve for regulating fluid flow from the fluid exit holes, such as fluid exit hole 26, but also comprise a valve which, while opening one fluid flow exit, simultaneously closes another fluid flow exit. For example, as electrode 25 retracts proximally, fluid exit hole 26 is opened while fluid exit hole 93 is closed. Stated another way, an electrode 25 which can be positioned as outlined above can provide a mechanism for altering the size and/or location of the fluid exit holes during use of electrosurgical device 5b which may be necessary, for example, to direct fluid to a particular tissue location or balance fluid flow among the fluid exit outlets.
Thus, as shown in
The holes 94, 93 in the cylindrical sleeve 82 of the overall electrode surface are intended to assure that fluid 24 is provided to the smooth, less rough, atraumatic sides of the electrode that may be predominately used for tissue coagulation and hemostasis (e.g., surfaces 40 and 47) rather than blunt dissection (e.g., surfaces 41 and 42). The most distal portion of the device may have a more rough, but also wetted, electrode surface that can blunt dissect as well as coagulate tissue.
The electrode configuration shown in
As shown in
This technique can also be used on other parenchymal organs such as the pancreas, the kidney, and the lung. In addition, it may also be useful on muscle tissue and subcutaneous fat. It's use can also extend to benign tumors, cysts or other tissue masses found in the urological or gynecological areas. It would also enable the removal of highly vascularized tumors such as hemangiomas.
In
For the devices disclosed herein, the presence of various fractions of boiling can be visually estimated by the naked eye, or by detecting changes in electrical impedance.
Shown in
Returning to
In certain embodiments, the contact element, here electrode 25 may also comprise a material pervious to the passage of fluid 24, therethrough, such as a porous material (e.g., metal, polymer or ceramic) to provide the tortuous pathways 59. In these embodiments, the porous structure of electrode 25 allows fluid 24 to not only pass around electrode 25 on the outer porous surface 42 to be expelled, but also allows fluid 24 to pass through electrode 25, to be expelled. According to the invention, all or a portion of the electrodes or any particular electrodes for treating tissue 32 may comprise a material pervious to the passage of fluid 24 therethrough as disclosed herein.
Where the contact element and sleeve provide electrodes for treating tissue and compromise a porous material, preferably the porous material further comprises porous metal. Porous sintered metal is available in many materials (such as, for example, 316L stainless steel, titanium, Ni-Chrome) and shapes (such as cylinders, discs, plugs) from companies such as Porvair, located in Henderson, N.C.
While the electrode provided by contact element and/or sleeve preferably comprises an electrically conductive material such as metal, a non-electrically conductive porous contact element and/or sleeve, such as porous polymers and ceramics, can be used to replace an electrically conductive contact element and/or sleeve. While the porous polymers and ceramics are generally non-conductive, they may also be used to conduct the RF energy through the porous polymer and ceramic thickness and porous surface to the tissue to be treated by virtue of conductive fluid 24 contained within the plurality of interconnected tortuous pathways 59.
Preferably the porous material provides for the wicking (i.e., drawing in of fluid by capillary action or capillarity) of the fluid 24 into the pores of the porous material. In order to promote wicking of the fluid 24 into the pores of the porous material, preferably the porous material, and in particular the surface of the tortuous pathways, is hydrophilic. The porous material may be hydrophilic with or without post treating (e.g., plasma surface treatment such as hypercleaning, etching or micro- roughening, plasma surface modification of the molecular structure, surface chemical activation or crosslinking), or made hydrophilic by a coating provided thereto, such as a surfactant.
Though not preferable, it is not necessary that fluid coupling 30 of fluid 24 be present in between the metal electrode surfaces (e.g., 40, 41, 42) and tissue 32 at all locations of tissue treatment and there may be points of direct tissue contact by the electrode surfaces without any fluid coupling 30 therebetween. In such an instance, the convective cooling of the metal electrode by flowing saline is often sufficient to keep the metal electrode and tissue contacting the metal electrode at or below a temperature of 100° C. In other words, heat may be also first dissipated from tissue 32 to the electrodes by conduction, then dissipated from the electrodes to the fluid 24 by convection.
