Electrosurgical device

Abstract

The electrosurgical device comprises at least one hollow body of elongated shape and having: a gripping portion, in turn, comprising a proximal ending part connectable to a current generator and to feeding means of an electro-conductive fluid; a contact portion comprising a distal ending part having one active electrode and one neutral electrode adapted to come into contact with the body of a patient; and at least one tubular duct passing through the hollow body and having one feeding hole of the fluid formed on the proximal ending part, and one delivery hole of the fluid formed on the distal ending part; the delivery hole is at least partially circular and extends around at least one of the electrodes.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical device, comprising at least onea hollow body of elongated shape and having: a gripping portion comprising a proximal ending part connectable to a current generator and to a feeding means of an electro-conductive fluid, wherein the current generator is adapted to generate a radio frequency current having a power between 20 and 200 Watts; a contact portion comprising a distal ending part having an active electrode and a neutral electrode adapted to come into contact with a body of a patient; and a tubular duct passing through said hollow body and having a feeding hole of said electro-conductive fluid formed at said proximal ending part; wherein said tubular duct comprises: a first delivery hole of said electro-conductive fluid, being formed at said distal ending part and substantially surrounding the neutral electrode; and a second delivery hole of said electro-conductive fluid being formed at said distal ending part and substantially surrounding the active electrode, wherein a distribution of a flow of said electro-conductive fluid is controlled by a shape of the contact portion, wherein the electrosurgical device further comprises a suction duct for suctioning biological residue that passes through said hollow body, wherein said suction duct in use is disposed below the first delivery hole and the second delivery hole, said active electrode and said neutral electrode being arranged symmetrically with respect to a suction mouth of said suction duct and said active electrode and said neutral electrode each extend overhanging with respect to the distal ending part and the first and second delivery holes are made in a receding position with respect to a top of the active electrode and the neutral electrode, each of said active electrode and said neutral electrode extending longitudinally downwards over the suction duct to allow the electro-conductive fluid to run by gravity during use along the tubular duct and the first delivery hole and the second delivery hole, respectively, and coming out of the first delivery hole and the second delivery hole respectively to wet the active electrode and the neutral electrode uniformly by skimming an entire exposed surface of the active and the neutral electrodes that is exposed from the contact portion.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said tubular duct has a section coaxial to each of said active electrode and said neutral electrode.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said suction duct comprises the suction mouth formed at said distal ending part and an exhaust mouth for exhausting said biological residue, said exhaust mouth formed on said proximal ending part and connectable to a suction means.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising a control means of said suction means formed on said gripping portion.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said electro-conductive fluid comprises a saline solution.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising on/off switching means for power which are formed on said gripping portion.

7. An appliance for electro-surgery, comprising: a supporting frame for resting on a ground surface; a power supply and control unit associated with said supporting frame and, in turn, comprising: a radio frequency current generator; and a suction means of biological fluids; wherein the appliance for electro-surgery comprises the electrosurgical device according to claim 1.

8. The appliance according to claim 7, wherein said electrosurgical device is operatively connected to said power supply and said control unit by interposition of connecting means.

9. An electrosurgical device, comprising: a gripping portion comprising a proximal ending part connectable to a current generator and to a feeding means of an electro-conductive fluid, wherein said current generator is adapted to generate a radio frequency current having a power between 20 and 200 Watts; a contact portion comprising a distal ending part having an active electrode and a neutral electrode adapted to come into contact with a body of a patient, the distal ending part having a three-lobed shape; and a tubular duct extending through said electrosurgical device and having a feeding hole of said electro-conductive fluid formed at said proximal ending part, a first delivery hole surrounding at least a portion of said active electrode; and a second delivery hole surrounding at least a portion of said neutral electrode, wherein a distribution of a flow of said electro-conductive fluid is at least partially controlled by the three-lobed shape of said distal ending part of said contact portion, wherein said electrosurgical device comprises a suction duct for suctioning biological residue that passes through said electrosurgical device, wherein said active electrode and said neutral electrode are arranged symmetrically, and are offset in position, with respect to a suction mouth of said suction duct, and wherein a portion of said active electrode and a portion of said neutral electrode extends from and overhangs with respect to said distal ending part and said first and second delivery holes are made in a receding position with respect to a top of said active and neutral electrodes themselves, each of said active electrode and said neutral electrode extending longitudinally downwards over the suction duct, wherein the gripping portion comprises an upper surface that is configured to contact a palm of a user's hand during use and a lower surface that is configured to contact a portion of a finger of the user's hand when the electrosurgical device is in use, wherein a first portion of said contact portion extends from said gripping portion along a substantially straight line, and wherein a distal end portion of said contact portion is bent down, along with a portion of the active electrode and a portion of the neutral electrode, with respect to said first portion of said contact portion, and wherein the electrosurgical device is configured to allow the electro-conductive fluid to run in a use position by gravity along the tubular duct and to come out of the first and second delivery holes, respectively, and wet said active and said negative electrodes uniformly by skimming an entire exposed surface of said active electrode and said negative electrode.

