ELECTROSURGICAL HANDHELD DEVICE, AND CONTACT BODY FOR AN ELECTROSURGICAL HANDHELD DEVICE

Abstract

An electrosurgical handheld device and also a contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device, with which both the required cleanliness and the necessary safety can be obtained. This is achieved by the fact that a contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device for receiving an optical guide and for coupling at least one electrical contact of an electrode instrument of the handheld device has an RF cable, which is fixedly connected to the contact body. By way of this RF cable, an RF voltage can be applied to the electrode instrument via the at least one electrical contact. The other end of the RF cable can be connectable to an RF generator.

Claims

1. A contact body for an electrosurgical handheld for receiving an optical guide and for coupling at least one electrical contact of an electrode instrument of the handheld device, wherein an RF cable which is fixedly connected to the contact body and by which an RF voltage can be applied to the electrode instrument via the at least one electrical contact.

2. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a releasable coupling to at least one element of a grip unit of the handheld device, the contact body having at least one coupling means for the releasable coupling.

3. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the coupling means is designed as a receptacle in the contact body, to which receptacle an element of the grip unit is able to be releasably coupled.

4. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the receptacle is designed like a slit or as a bore, and the second grip element is connectable to the receptacle with a latching action, or in that the receptacle is magnetic, for the purpose of magnetic coupling to the second grip element.

5. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacle is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the contact body.

6. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the coupling means is designed as a latching means, a bayonet catch, a click-in connection or another kind of mechanical connection, and the coupling means, which is arranged on a distal end of the contact body, is able to produce a releasable connection to the first grip element of the handheld device.

7. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RF cable is connected to at least one plug socket for receiving a respective contact of the electrode instrument, and this at least one plug socket is integrated in the contact body.

8. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a slit which is oriented parallel to a continuous bore, for receiving the optical guide through the contact body, and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the contact body.

9. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the slit extends from an outer wall of the contact body as far as the bore, the tubular optical guide being able to be guided through the slit into the bore.

10. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact body is a slide for an active or passive resectoscope.

11. The contact body for an electrosurgical handheld device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact body is made of plastic.

12. An electrosurgical handheld device with an electrode instrument which at a distal end has an electrode and at a proximal end has at least one electrical contact, with a grip unit consisting of a first grip element and a second grip element, with a tubular shaft which is coupled with a proximal end to the first grip element, with an optical guide for receiving an optical unit, and a contact body through which the optical guide is able to be guided, the second grip element being able to be fastened, and in which the at least one electrical contact of the electrode instrument can be latched and/or electrically contacted, wherein a contact body as claimed in claim 1.

Description

[0030] A preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a resectoscope,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an optical guide,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a contact body, and

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the contact body according to FIG. 3.

[0035] A possible illustrative embodiment of an electrosurgical handheld device, namely a resectoscope 10, is depicted highly schematically in FIG. 1. The resectoscope 10 has a working element 11 on which an elongate, tubular shaft 12 can be fastened. This shaft 12 is indicated by hatching in FIG. 1 and is fastened with a proximal end to a main body 13 of the working element 11.

[0036] The working element 11 has, in addition to the main body 13, a grip unit 14. This grip unit 14 has a first grip element 15 and a second grip element 16. While the first grip element 15 is arranged fixedly on the main body 13, the second grip element 16 is assigned to a contact body 17 in the illustrative embodiment of the working element 11 shown here.

[0037] The contact body 17 is guided slidingly on a tubular optical guide 18 or an optical guide tube. For this purpose, the contact body 17 has a bore 19 whose diameter is slightly greater than a diameter of the optical guide 18. Since the contact body 17 can move to and fro on the optical guide 18 along a longitudinal direction of the resectoscope 10 or a longitudinal axis of the shaft 12, the contact body 17 is also designated as a slide.

[0038] While the optical guide 18 is connected with a distal end to the main body 13 or an inner tube 22 via an adapter 38 (FIG. 2), an optical guide plate 20 is fastened at a proximal end of the optical guide 18. The tubular optical guide 18 extends through the optical guide plate 20, such that the optical guide 18 is accessible from the proximal direction.

[0039] The second grip element 16 and the contact body 17 are connected to the optical guide plate 20 via a spring element 21. This spring element 21 can be a tension spring.

[0040] Starting from the main body 13, an inner tube 22 extends in the distal direction. This inner tube 22 can also extend in the proximal direction through the main body 13 and be connected to the optical guide 18. It is equally conceivable that the inner tube 22 and the optical guide 18 are formed in one piece, or that the optical guide 18 extends distally through the main body 13.

[0041] An electrode instrument 23 extends parallel to the inner tube 22. This electrode instrument 23 is guided through the main body 13 and with at least one proximal contact is mechanically and releasably coupled in a receptacle 27 to the contact body 17. In the contact body 17, a latching mechanism can be provided which can be released and fixed via a button 39 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The latching mechanism locks the at least one proximal end or the contact of the electrode instrument 23 in the contact body 17. The button 39 or the latching mechanism can be spring-preloaded and can be easily actuated with one finger.

