Surgery – Instruments – Electrical application
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-22
2004-03-16
Peffley, Michael F. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Electrical application
C604S035000, C606S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06706041
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of surgical devices and methods of employing such surgical devices. More specifically, the invention is directed towards holders for ablation devices, surgical devices employing such holders, and methods of employing such surgical devices.
2. Description of Related Art
An ablation device may be used during a surgical procedure in order to ablate e.g., amputate or otherwise reduce or dissipate a patient's body part, tissue, or the like. Some known ablation devices may use radio frequency (RF) to create a charge of electricity in order to ablate the patient's tissue. For example, with some known ablation devices, a tip of the ablation device may contact the patient's tissue, which may ablate the patient's tissue. With other known ablation devices, a conductive fluid may be sprayed onto the target site via the tip of the ablation device. As such, the charge of electricity may be applied from the tip of the ablation device to the patient's tissue via the conductive fluid, which may allow the tip of the ablation device to ablate the patient's tissue without directly contacting the patient's tissue.
Nevertheless, with such known ablation devices, when the tip of the ablation device contacts the patient's tissue, the ablation device may ablate portions of the patient's tissue which the user of the ablation device did not intend or desire to ablate. Similarly, when conductive fluid irrigates portions of the patient's tissue which the user of the ablation device does not intend or desire to irrigate, those irrigated portions of the patient's tissue may be ablated. Moreover, when the ablation device sprays the conductive fluid onto the patient's tissue, the conductive fluid may splatter, and the patient's tissue and the tip of the ablation device may not remain substantially irrigated or saturated throughout the ablation procedure. Consequently, the charge of electricity may not be continuously applied from the tip of the ablation device to the patient's tissue via the conductive fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, a need has arisen for holders for ablation devices, surgical devices employing such holders, and methods of employing such surgical devices, that overcome these and other shortcomings of the related art. A technical advantage of the present invention is that a holder for an ablation device may be adapted to receive any known ablation device. Moreover, when the ablation device is disposed within the holder, the tip of the ablation device may not contact a patient's tissue during a surgical procedure involving ablation. Another technical advantage of the present invention is that the patient's tissue may be drawn inside a portion of the holder and may form a substantially airtight seal with an opening formed at an end of the holder. Consequently, when a conductive fluid is delivered to the patient's tissue, the conductive fluid only may be delivered to those portions of the patient's tissue drawn inside the holder, and the patient's tissue and the tip of the ablation device may remain substantially irrigated or saturated throughout the surgical procedure. Yet another technical advantage of the present invention is that portions of the ablated tissue which disseminate within the holder during ablation may be removed from the holder during the surgical procedure.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a holder for an ablation device is described. The holder comprises an inner cavity having a first opening formed therethrough, in which the inner cavity is adapted to receive an ablation device. In one embodiment, the holder also may comprise a first outer cavity surrounding the inner cavity. Alternatively, the holder may comprise a tip portion having a second opening formed therethrough, in which the tip portion is formed at a first end of the holder and extends beyond the inner cavity, such that a reaction chamber is formed between the first opening and the second opening. In yet another embodiment, the holder may comprise a first outer cavity surrounding the inner cavity and a tip portion having a second opening formed therethrough. Moreover, in this embodiment, the tip portion may be formed at a first end of the holder and may extend beyond the inner cavity, such that a reaction chamber is formed between the first opening and the second opening.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a surgical device is described. The surgical device comprises a holder for an ablation device, which includes an inner cavity having a first opening formed therethrough, in which the inner cavity is adapted to receive an ablation device. The surgical device also includes an ablation device disposed within the inner cavity. In one embodiment, the holder also may comprise a first outer cavity surrounding the inner cavity. Alternatively, the holder may comprise a tip portion having a second opening formed therethrough, in which the tip portion is formed at a first end of the holder and extends beyond the inner cavity, such that a reaction chamber is formed between the first opening and the second opening. In yet another embodiment, the holder may comprise a first outer cavity surrounding the inner cavity and a tip portion having a second opening formed therethrough. Moreover, in this embodiment, the tip portion may be formed at a first end of the holder and may extend beyond the inner cavity, such that a reaction chamber is formed between the first opening and the second opening.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of performing a surgical procedure is described. The method comprises the step of disposing an ablation device within a holder, in which the holder comprises an inner cavity having a first opening formed therethrough, in which the inner cavity is adapted to receive the ablation device. The holder also comprises a tip portion having a second opening formed therethrough, in which the tip portion is formed at a first end of the holder and extends beyond the inner cavity, such that a reaction chamber is formed between the first opening and the second opening. The method also comprises the step of drawing at least a portion of a patient's tissue inside the reaction chamber, such that the patient's tissue forms a substantially air tight seal with the second opening. In one embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of irrigating the portion of the patient's tissue drawn inside said reaction chamber and ablating at least a portion of the patient's tissue drawn inside said reaction chamber. In this embodiment, the method also comprises the step of removing at least a portion of the patient's tissue which disseminated within the reaction chamber during the ablation of the patient's tissue.
Other objects, features, and advantages will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.
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