Preferably the relationship between the material for electrodes particularly their surfaces (e.g., 40, 41, 42, 47), and fluid 24 throughout the various embodiments should be such that the fluid 24 wets the surface of the electrodes to form a continuous thin film coating thereon (for example, see
For clarification, while it is known that the contact angle θ may be defined by the preceding equation, in reality contact angle θ is determined by a various models to an approximation. According to publication entitled “Surface Energy Calculations” (dated Sep. 13, 2001) from First Ten Angstroms (465 Dinwiddie Street, Portsmouth, Va. 23704), there are five models which are widely used to approximate contact angle θ and a number of others which have small followings. The five predominate models and their synonyms are: (1) Zisman critical wetting tension; (2) Girifalco, Good, Fowkes, Young combining rule; (3) Owens, Wendt geometric mean; (4) Wu harmonic mean; and (5) Lewis acid/base theory. Also according to the First Ten Angstroms publication, for well-known, well characterized surfaces, there can be a 25% difference in the answers provided for the contact angle θ by the models. Also for clarification, any one of the five predominate models above which calculates a contact angle θ within a particular range of contact angles θ or the contact angle θ required of a particular embodiment of the invention should be considered as fulfilling the requirements of the embodiment, even if the remaining four models calculate a contact angle θ which does not fulfill the requirements of the embodiment.
The effects of gravity and surface tension tend to wick the fluid 24, here saline, around the circumference of the cylindrical sleeve 82 to preferably cover the entire active electrode surface. More specifically, the effects of gravity and surface tension on fluid 24 which is located on the electrode surfaces may be modeled by the Bond number NBO. Bond number NBO measures the relationship of gravitational forces to surface tension forces and may be expressed as:
NBO=ρL2g/σ (7)
where:
-
- ρ=Density of the saline fluid (approximately 1.0 gm/cm3);
- L=Droplet diameter (cm);
- g=Gravitational acceleration (980 cm/s2); and
- σ=Surface tension (approximately 72.8 dynes/cm @ 20° C.)
For a Bond number NBO=1, the droplet diameter is equal to about 0.273 cm or about 2.7 mm, which is in the same order of magnitude as the preferred size of the electrode. For the purposes of the present invention, preferably Bond number NBO for a droplet of fluid 24 on a surface of electrode 25 is preferably less than 1.
Another tip portion of an exemplary electrosurgical device 5c of the present invention which may be used in conjunction with the system of the present invention is shown at reference character 45 in
As shown in
Also as shown in
Further continuing with
Continuing with
Preferably, cylindrical portion 39 has a diameter in the range between and including about 1 mm to about 7 mm, although it has been found that when cylindrical portion 39 is larger than about 4 mm or less than about 2 mm, tissue treatment can be adversely effected (particularly tissue treatment time) due to an electrode surface that is respectively either to large or to small. Thus, preferably the cylindrical portion 39 has a diameter in the range between and including about 2.5 mm to about 3.5 mm, and more preferably, about 3 mm.
With respect to length, preferably cylindrical portion 39 has a length in the range between and including about 2 mm to about 8 mm, and more preferably has a length in the range between and including about 3 mm to about 5 mm. Even more preferably, cylindrical portion 39 has a length of about 4.5 mm.
As shown in
With respect to length, preferably cylindrical portion 57 has a length in the range between and including about 1 mm to about 8 mm, and more preferably has a length in the range between and including about 3 mm to about 5 mm. Even more preferably, cylindrical portion 57 has a length of about 4 mm. Shank 46 preferably has a length in the range between and including about 2 mm to about 6 mm, and more preferably has a length in the range between and including about 2.5 mm to about 5 mm. Even more preferably, shank 46 has a length of about 3 mm.
Also as shown in
As shown, electrode 25 preferably comprises a plurality of longitudinally directed recesses 64 and, more specifically, four recesses 64 equally spaced 90 degrees around the shank 46 and/or neck portion 56, both proximal df cylindrical portion 39. As best shown in
In use, when tissue 32 overlies and occludes the fluid outlet opening 55 of recess 64 for a portion of its longitudinal length, thus inhibiting fluid 24 from exiting therefrom, fluid 24 from recess 64 may still be expelled from the electrosurgical device 5c after flowing longitudinally in the channel 64 to a remote location where the channel 64 is unoccluded and uninhibited to fluid flow exiting therefrom.
On very rare occasion, it may be possible that the recess 64 may be occluded by tissue 32 completely along its longitudinal length, thus completely inhibiting fluid flow from exiting through opening 55. In order to overcome this problem, at least a portion of electrode 25 may comprise a material pervious to the passage of fluid 24, therethrough, such as a porous material described above.