[0042] At a distal end, the electrode instrument 23 has an electrode 24. An electrical RF voltage can be applied to this electrode 24. The diseased tissue can be manipulated or cut by means of a plasma that forms at the electrode 24. For this purpose, the operator moves the second gripping means 16, having a thumb ring 25, relative to the first gripping means 15. For stabilizing the electrode instrument 23, the latter can be guided on the inner tube 22 by guides 26.

[0043] For applying the RF voltage to the electrode 24, the receptacle 27 of the proximal contact of the electrode instrument 23 can be electrically contacted. For this purpose, the contact body 17 has at least one plug socket (not visible in the figures). This plug socket is in electrical contact with at least one part of an inner wall of the receptacle 27. The contact body 17 or the plug socket is connected in the interior of the contact body 17 to the RF cable 40. The RF cable 40 is integrally connected to the contact body 17. At another end (not shown), the RF cable 40 has a plug with which it is attachable to an RF generator. The contact body 17, together with the RF cable 40, is thus made available or supplied as one unit.

[0044] According to the invention, this unit consisting of contact body 17 and RF cable 40 is designed as a disposable contact body 17. In other words, after this operation, this unit is removed from the resectoscope 10 and discarded. For a subsequent operation, a new unit can then be connected to the resectoscope 10.

[0045] For performing the intervention, a rod-like optical unit 29 is guided through the inner tube 22 or optical guide 18. A distal end (not visible here) of this optical unit 29 is directed in the direction of the electrode instrument 23, so that the operator has a view of the manipulation of the tissue. This optical unit 29 can be a rod lens system or an optical fiber. As is shown in FIG. 1, an eyepiece 30 or a camera is located at the proximal end of the optical unit 29.

[0046] In the manufacture of the working element 11, the assembly of the contact body 17 proves particularly awkward. It was hitherto the case that the optical guide plate 20 was first welded to the optical guide 18, then the contact body 17 was plugged onto the optical guide 18, and then the optical guide 18 was firmly connected by the distal end to the main body 13 or the inner tube 22. For replacement or for maintenance of the contact body 17, these steps had to be repeated in reverse order.

[0047] The contact body 17 shown here has a slit 32 (FIG. 3). This slit 32 extends parallel to the bore 19 from an end face 33 to the opposite end face 34 of the contact body 17. The slit 32 is designed in such a way that it extends from an outer wall 35 as far as the bore 19 (FIG. 3). The interior of the bore 19 is thus extended.

[0048] In the illustrative embodiment of the slit 32 shown in FIG. 3, it has two parallel side walls 36, 37. The distance between these two side walls 36, 37, i.e. the width of the slit 32, is less than the diameter of the bore 19. Provision is made in particular that a ratio between the width of the slit 32 and the diameter of the bore 19 is 0.6 mm to 0.9 mm, preferably 0.7 mm to 0.8 mm, in particular 0.76 mm.

[0049] By virtue of the extension of the bore 19 through the slit 32, it is possible to clip the contact body 17 onto the optical guide 18. For this purpose, the tubular optical guide 18 is guided through the slit 32 into the bore 19. It is conceivable here that an external diameter of the optical guide 18 or the distance between the two side walls 36, 37 deforms for a short time and in a reversible manner. After the assembly of the contact body 17, the grip element 16, the spring element 21 and the electrode instrument 23 can then be connected to the contact body 17.

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a further essential feature of the invention. The receptacle 41, designed as a slit or wedge, serves to couple the second grip element 16 to the contact body 17 in a simple and reliable manner. For this purpose, corresponding bearing pins of the grip element 16 are pressed into the receptacle 41 from above. This coupling can be released again by the action of a slight force. Alternatively, it is likewise conceivable that the contact body 17 has only two bores 31 into which two spring-pretensioned bearing pins of the second grip element 16 can be inserted with a latching action. In a further illustrative embodiment (not shown), provision can be made that the second grip element 16 is coupled magnetically to the contact body 17. By virtue of this releasable coupling between the grip element 16 and the contact body 17, a quick and simple connection can be effected between said components.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0051] 10 resectoscope [0052] 11 working element [0053] 12 shaft [0054] 13 main body [0055] 14 grip unit [0056] 15 first grip element [0057] 16 second grip element [0058] 17 contact body [0059] 18 optical guide [0060] 19 bore [0061] 20 optical guide plate [0062] 21 spring element [0063] 22 inner tube [0064] 23 electrode instrument [0065] 24 electrode [0066] 25 thumb ring [0067] 26 guide [0068] 27 receptacle [0069] 29 optical unit [0070] 30 eyepiece [0071] 31 bore [0072] 32 slit [0073] 33 end face [0074] 34 end face [0075] 35 outer wall [0076] 36 side wall [0077] 37 side wall [0078] 38 adapter [0079] 39 button [0080] 40 RF cable [0081] 41 receptacle