Enhanced electrosurgical apparatus

Claim 2

An electrosurgical apparatus for cutting biological tissue, which comprises, in combination, a hand-operated electrosurgical pencil comprising an exposed electrode with a distal end defining a cutting tip, means for supplying high-frequency, electrical energy from a generator through said electrode to cut said tissue and means for returning said electrical energy from said tissue to said generator to complete an electrical circuit, a source of inert gas, a device attached to said electrosurgical pencil, which device comprises a nose piece having a central axis and a hollow portion extending longitudinally about said axis, which hollow portion accommodates said electrode, said nose piece containing conduit means defining at least one pathway for gas so that gas passing therethrough shrouds said exposed electrode at or near to the tip thereof, means for connecting said conduit means to said source of inert gas and passing filtered inert gas from said source at a predetermined pressure and flow rate through said at least one pathway.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said nose piece is part of a unit which is attached to said electrosurgical pencil and said nose piece is slidably mounted on said unit.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, in which said unit has a channel which carries hose means defining a gas line having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of said gas line being attached to said conduit means and the proximal end of said gas line being attached to filter means for removing contaminants from inert gas, a connector and control valves, said hose means, filter means, connector and control valves forming an inert gas circuit through which said conduit means is connected to said source of inert gas.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 3, in which said source of inert gas provides an inert gas selected from helium, argon, neon and mixtures thereof.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 3, in which the inert gas circuit comprising said hose means, filter means connector and control valves includes pressure sensor means provided with an automatic cut-out and/or alarm which operates when the gas pressure attains or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 5, in which said inert gas circuit also includes electronic switching means for switching the hose means from one or more first sources of inert gas to one or more second sources when the pressure in said first source or sources is sufficiently low.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 6, in which said switching means is associated with alarm means which operates if the gas pressure in said one or more second sources is also low or if there is any fault in the gas flow.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the electrode is a blade made from a conductive material with a certain amount of porosity to allow a pressurized gas to flow through the blade and create a localized plasma for cutting tissue.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said electrical circuit includes means for automatically sensing the high-frequency, electrical energy from the generator and matching the flow rate of the inert gas to the energy generated for optimum operation.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said electrical circuit includes a step up transformer for increasing the open circuit voltage available from the generator.

Claim 12

An electrosurgical apparatus for cutting biological tissue, which comprises a hand operated electrosurgical pencil comprising an electrically insulating housing and an exposed electrode with a distal end defining a cutting tip, means for supplying high-frequency, alternating current, electrical energy from a generator through said electrode to cut said tissue and means for returning said electrical energy from said tissue to said generator to complete an electrical circuit, a device attached to said electrosurgical pencil, which device comprises a nose piece having a central axis and a hollow portion extending longitudinally about said central axis, which hollow portion accommodates said electrode, said nose piece containing conduit means defining at least one pathway for gas so that gas passing therethrough shrouds said exposed electrode at or near the tip thereof, means for passing filtered inert gas at a predetermined pressure and flow rate through said at least one pathway, and switching means mounted on said housing for selecting the cut mode or the coagulating mode, said switching means being connected to an isolated low voltage, direct current circuit which provides an appropriate signal to control the generator in the cut mode or coagulating mode, respectively, whereby the generator supplies the desired high-frequency, alternating current, electrical energy to said electrode and current leakage is limited.

Claim 13

An electrosurgical apparatus for cutting biological tissue, which comprises a hand operated electrosurgical pencil comprising an electrically insulating housing and an exposed electrode with a distal end defining a cutting tip, means for supplying high-frequency, alternating current, electrical energy from a generator through said electrode to cut said tissue and means for returning said electrical energy from said tissue to said generator to complete an electrical circuit, a device attached to said electrosurgical pencil, which device comprises a nose piece having a central axis and a hollow portion extending longitudinally about said central axis, which hollow portion accommodates said electrode, said nose piece containing conduit means defining at least one pathway for gas so that gas passing therethrough shrouds said exposed electrode at or near the tip thereof, means for passing filtered inert gas at a predetermined pressure and flow rate through said at least one pathway, and switching means mounted on said housing for selecting the cut mode or the coagulating mode, said switching means being connected to an isolated low voltage, direct current circuit which provides an appropriate signal to control the generator in the cut mode or coagulating mode, respectively, whereby the generator supplies the desired high-frequency, alternating current, electrical energy to said electrode and current leakage is limited.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 11, in which low voltage direct current is produced by a step-down transformer and diode rectifier within the apparatus and said isolated direct current circuit comprises a three wire cable having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of each of the three wires being connected to the switching means on the pencil and the proximal end of the cable terminating in a three prong plug adapted to be plugged into an appropriate socket on the apparatus.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 11, in which the high-frequency, alternating current circuit comprises a single wire cable having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end being connected through an electrically conducting connection to said electrode and being electrically insulated from the rest of the pencil and said proximal end being connected through a jack to said generator.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 11, in which said nose piece is part of a unit which is attached to said electrosurgical pencil and said nose piece is slidably mounted on said unit.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 14, in which said unit has a channel which carries hose means defining a gas line having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of said gas line being attached to said conduit means and the proximal end of said gas line being attached to filter means for removing contaminants from inert gas, a connector and control valves, said hose means, filter means, connector and control valves forming an inert gas circuit through which said conduit means is connected to said source of inert gas.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 15, in which said source of inert gas provides an inert gas selected from helium, argon, neon and mixtures thereof.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 15, in which the inert gas circuit comprising said hose means, filter means, connector and control valves includes pressure sensor means provided with an automatic cut-out and/or alarm which operates when the gas pressure attains or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to claim 17, in which said inert gas circuit also includes electronic switching means for switching the hose means from one or more first sources of inert gas to one or more second sources when the pressure in said first source or sources is sufficiently low.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 18, in which said switching means is associated with alarm means which operates if the gas pressure in said one or more second sources is also low or if there is any fault in the gas flow.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 11, in which the nose piece is made from a high temperature resistant, electrically non-conducting material.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to claim 20, in which said material is a polysulfone or polycarbonate plastic.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to claim 11, in which the electrode is a blade made from a conductive material with a certain amount of porosity to allow a pressurized gas to flow through the blade and create a localized plasma for cutting or coagulating tissue.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 11, in which said electrical circuit includes means for automatically sensing the high frequency, electrical energy from the generator and matching the flow rate of the inert gas to the energy generated for optimum operation.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to claim 11, in which the electrical circuit includes a step up transformer for increasing the open circuit voltage available from the generator.

Claim 29

A method according to claim 25, in which said electrosurgical cutting is performed by directing at least one stream of a filtered inert gas to shroud an exposed electrosurgical electrode, switching on the generator and choosing the cut mode for the electrode, placing the tip of the electrode in contact with the tissue and drawing it across the tissue to produce the desired cutting operation.