Surgery – Instruments – Electrical application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-23
2001-10-16
Dvorak, Linda C. M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Electrical application
C606S034000, C606S038000, C606S045000, C604S035000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302881
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the removal of smoke or similar interfering contaminants that are produced during the treatment of biological tissue by high-frequency surgery.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A method and an apparatus of this kind are known, for example, from the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,160,334; 5,620,441; 5,108,389; 5,318,516. In these documents it is proposed to suck away smoke or water vapor during HF surgery or laser operations in order, first, to prevent contamination of nearby tissue, which could lead to postoperative problems, and, in general, to remove whatever interfering vapors impair visibility.
A particular problem with the known methods and apparatus resides in the fact that the associated suction equipment generates unpleasant noises, like those of a vacuum cleaner, which are extremely disturbing in an operating theater. Furthermore, it is desirable in operating theaters to have as few electrical devices running as possible, because they can cause electrical or electromagnetic interference.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for the removal of smoke or similar interfering contaminants that are produced during the treatment of biological tissue by high-frequency surgery wherein the aforemnentioned disturbances are substantially reduced in a simple manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for the removal of contaminants that are produced during the treatment of biological tissue by high-frequency surgery using an HF-surgery device comprising
an applicator through which the device transmits an electrical output to a treatment region of the tissue;
a controllable suction device for the removal of contaminants in the immediate vicinity of the applicator; and
a control mechanism to control the suction device dependent on an operating state of the HF-surgery device; and wherein the method comprises the steps of
generating a control signal when at least one of the following operational states exists:
(a) a voltage at the applicator suffices to ignite an arc;
(b) an arc exists between the applicator and the tissue; and
(c) a temperature in the treatment region exceeds a predetermined temperature; and
activating the suction device when the control signal is turned on; and
deactivating the suction device when the control signal is turned off.
Hence the removal of contaminants by suction begins only when interfering contamination (in particular by smoke) can in fact occur. Thus the route followed here is completely different from the state of the art, because in all known devices for this purpose the smoke suction begins as soon as activation of the devices or dissection instruments is initiated, and is thus independent of whether smoke or vapor can indeed be produced or not.
Thus in accordance with the present invention a control signal is generated when one or more of the following operating states prevails:
the voltage at the applicator is sufficient to ignite an arc;
an arc exists between the applicator and the tissue; and
the temperature of the region being treated exceeds a predetermined temperature value, in particular 100° C. Depending on the control signal, the suction device is activated or inactivated.
In the first case, i.e. when a voltage is used that is sufficient to ignite an arc, the smoke suction is, so to speak, activated at the earliest possible time, whenever it is certain that when the applicator is brought up to the tissue smoke or vapor will be produced.
In the second case, i.e. when an arc in fact exists between the applicator and the tissue, the suction is turned on only if contaminating substances, specifically smoke, are produced. While the HF voltage between applicator and tissue is below this critical level, no arc or spark and hence no smoke can come into existence, but vapor can be produced if the device for coagulation is used with direct contact at the electrode. In this case however, as mentioned, the smoke extraction mechanism is not turned on.
In the third case in which the suction is turned on when the temperature of the region being treated exceeds a predetermined level, vapor is sucked away when the temperature is in the region of about 100° C. To ensure that the suction process occurs only when smoke is present, the temperature threshold can be set higher, i.e. above 100° C., because at lower temperatures no smoke can be produced. As a result of the characteristics cited above, to be used alternatively or cumulatively, it is ensured that the process of smoke extraction is activated as rarely as possible.
Preferably, the control signal that initiates smoke extraction is suppressed when the device for HF surgery is in an operating mode in which no smoke can be produced, in particular when an inert or noble gas, especially Ar or He, is being applied to the treated region. In this case all three of the above-mentioned criteria (ignition voltage, arc, temperature level) can be met without the production of smoke. The reason is that in the presence of an inert gas no oxygen is available, so that the tissue is reliably prevented from burning and hence producing smoke.
The performance of the suction device is preferably controlled in such a way that when the electrical power is increased, the suction is made stronger. This feature ensures that the noise or interference level of the suction device is kept as low as possible, while at the same time the strength of suction can be adjusted to produce an adequate effect.
The control signal is preferably maintained for a predetermined period of time after the first or second operating state (temperature, arc) has ended, in order to ensure that any smoke or vapor produced will be completely extracted.
In another preferred embodiment the suction device is brought to a lower, initial power level when an arc-ignition voltage is present between the applicator and the tissue, until either an actual arc or an increased temperature is detected; then these in turn cause the suction strength to be increased. By this means it is ensured that whenever the surgeon operates the actuating mechanism (pedal, button on applicator) in order to cut or coagulate tissue, the suction device is already put into an activated state so that when smoke or vapor in fact appears, it is immediately able to remove it with stronger suction, a performance level that can be reached more readily and rapidly from the initial, lower-power state than from a completely deactivated state.
To implement this method and in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for the removal of contaminants that are produced during the treatment of biological tissue by HF-surgery comprising
an HF-surgery device;
an applicator through which the device transmits an electrical output to a treatment region of the tissue;
a controllable suction device for the removal of contaminants in the immediate vicinity of the applicator; and
a control mechanism to control the suction device dependent on an operating state of the HF-surgery device; and wherein the improvement comprises the provision of at least one of
(a) a first monitoring means to detect a voltage at the applicator; and
a first comparator in the control mechanism to compare the voltage with a predetermined ignition-voltage value and to send out a first control signal for the activation of the suction device whenever the voltage reaches at least the ignition-voltage level; and
(b) a second monitoring means to detect an operating state of the HF-surgery device and to send out an operating-state signal; and
a recognition device in the control mechanism to receive the operating-state signal and to send out a second control signal for the activation of the suction device whenever, on the basis of the operating-state signal, the existence of an arc between the treatment region and the applicator is recognized; and
(c) a third monitoring means to detect at least one of a temperature of the treatm
Dvorak Linda C. M.
Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
Ruddy David M.
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