Of the monopolar devices disclosed herein, device 5c has been found to be particularly useful to a surgeon performing a liver resection. Once the outer capsule of the liver is scored with a dry bovie blade along the planned line of resection, the distal tip of tip portion 45 is painted back and forth along the line, with radio frequency power and the flow of fluid 24 on, resulting in coagulation of the liver parenchyma. Once the tissue is coagulated under and around the electrode surface 42 and, as the device 5c enters crevice 97 as shown in
As shown in
Where electrode 25 comprises a porous material, recess 64 may be either supplemented with or replaced by the plurality of tortuous, interconnected passages 59 formed in the porous material as shown in
In other embodiments of the invention, recess 64 may comprise cross-sectional shapes other than rectangular shapes. For example, as shown in
Returning to
As shown in
Another tip portion of an exemplary electrosurgical device 5e of the present invention which may be used in conjunction with the system of the present invention is shown at reference character 45 in
Also as shown, the cylindrical portion 39 further comprises a rectilinear cylindrical portion 39a having a rectilinear cylindrical surface portion 40a and a curvilinear cylindrical portion 39b having a curvilinear cylindrical surface portion 40b. As shown, device 5e comprises the shape of a hockey stick. The cylindrical portion 39 for device 5c may be similarly arranged.
Another tip portion of an exemplary electrosurgical device 5f of the present invention which may be used in conjunction with the system of the present invention is shown at reference character 45 in
Also as shown, the cylindrical portion 39 further comprises a rectilinear cylindrical portion 39a having a rectilinear cylindrical surface portion 40a and a curvilinear cylindrical portion 39b having a curvilinear cylindrical surface portion 40b. Furthermore, as shown, the cylindrical portion 39, and more specifically at least one of the rectilinear cylindrical portion 39a and the curvilinear cylindrical portion 39b, comprises a portion of a hook. Preferably, as shown both the rectilinear cylindrical portion 39a and the curvilinear cylindrical portion 39b comprise portions of a hook. As shown, the hook further comprises an L-hook.
Another tip portion of an exemplary electrosurgical device 5g of the present invention which may be used in conjunction with the system of the present invention is shown at reference character 45 in
As shown in
Also as shown in
Continuing with
Similar to devices 5c-5f, electrode 25 preferably comprises a connector portion, preferably comprising a shank 46, which connects the remainder of electrode 25 to the shaft 17. Among other things, the connector portion of electrode 25 is preferably configured to form a connection with a mating connector portion of the shaft 17. As shown, preferably the shank portion 46 is configured to extend into cavity 50 of shaft 17 which comprises a cylindrical receptacle and provides the mating connector portion for shank 46. More preferably, surface 48 of the shank portion 46 is configured to mate against and form an interference fit with surface 52 of cavity 50 to provide the connection. Also similar to devices 5c-5f, shank portion 46 is preferably cylindrical and located proximal and adjacent to a neck portion 56.
As shown, similar to device 5c, neck portion 56 comprises a cylindrical portion 57 (having a corresponding cylindrical surface portion 58) and a broadening portion 54 (having a corresponding broadening surface portion 47). Here broadening portion 54 and corresponding broadening surface portion 47 are both spherical, and more specifically comprise a domed, hemisphere and hemispherical surface portion comprising preferably about 180 degrees, located proximal and adjacent to the cylindrical portion 39 and cylindrical surface portion 40.
Similar to devices 5c-5f, the cylindrical portion 57 of neck portion 56 of device 5g preferably has a cross-sectional dimension, here diameter, greater than the cross-sectional dimension, here also diameter, of the shank 46. In this manner, in certain embodiments, the proximal end of the neck portion 56 may be located adjacent and in contact with the distal end 53 of shaft 17.
Also similar to devices 5c-5f, preferably electrode 25 comprises at least one recess 64 which provides an elongated fluid flow channel for the distribution of fluid 24. As shown, electrode 25 preferably comprises a plurality of longitudinally directed recesses 64 and, more specifically, four recesses 64 equally spaced 90 degrees around the shank 46 and/or neck portion 56, both proximal of cylindrical portion 39.
Another tip portion of an exemplary electrosurgical device 5h of the present invention which may be used in conjunction with the system of the present invention is shown at reference character 45 in
As shown in
Certain embodiments of the invention may be particularly configured for bipolar devices. For example, an exemplary bipolar electrosurgical device of the present invention which may be used in conjunction with the system of the present invention is shown at reference character 5i in
In certain embodiments, an exemplary bipolar surgical device of the present invention may comprise, among other things, multiple, substantially parallel, arms. As shown in
Preferably the arms of device 5i (comprising shafts 17a, 17b) are retained in position relative to each other by a mechanical coupling device comprising a collar 95 and inhibited from separating relative to each other. Collar 95 preferably comprises a polymer (e.g., acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene or polycarbonate) and is preferably located on the distal portion of the arms. More preferably, the collar 95 is located proximal the distal ends 53a, 53b of the shafts 17a, 17b. Preferably the collar 95 comprises two apertures 96a, 96b, preferably comprising opposing C-shapes, configured to receive a portion of the shafts 17a, 17b which are preferably snap-fit therein. Once the collar 95 is connected to the shafts 17a, 17b, preferably by a snap-fit connection, the collar 95 may be configured to slide along the length of the shafts 17a, 17b as to adjust or vary the location of the collar 95 on the shafts 17a, 17b. Alternatively, the location of the collar 95 may be fixed relative to the shafts 17a, 17b by welding, for example.
