Cartilage treatment probe

US8066700B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SMITH & NEPHEW, INC. · US

Inventors

• Kobi Iki · Redwood City, US
• William M. Ambrisco · Mountain View, US
• Douglas M. Lorang · Ripon, US
• Alan P. Gannon · Amesbury, US
• Richard M. Ranalli · Berwick, US
• Mathew Erle Mitchell · Pelham, US
• Marie-Claude Meyer · Paris, FR
• Mark Markel · Middleton, US
• Yan Lu · Hangzhou City, CN
• Ryland B. Edwards, III · Middleton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 30, 2004
• Grant date: Nov 29, 2011
• Expiry date: Nov 28, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B18/1402
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An electrosurgical instrument includes a shaft, a flexible portion, and a head coupled to the shaft through the flexible portion and pivotably coupled to the flexible portion. The head includes a non-conductive surface and an electrically conductive surface. The flexible portion is configured to bias the non-conductive surface and the electrically conductive surface towards a tissue surface, such as cartilage. The non-conductive surface may include a material having a thermal conductivity less than or equal to about 30 W/m*K and/or a volume resistivity greater than or equal to about 1×1014 ohm*cm. The non-conductive surface may include a ceramic such as Macor® ceramic, ZTA ceramic, and/or 99.5% alumina ceramic.