10. The electrosurgical device of claim 9, wherein the gripping portion comprises an upper surface that is configured to contact a palm of a user's hand during use and a lower surface that is configured to contact a portion of a finger of the user's hand when the electrosurgical device is in use, and wherein said suction duct is disposed at least partially below said first delivery hole and said second delivery hole.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an electrosurgical device, illustrated by way of an indicative, but non-limiting example, in the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a plan view from above of the device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the plane II of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectional view from above of the device according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the device according to the invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the appliance according to the invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a detail of FIG. 1.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(8) With particular reference to these illustrations, reference numeral 1 globally indicates an electrosurgical device.

(9) The device 1 comprises one hollow body 2, 3 of elongated shape and having a gripping portion 2, in turn, comprising a proximal ending part 4 connectable to a current generator 5 and to feeding means 6 of an electro-conductive fluid 7.

(10) It is useful to point out that in the present discussion the “distal” and “proximal” adjectives are considered with reference to the current generator 5 and to the feeding means 6.

(11) Advantageously, the current generator 5 is adapted to generate a radio frequency current.

(12) In detail, the radio frequency current has a power between 20 and 200 Watts. Preferably, the fluid 7 is of the type of a saline solution.

(13) The gripping portion 2 has an ergonomic shape adapted to facilitate its gripping and handling by the operator.

(14) Furthermore, the gripping portion 2 comprises two first half-shells 8 associable the one with the other by interposition of connection means 9 provided with a plurality of toothed elements made on both the first half-shells 8 and which, in an assembly configuration (FIGS. 1 and 2), are adapted to operate in conjunction with one another to associate by slotting into one another.

(15) Each first half-shell 8 has a first slotting ending part 11 opposite the proximal ending part 4 and shaped in such a way as to define, in an assembly configuration, a housing seat 12.

(16) Furthermore, the hollow body 2, 3 comprises a contact portion 3 having a distal ending part 13 provided with an active electrode 14 and with a neutral electrode 15 adapted to come into contact with the body of a patient.

(17) With reference to the particular embodiment shown in the illustrations, the electrodes 14, 15 are substantially dome-shaped.

(18) In particular, each electrode 14, 15 can be connected to the current generator 5 by means of a metal element 16 with elongated shape, in turn associated with power transmission means 17 of the type known to the expert in the sector.

(19) In the same way as the gripping portion 2, the contact portion 3 also comprises two second half-shells 18 provided with joining edges 19 which, in an assembly configuration, are associated with one another by slotting.

(20) The second half-shells 18 comprise a second slotting ending part 20, opposite the distal ending part 13 and provided with two connecting elements 26 with tubular shape and adapted to allow fluidic communication between the gripping portion 2 and the contact portion 3.

(21) More in detail, the first and the second half-shells 18 can be made separately using forming techniques, such as injection molding, and subsequently assembled together or, alternatively, they can be made in a single body piece.

(22) The hollow body 2, 3 comprises a tubular duct 21 passing through the hollow body itself and having one feeding hole 22 of the fluid 7 formed on the proximal ending part 4, and one delivery hole 27 of the fluid 7 formed on the distal ending part 13.

(23) As can be seen in the illustrations, the tubular duct 21 comprises a first section 23 passing through the gripping portion 2.

(24) In detail, the first section 23 comprises a first ending part 24 provided with the feeding hole 22, and a second ending part 25 opposite the first ending part 24 and adapted to house the respective connecting element 26; this allows the passage of the salt solution 7 from the first section 23 to the contact portion 3 and the consequent distribution of the flow to the respective delivery holes 27. The distribution of the flow of salt solution 7 is allowed by the shape of the contact portion 3.