Device 5i comprises a first arm tip portion 45a and a second arm tip portion 45b. As shown, preferably both first arm tip portion 45a and second arm tip portion 45b are each individually configured identical to tip portion 45 of device 5a. As a result, device 5i has two separate, spatially separated (by empty space) contact elements preferably comprising electrodes 25a, 25b.
As shown in
Similar to device 5a, for device 5i fluid 24 is communicated from a fluid source 1 within the lumens 23a, 23b of the shafts 17a, 17b through the lumens 89a, 89b and cavities 81a, 81b of the sleeves 82a, 82b where it is expelled from around and on the surface 42a, 42b of the electrodes 25a, 25b.
As with use of device 5a, with use of device 5i fluid couplings 30a, 30b preferably comprising discrete, localized webs and more preferably comprising a triangular shaped web or bead portion providing a film of fluid 24 between surface 22 of tissue 32 and electrodes 25a, 25a. When the user of electrosurgical device 5i places electrodes 25a, 25b at a tissue treatment site and moves electrodes 25a, 25b across surface 22 of tissue 32, fluid 24 is expelled around and on surfaces 42a, 42b of electrodes 25a, 25b at the distal ends 83a, 83b of sleeves 82a, 82b and onto surface 22 of tissue 32 via couplings 30a, 30b. At the same time, RF electrical energy, shown by electrical field lines 130, is provided to tissue 32 at tissue surface 22 and below tissue surface 22 into tissue 32 through fluid couplings 25a, 25b.
As with device 5a, the fluid 24, in addition to providing an electrical coupling between the electrosurgical device 5i and tissue 32, lubricates surface 22 of tissue 32 and facilitates the movement of electrodes 25a, 25b across surface 22 of tissue 32. During movement of electrodes 25a, 25b, electrodes 25a, 25b typically slide across the surface 22 of tissue 32, but also may rotate as electrodes 25a, 25b move across surface 22 of the tissue 32. Typically the user of electrosurgical device 5i slides electrodes 25a, 25b across surface 22 of tissue 32 back and forth with a painting motion while using fluid 24 as, among other things, a lubricating coating. Preferably the thickness of the fluid 24 between the distal end surface of electrodes 25a, 25b and surface 22 of tissue 32 at the outer edge of couplings 30a, 30b is in the range between and including about 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm. More preferably, fluid 24 between the distal end surface of electrodes 25a, 25b and surface 22 of tissue 32 at the outer edge of coupling 30a, 30b is in the range between and including about 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. Also preferably, in certain embodiments, the distal end tip of electrode 25 contacts surface 22 of tissue 32 without any fluid 24 in between.
As shown in
In order to counteract the loss of energy through bridge 27, once enough energy has entered bridge 27 to boil fluid 24 of bridge 27, the loss of RF energy correspondingly decreases with the loss of bridge 27. Preferably energy is provided into fluid 24 of bridge 27 by means of heat dissipating from tissue 32.
Thus, where a high % boiling of conductive fluid 24 of bridge 24 is created, the loss of RF energy through bridge 27 may either be reduced or eliminated because all the fluid 24 of bridge 27 boils off or a large fraction of boiling creates enough disruption in the continuity of bridge 27 to disrupt the electrical circuit through bridge 27. Thus, one control strategy of the present invention is to reduce the presence of a conductive fluid shunt by increasing the % boiling of the conductive fluid.
Bipolar device 5i is particularly useful as non-coaptive tissue scaler and coagulator given it does not grasp tissue. Device 5i is particularly useful to surgeons to achieve hemostasis after dissecting through soft tissue as part of hip or knee arthroplasty. The tissue treating portions can be painted over the raw, oozing surface 22 of tissue 32 to seal the tissue 32 against bleeding, or focused on individual larger bleeding vessels to stop vessel bleeding.
Bipolar device 5i is also useful to stop bleeding from the surface of cut bone tissue as part of any orthopaedic procedure that requires bone to be cut. Device 5i is particularly useful for these applications over monopolar device 5a as a much greater surface area 22 of tissue 32 may be treated in an equivalent period of time and with better controlled depth of the treatment.
