Electrosurgical device

Claim 2

An electrosurgical device which comprises a driver element including a driver coil, a transmission line having grounding means and also including two line conductors which are connected to opposite ends of the driver coil, means for impressing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current on the conductors to energize the driver coil, a handpiece element having a socket thereinside, the driver element being removably and slidably received inside the socket of the handpiece element, a handpiece coil in the handpiece element surrounding the socket, means for attaching a surgical electrode to one end of the handpiece coil with a portion of the surgical electrode exposed, contact means on the driver element connected to the grounding means, contact means on the handpiece element at the socket connected to the other end of the handpiece coil and engaging the contact means of the driver element when the driver element is seated in the socket, the energized driver coil located adjacent but spaced from the handpiece coil inducing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current in the handpiece coil, there being electrical coupling between the handpiece coil and a patient when the surgical electrode is brought into proximity with tissues of the patient.

Claim 3

An electrosurgical device as in claim 1 wherein the grounding means in the transmission line is a conducting sheath surrounding the conductors and is connected to ground of the means for impressing a radio frequency oscillating electrical potential.

Claim 4

An electrosurgical device as in claim 2 wherein there is a dielectric cover surrounding the conducting sheath.

Claim 5

An electrosurgical device as in claim 1 wherein the contact means on the driver element is a metal ring surrounding the driver element and the contact means of the handpiece element is a metal band attached to the handpiece coil and extending through an opening in a wall of the handpiece element into the socket of the handpiece element, resilience of the wall causing the wall to grip the handpiece element contact means to hold the contact means in firm engagement.

Claim 6

An electrosurgical device which comprises a driver element including a driver coil, a transmission line including at least two conductors, grounding means, a tubular dielectric member, a dielectric head end member mounted in one end of the tubular member, an electrically conducting rod mounted in the head end member extending along the tubular member substantially axially thereof, and a tubular magnetic core member mounted on the rod, the driver coil being wound on the magnetic core member inside the tubular member, one end of the driver coil being attached to the electrically conducting rod, the transmission line extending through an opening in the head end member into the interior of the tubular member, one of the conductors of the transmission line being connected to the opposite end of the driver coil, the other of the conductors of the transmission line being attached to the electrically conducting rod, means for impressing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current on the conductors to energize the driver coil, a handpiece element having a socket thereinside, the driver element being removably and slidably received inside the socket of the handpiece element, a handpiece coil in the handpiece element surrounding the socket, means for attaching a surgical electrode to one end of the handpiece coil with a portion of the surgical electrode exposed, contact means on the driver element connectEd to the grounding means, contact means on the handpiece element at the socket connected to the other end of the handpiece coil and engaging the contact means of the driver element when the driver element is seated in the socket, the driver coil inducing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current in the handpiece coil, there being electrical coupling between the handpiece coil and a patient when the surgical electrode is brought into proximity with tissues of the patient.

Claim 7

An electrosurgical device which comprises a driver element including a driver coil, a transmission line including at least two conductors, grounding means, a tubular dielectric member, a dielectric head end member mounted in one end of the tubular member, an electrically conducting rod mounted in the head end member extending along the tubular member substantially axially thereof, and a tubular magnetic core member mounted on the rod, the driver coil being wound on the magnetic core member inside the tubular member, one end of the driver coil being attached to the electrically conducting rod, the transmission line extending through an opening in the head end member into the interior of the tubular member, one of the conductors of the transmission line being connected to the opposite end of the driver coil, the other of the conductors of the transmission line being attached to the electrically conducting rod, means for impressing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current on the conductors to energize the driver coil, a handpiece element having a socket thereinside, the driver element being removably and slidably received inside the socket of the handpiece element, a handpiece coil in the handpiece element surrounding the socket, means for attaching a surgical electrode to one end of the handpiece coil with a portion of the surgical electrode exposed, contact means on the driver element connectEd to the grounding means, contact means on the handpiece element at the socket connected to the other end of the handpiece coil and engaging the contact means of the driver element when the driver element is seated in the socket, the driver coil inducing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current in the handpiece coil, there being electrical coupling between the handpiece coil and a patient when the surgical electrode is brought into proximity with tissues of the patient.

Claim 8

An electrosurgical device as in claim 5 wherein the transmission line includes a conducting shield surrounding the conductors thereof and the contact means on the driver element is a ring surrounding the tubular dielectric element and connected to the conducting shield.

Claim 9

An electro surgical device which comprises a primary driver coil and a secondary surgical work coil which can be assembled together with said coils in adjacent but spaced relation and mutually coupled, the driver coil and the surgical work coil being mounted in separable elements, a radio frequency power source, a transmission line connecting the radio frequency power source to the driver coil, a surgical electrode, means attaching the surgical electrode to one end of the surgical work coil, and means for coupling the other end of the surgical work coil to the radio frequency power source, there being an electrical circuit completed from the surgical electrode through a patient''s tissues and at least one of the coils by capacitance coupling with the patient when the surgical electrode is brought into proximity with said patient''s tissues.

Claim 10

An electro surgical device which comprises a primary driver coil and a secondary surgical work coil which can be assembled together with said coils in adjacent but spaced relation and mutually coupled, the driver coil and the surgical work coil being mounted in separable elements, a radio frequency power source, a transmission line connecting the radio frequency power source to the driver coil, a surgical electrode, means attaching the surgical electrode to one end of the surgical work coil, and means for coupling the other end of the surgical work coil to the radio frequency power source, there being an electrical circuit completed from the surgical electrode through a patient''s tissues and at least one of the coils by capacitance coupling with the patient when the surgical electrode is brought into proximity with said patient''s tissues.

Claim 11

An electrosurgical device as in claim 7 wherein the transmission line has a characteristic impedance electrically matched to a lumped impedance of the primary driver coil, the secondary surgical work coil, and the patient''s tissues.

Claim 12

An electrosurgical device as in claim 7 wherein power is supplied to the radio frequency power source by power leads through a substantially constant voltage transformer which stabilizes the radio frequency power source.

Claim 13

An electrosurgical device as in claim 7 wherein the surgical work coil element is hollow and the driver coil element is releasably received inside the surgical work coil element.

Claim 14

An electrosurgical device as in claim 7 wherein the means for coupling the other end of the surgical work coil to the radio frequency power source includes interconnecting contacts on the elements and the transmission line includes means for connecting the driver coil contact to the radio frequency power source.

Claim 15

An electrosurgical device which comprises a driver element including a driver coil, a transmission line including conductors connected to opposite ends of the driver coil, means for impressing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current on the conductors to energize the driver coil, a handpiece coil in electrically coupled relation with the driver coil located adjacent to but spaced therefrom, means for attaching a surgical electrode to one end of the handpiece coil with a portion of the surgical electrode exposed, the driver coil inducing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current in the handpiece coil, there being electrical coupling between the handpiece coil and a patient when the surgical electrode is brought into proximity with tissues of the patient.

Claim 16

An electrosurgical device which comprises a driver element including a driver coil, a transmission line including conductors connected to opposite ends of the driver coil, means for impressing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current on the conductors to energize the driver coil, a handpiece coil in electrically coupled relation with the driver coil located adjacent to but spaced therefrom, means for attaching a surgical electrode to one end of the handpiece coil with a portion of the surgical electrode exposed, the driver coil inducing a radio frequency oscillating electrical current in the handpiece coil, there being electrical coupling between the handpiece coil and a patient when the surgical electrode is brought into proximity with tissues of the patient.