(25) In fact, with reference to the particular embodiment shown in the illustrations, the contact portion 3 is shaped to define, in an assembly configuration, two housing ducts 28 for containing the electrodes 14, 15 and the relative metal elements 16.

(26) At the same time, the two housing ducts 28 allow for the passage of the salt solution 7; this means that the salt solution 7 flows, dropping by gravity, inside the two housing ducts 28.

(27) According to the invention, the delivery hole 27 is at least partially circular and extends around at least one of the electrodes 14, 15.

(28) In detail, the delivery hole 27 has a substantially annular shape surrounding at least one of the electrodes 14, 15.

(29) With reference to the particular embodiment shown in the illustrations, the tubular duct 21 comprises two delivery holes 27 respectively surrounding each of the electrodes 14, 15.

(30) In particular, the tubular duct 21 has at least one section coaxial to each of the electrodes 14, 15.

(31) It is well to underline that the annular shape of the delivery holes 27 permits skimming each of the electrodes 14, 15, by wetting them uniformly.

(32) More in detail, each electrode 14, 15 extends overhanging with respect to the distal ending part 13 and the delivery holes 27 are made in a receding position with respect to the top of the electrodes themselves; this enables the salt solution 7 to come out and run along the entire surface of the electrodes 14, 15.

(33) Moreover, the device 1 comprises a suction duct 29 for suctioning the biological residues which passes through the hollow body 2, 3.

(34) In particular, the suction duct 29 comprises a suction mouth 30 of the biological residues which is formed on the distal ending part 13 and an exhaust mouth 31 of the biological residues which is formed on the proximal ending part 4 and connectable to the suction means 32.

(35) The device 1 comprises control means 33 of the suction means 32 which are formed on the gripping portion 2.

(36) With reference to the particular embodiment shown in the illustrations, the control means 33 are of the type of a through hole which is formed on the gripping portion 2.

(37) The suction force varies according to the operator's needs; this means that the operator, by blocking the through hole 33 at least partially with his/her finger, increases the suction force generated by the suction means 32 and, vice versa, by freeing the through hole 33, reduces the suction force.

(38) The device 1 comprises on/off switching means 34, 35 of the power which are formed on the gripping portion 2.

(39) The on/off switching means 34, 35 are of the type of a button element.

(40) In particular, the button element 34, 35 comprises an activation surface 34 which can be pressed by the operator and a contact element 35 of the type known to the expert in the sector and adapted to transmit the on/off signal to the electrodes 14, 15.

(41) Advantageously, the electrodes 14, 15 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the suction mouth 30.

(42) The present invention also relates to an appliance 36 for electro-surgery.

(43) The appliance 36 comprises a supporting frame 37 for resting on the ground provided with wheel elements 38 adapted to allow the displacement thereof in the surrounding environments.

(44) Furthermore, the appliance 36 comprises a power supply and control unit 40 associated with the supporting frame 37 and provided with feeding means 6 of a radio frequency current and suction means 32 of biological fluids.

(45) The appliance 36 comprises the device 1, and the latter is operatively connected to the power supply and control unit 40 by interposition of connecting means 39.

(46) The operation of the present invention is as follows.

(47) The operator turns on the appliance 36 and, by gripping the device 1, approaches the contact portion 3 to the operating site.

(48) By pressing the activation surface 34, the contact element 35 drops and allows the flow of the radio frequency current to the electrodes 14, 15.

(49) At the same time as the electrical charge applied to the patient's tissue and adapted to cause its cutting and healing, the salt solution 7 runs by gravity along the tubular duct 21 and the relative housing ducts 28, before then coming out of the respective delivery holes 27.

(50) The salt solution 7, coming out of the delivery holes 27, wets the electrodes 14, 15 uniformly by skimming the entire surface of the latter.

(51) The operator, by placing their finger on the through hole 33, adjusts the intensity of the suction force generated by the suction means 32.

(52) In detail, the suction mouth 30 positioned inside the operating site ensures the removal of the biological residues therein and eliminates the risk of accumulation of the salt solution 7.

(53) It has in practice been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects.

(54) The fact is underlined that the particular solution of providing annular delivery holes surrounding the electrodes, in combination with the presence of a suction mouth prevents the obstruction of the electrodes and permits using the device at lower electric powers with respect to known devices, and at the same time enables the maintaining of an operating site devoid of blood.

(55) To this must be added the fact that the absence of accumulations of salt solution allows using the above device in deep tissues positioned close to vital organs, without the risk of any injury to these.