As is well known, bone, or osseous tissue, is a particular form of dense connective tissue consisting of bone cells (osteocytes) embedded in a matrix of calcified intercellular substance. Bone matrix mainly contains collagen fibers and the minerals calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite. Among the many types of bone within the human body are compact bone and cancellous bone. Compact bone is hard, dense bone that forms the surface layers of bones and also the shafts of long bones. It is primarily made of haversian systems which are covered by the periosteum. Compact bone contains discrete nutrient canals through which blood vessels gain access to the haversian systems and the marrow cavity of long bones. For example, Volkmann's canals which are small canals found in compact bone through which blood vessels pass from the periosteum and connect with the blood vessels of haversian canals or the marrow cavity. Bipolar device 5i disclosed herein may be particularly useful to treat compact bone and to provide hemostasis and seal bleeding vessels (e.g. by shrinking to complete close) and other structures associated with Volkmann's canals and Haversian systems.
In contrast to compact bone, cancellous bone is spongy bone and forms the bulk of the short, flat, and irregular bones and the ends of long bones. The network of osseous tissue that makes up the cancellous bone structure comprises many small trabeculae, partially enclosing many intercommunicating spaces filled with bone marrow. Consequently, due to their trabecular structure, cancellous bones are more amorphous than compact bones, and have many more channels with various blood cell precursors mixed with capillaries, venules and arterioles. Bipolar device 5i disclosed herein may be particularly useful to treat cancellous bone and to provide hemostasis and seal bleeding structures such as the above micro-vessels (i.e. capillaries, venules and arterioles) in addition to veins and arteries. Device 5i may be particularly useful for use during orthopedic knee, hip, shoulder and spine procedures (e.g. arthroplasty).
During a knee replacement procedure, the condyle at the distal epiphysis of the femur and the tibial plateau at the proximal epiphysis of the tibia are often cut and made more planer with saw devices to ultimately provide a more suitable support structure for the femoral condylar prosthesis and tibial prosthesis attached thereto, respectively. The cutting of these long bones results in bleeding from the cancellous bone at each location. In order to seal and arrest the bleeding from the cancellous bone which has been exposed with the cutting of epiphysis of each long bone, bipolar device 5i may be utilized. Thereafter, the respective prostheses may be attached.
Turning to a hip replacement procedure, the head and neck of the femur at the proximal epiphysis of the femur is removed, typically by cutting with a saw device, and the intertrochantic region of the femur is made more planer to provide a more suitable support structure for the femoral stem prosthesis subsequently attached thereto. With respect to the hip, a ball reamer is often used to ream and enlarge the acetabulum of the innominate (hip) bone to accommodate the insertion of an acetabular cup prosthesis therein, which will provide the socket into which the head of the femoral stem prosthesis fits. The cutting of the femur and reaming of the hip bone results in bleeding from the cancellous bone at each location. In order to seal and arrest the bleeding from the cancellous bone which has been cut and exposed, bipolar device 5i may be utilized. Thereafter, as with the knee replacement, the respective prostheses may be attached.
Bipolar device 5i may be utilized for treatment of connective tissues, such as for shrinking intervertebral discs during spine surgery. Intervertebral discs are flexible pads of fibrocartilaginous tissue tightly fixed between the vertebrae of the spine. The discs comprise a flat, circular capsule roughly an inch in diameter and about 0.25 inch thick, made of a tough, fibrous outer membrane called the annulus fibrosus, surrounding an elastic core called the nucleus pulposus.
Under stress, it is possible for the nucleus pulposus to swell and herniate, pushing through a weak spot in the annulus fibrosus membrane of the disc and into the spinal canal. Consequently, all or part of the nucleus pulposus material may protrude through the weak spot, causing pressure against surrounding nerves which results in pain and immobility.
Bipolar device 5i may be utilized to shrink protruding and herniated intervertebral discs which, upon shrinking towards normal size, reduces the pressure on the surrounding nerves and relieves the pain and immobility. Device 5i may be applied via posterior spinal access under surgeon control for either focal shrinking of the annulus fibrosus membrane.
Where a intervertebral disc cannot be repaired and must be removed as part of a discectomy, device 5i may be particularly usefull to seal and arrest bleeding from the cancellous bone of opposing upper and lower vertebra surfaces (e.g. the cephalad surface of the vertebral body of a superior vertebra and the caudad surface of an inferior vertebra). Where the disc is removed from the front of the patient, for example, as part of an anterior, thoracic spine procedure, device 5i may also be particularly useful to seal and arrest bleeding from segmental vessels over the vertebral body.
Bipolar device 5i may be utilized to seal and arrest bleeding of epidural veins which bleed as a result of the removal of tissue around the dural membrane during, for example a laminectomy or other neurosurgical surgery. The epidural veins may start bleeding when the dura is retracted off of them as part of a decompression. Also during a laminectomy, device 5i may be used to seal and arrest bleeding from the vertebral arch and, in particular the lamina of the vertebral arch.
As already discuss with respect to
Also with respect to
As is well known, the maximum output power of a general-purpose generator 6 in its bipolar mode of operation is lower than the maximum output power of the generator in its monopolar mode of operation. One reason for this is that the electrodes commonly associated with a bipolar device are generally in much closer in proximity as compared to the active and return electrodes of a monopolar device, thus reducing the need for greater power. Furthermore, with additional power, use of many prior art dry tip electrosurgical devices only leads to more tissue desiccation, electrode sticking, char formation and smoke generation, thus further obviating the need for additional power.
However, as established above, bipolar device 5i of the present invention inhibits such undesirable effects of tissue desiccation, electrode sticking, char formation and smoke generation, and thus do not suffer from the same drawbacks as prior art dry tip electrosurgical devices.
It has been found that bipolar device 5i is, in certain instances, able to use significantly greater power than the output power current general-purpose generators offer in their accorded bipolar modes. For example, bipolar device 5i may use greater power to treat bone in knee, hip, shoulder and spine surgeries where blood loss would traditionally be particularly high thus necessitating a blood transfusion.
General-purpose generators may offer significantly greater output power than 75 watts when set in their monopolar modes. For example, in monopolar “cut mode”, the maximum power output of the generator is typically in the range of 300 watts. However, in monopolar cut mode the voltage and preferred impedance ranges are much greater than in bipolar mode. For example, with respect to impedance, an exemplary low impedance cut-off for a monopolar cut mode is about 200 ohms while an exemplary low impedance cut-off for bipolar mode is about 25-50 ohms.
In order to reduce monopolar voltage and impedance ranges to desirable levels for bipolar use, a transformer may be placed in series circuit configuration between the electrodes of bipolar device 5i and the monopolar mode power output of the generator 6.
As shown in
However, with the introduction of a transformer 310 to convert monopolar output power to voltage and impedance ranges associated with bipolar output power, preferably the wires 21a, 21b, plug connectors 77a, 77b and transformer 310 are all assembled and provided in a single, common housing similar to housing 129 shown in
To further illustrate the above,
In addition to plug connector 77d, plug housing 129 also contains power plug connector 77c which may be electrically coupled to the monopolar power receptacle connector 79c of generator 6. As shown, upon insertion of power plug connector 77c into power receptacle connector 79c, electrode 25 is now coupled to the power output of generator 6.
As shown, the finally connection of device 5a to generator 6 comprises ground pad receptacle connector 177 of ground pad 125 being inserted over ground pad plug connector 179 of generator 6.
Plug connectors 77c, 77d are provided in a single common housing 129 to better and more easily direct the plug connectors 77c, 77d to their predetermined targeted plug receptacle connectors 79c, 79d by virtue of being held in a fixed, predetermined position relative to one another by plug housing 129 such that they can only coincide with receptacle connectors 79c, 79d, respectively.
In other embodiments, as indicated by the dotted lines, the wiring within plug housing 129 of device 5a may be configured such that hand switch 15a is coupled to plug connector 77e and plug receptacle 79e, in which case hand switch 15a is now electrically coupled to the monopolar “cut mode” of generator 6 rather than the coagulation mode.
Now, with use of a bipolar device 5i, as shown in
The option between monoploar “coagulation mode” hand switching and monopolar “cut mode” hand switching is driven by a number of factors. However, an overriding consideration is often output power. In monopolar coagulation mode, the maximum output power of a general purpose generator is typically about 120 watts, while in monopolar cut mode the maximum output power of the same general purpose generator is typically about 300 watts. For use of the monopolar devices disclosed herein (e.g. 5a, 5c), 120 watts maximum output power associated with coagulation mode has been found to be generally sufficient, thus precluding the need for higher powers associated with cut mode. However, for the bipolar device 5i, when using power provided from the generator's monopolar output, the higher power associated with monopolar cut mode is generally more desirable than the lower power associated with monopolar coagulation mode.
In other embodiments, the transformer 310 may be provided as part of an in-line adaptor 312, as shown in
The adaptor 312 may also be configured to accommodate a bipolar device with a hand switch. Without adaptor 312,
With adaptor 312, as shown in
As shown in
Turning to the specifics of transformer 310, preferably the transformer 310 comprises primary and secondary coils 318, 320 comprising #18 magnet wire wound on a toroidal shaped, magnetic core 322. More preferably the core 322 comprises a ferromagnetic core and even more preferably a ferrite core. Preferably the ferrite has an amplitude permeability in the range of 500μ to 5,000μ and more preferably of about 2,000μ. More preferably, the ferrite comprises ferrite material no. 77. Preferably the core has a 1.4 inch outside diameter, a 0.9 inch inside diameter and a 0.5 inch thickness which is available from Coil Winding Specialists.
For a perfect transformer, that is, a transformer with a coefficient of coupling (k) equal to 1, the impedances can be described as follows:
Zp=Zs(Np/Ns)2 (8)
where:
-
- Zp=Impedance looking into the primary terminals from the power source;
- Zs=Impedance of load connected to secondary;
- Np=Number of turns (windings) for primary coil; and
- Ns=Number of turns (windings) for secondary coil
Based a primary impedance Zp=200 ohms and a secondary impedance of 25-50 ohms, the transformer 310 should be a step-down transformer with a turns ratio, Np/Ns, in the range between and including about 3:1-2:1, respectively, and preferably about 2.5:1. This will result in power being provided to the tissue in monopolar mode at much lower impedances (i.e. 25-50 ohms) than typically required for use of the generator's monopolar mode (i.e. 200 ohms).
Turning to voltage, the high impedance cut-off for bipolar mode at 75 watts occurs at about 300 ohms, with the power remaining substantially unchanged between 25 ohms and 300 ohms. Thus, based on Ohm's law, for 75 watts ohms and 300 ohms, the voltage before power begins to drop in bipolar mode is about 150 RMS volts. This now becomes the targeted voltage from the monopolar mode with use of the transformer 310.
The high impedance cut-off for monopolar mode at 150 watts occurs at about 1000 ohms. At 150 watts and 1000 ohms, the voltage in monopolar mode is about 387 RMS volts. With the transformer above, secondary voltage may be described as follows:
Vs=Vp(Ns/Np) (8)
where:
-
- Vs=Secondary voltage;
- Vp=Primary voltage;
- Np=Number of turns (windings) for primary coil; and
- Ns=Number of turns (windings) for secondary coil
Based on a primary voltage of 387 RMS volts, and a turns ratio Np/Ns of 2.5:1, the secondary voltage is 155 RMS volts, which is only slightly greater than the targeted 150 RMS volts. With respect to the number of windings, in one embodiment preferably, the primary coil 318 comprises 40 windings while the secondary coil 320 comprises 16 windings resulting in the turns ratio of 2.5.
In yet another embodiment, as shown in
As best shown in
Handles 20a, 20b also preferably provide tubing guide surfaces 272a, 272b which at least a portion of which provide a clamping surface against which plastic tubing 4b is clamped by roller 244. As best shown in
Trunnions 248a, 248b support the movement of roller wheel 244 in two opposing directions, here proximally and distally, along track 250. As best shown in
As shown in
Distal end portions 274a, 274b of tubing guide surfaces 272a, 272b are separated from proximal end portions 276a, 276b of tubing guide surfaces 272a, 272b by transition surfaces 278a, 278b which are provided by transition rib portion 268a, 268b of ribs 270a, 270b. Preferably compression of tubing initially begins between transition surfaces 278a, 278b and the outer perimeter surface 262 of roller wheel 244 and increases as wheel 244 moves proximally along proximal end portions 276a, 276b of tubing guide surfaces 272a, 272b. With this configuration, consideration may be given to eliminating at least that portion of distal end portions 274a, 274b of tubing guide surfaces 272a, 272b that do not contribute to compression of the tubing 4b. However, given that of distal end portions 274a, 274b of tubing guide surfaces 272a, 272b guide tubing 4b to splitter 240, such may not be desirable.
As shown in
It should be realized that, due to the slope of the transition rib portion 268a, 268b, as the roller wheel 244 moves proximally relative to transition surfaces 278a, 278b the lumen of tubing 4b is blocked incrementally. Thus, in addition to providing an on/off mechanism, the roller pinch clamp assembly 242 can also be used to regulate the fluid flow rate between two non-zero flow values. It should also be realized that the roller pinch clamp assembly 242 of the device may be used in series conjunction with another roller pinch clamp assembly which is typically provided as part of an IV set (i.e. IV bag, IV bag spike, drip chamber, connecting tubing, roller clamp, slide clamp, luer connector). When used in this manner, the roller pinch clamp assembly of the IV set may be used to achieve a primary (major) adjustment for fluid flow rate, while the roller pinch clamp assembly 242 of the device may be used to achieve a secondary (more precise minor) adjustment for the fluid flow rate.
In another embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
With use of the fluid flow control mechanism of
As best shown in
The devices of the present invention may provide treatment of tissue without using a temperature sensor built into the device or a custom special-purpose generator. In a preferred embodiment, there is no built-in temperature sensor or other type of tissue sensor, nor is there any custom generator. Preferably, the invention provides a means for controlling the flow rate to the device such that the device and flow rate controller can be used with a wide variety of general-purpose generators. Any general-purpose generator is useable in connection with the fluid delivery system and flow rate controller to provide the desired power; the flow rate controller will accept the power and constantly adjust the saline flow rate according to the control strategy. Preferably, the generator is not actively controlled by the invention, so that standard generators are useable according to the invention. Preferably, there is no active feedback from the device and the control of the saline flow rate is “open loop.” Thus, in this embodiment, the control of saline flow rate is not dependent on feedback, but rather the measurement of the RF power going out to the device.
The use of the disclosed devices can result in significantly lower blood loss during surgical procedures such as liver resections. Typical blood loss for a right hepatectomy can be in the range of 500-1,000 cubic centimeters. Use of the devices disclosed herein to perform pre-transection coagulation of the liver can result in blood loss in the range of 50-300 cubic centimeters. Such a reduction in blood loss can reduce or eliminate the need for blood transfusions, and thus the cost and negative clinical consequences associated with blood transfusions, such as prolonged hospitalization and a greater likelihood of cancer recurrence. Use of the device can also provide improved sealing of bile ducts, and reduce the incidence of post-operative bile leakage, which is considered a major surgical complication.
For purposes of the appended claims, the term “tissue” includes, but is not limited to, organs (e.g. liver, lung, spleen, gallbladder), highly vascular tissues (e.g. liver, spleen), soft and hard tissues (connective, bone, cancellous) and tissue masses (e.g. tumors).
While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents. Furthermore, it should be understood that the appended claims do not necessarily comprise the broadest scope of the invention which the Applicant is entitled to claim, or the only manner(s) in which the invention may be claimed, or that all recited features are necessary.
All publications and patent documents cited in this application are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.
Claims
1-27. (Cancelled)
28. An adaptor for electrically coupling between an electrosurgical generator and a bipolar electrosurgical device, the adaptor comprising:
- a power input connector for coupling the adaptor with a monopolar mode power output connector of the electrosurgical generator;
- a ground connector for coupling the adaptor with a ground connector of the electrosurgical generator;
- a first and a second power output connector, each for coupling the adaptor with a first and a second bipolar mode power input connector of the bipolar electrosurgical device, respectively;
- a transformer coupled between the power input connector and the first and second power output connectors;
- a monopolar hand switch connector for coupling the adaptor with a monopolar mode hand switch connector of the electrosurgical generator; and
- at least one bipolar mode hand switch connector for coupling the adaptor with a bipolar mode hand switch connector of the electrosurgical device.
29. The adaptor according to claim 28 wherein:
- the transformer comprises a first coil and a second coil;
- the first coil adapted to be coupled to the generator; and
- the second coil adapted to be coupled to the bipolar electrosurgical device.
30. The adaptor according to claim 29 wherein:
- the first coil comprises a plurality of windings;
- the second coil comprises a plurality of windings; and
- the number of first coil windings is greater then the number of second coil windings.
31. The adaptor according to claim 28 wherein:
- the transformer comprises a first coil and a second coil;
- the first coil is coupled at a first end to the power input connector of the adaptor;
- the first coil is coupled at a second end to the ground connector of the adaptor;
- the second coil is coupled at a first end to the first power output connector of the adaptor; and
- the second coil is coupled at a second end to the second power output connector of the adaptor.
32. The adaptor according to claim 28 further comprising:
- a first and a second bipolar mode hand switch connector for coupling the adaptor with a first and a second bipolar mode hand switch connector of the electrosurgical device, respectively.
33. The adaptor according to claim 32 wherein:
- the first bipolar mode hand switch connector of the adaptor is coupled to the monopolar hand switch connector of the adaptor; and
- the second bipolar mode hand switch connector of the adaptor is coupled to the power input connector of the adaptor in parallel with the transformer.
34-39. (Cancelled)
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 27, 2003
Publication Date: Mar 17, 2005
Inventors: Michael McClurken (Durham, NH), David Lipson (North Andover, MA), David Flanagan (Somersworth, NH), Scott O'Brien (Sanford, MA)
Application Number: 10/486,807