阅读说明：本技术 高介电常数电外科电极涂层 (High dielectric constant electrosurgical electrode coatings ) 是由 迈克尔·J·小科尔茨 于 2020-03-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种用于电外科器械的电极的涂层,所述涂层增加所述电极的电容。所述涂层包含高介电常数材料,诸如钛酸钡、锆钛酸铅、钛酸铜钙或共轭聚合物。所述涂层可具有0.0016英寸的厚度,并且可与多个绝缘层中的一者一起并入。(The present invention provides a coating for an electrode of an electrosurgical instrument that increases the capacitance of the electrode. The coating comprises a high dielectric constant material such as barium titanate, lead zirconate titanate, calcium copper titanate, or a conjugated polymer. The coating may have a thickness of 0.0016 inches, and may be incorporated with one of the plurality of insulating layers.)

1. An electrosurgical instrument, the electrosurgical instrument comprising:

an electrode;

a coating applied to the electrode, wherein the coating comprises a high dielectric constant material.

2. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the coating has a thickness of 0.0016 inches.

3. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises barium titanate.

4. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises lead zirconate titanate.

5. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a conjugated polymer.

6. The electrosurgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises copper lead calcium titanate.

7. A method of enhancing the capacitance of an electrosurgical instrument, the method comprising the step of coating an electrode of the electrosurgical instrument with a high dielectric constant material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the coating has a thickness of 0.0016 inches.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the coating comprises barium titanate.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the coating comprises lead zirconate titanate.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the coating comprises a conjugated polymer.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the coating comprises copper lead calcium titanate.

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to electrosurgical instruments and more particularly to a coating for an electrosurgical electrode having a high dielectric constant.

2. Description of the related Art

Electrosurgical instruments, such as vascular sealers, have become common tools for surgical procedures. These devices operate by delivering electromagnetic energy to one or more electrodes that are directly and capacitively coupled to the tissue to be treated for performing cutting and/or coagulation of the tissue to be treated by capacitive coupling. While all electrodes conduct electricity via direct (resistive) and capacitive coupling, most electrodes rely primarily on resistive coupling, which inherently generates resistive heat. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method that can increase the capacitive coupling of the electrodes to reduce the amount of resistive heat generated.

Background

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention includes improvements to the capacitance of the electrodes of an electrosurgical instrument. The instrument has an electrode, and a coating is applied to the electrode. The coating comprises a high dielectric constant material. The coating may have a thickness of 0.0016 inches. The coating may comprise barium titanate. The coating may comprise lead zirconate titanate. The coating may comprise a conjugated polymer. The coating may comprise lead calcium copper titanate.

The invention also includes a method of enhancing the capacitance of an electrosurgical instrument. The method includes the step of coating an electrode of the electrosurgical instrument with a high dielectric constant material. The coating may have a thickness of 0.0016 inches. The coating may comprise barium titanate. The coating may comprise lead zirconate titanate. The coating may comprise a conjugated polymer. The coating may comprise lead calcium copper titanate.

Drawings

The invention will be more fully understood and appreciated from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the present invention used in conjunction with a monopolar electrosurgical system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the present invention used in conjunction with a bipolar electrosurgical system according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an electrode coated with a high dielectric constant material according to the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of an electrode coated with a high dielectric constant material and an optional insulating layer according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components throughout, there is seen in FIG. 1 a system 10 for improving the capacitive coupling between an electrode 12 of an electrosurgical device and tissue 14 to be treated. More specifically, the high dielectric constant coating 16 is positioned between the electrode 12 and the tissue 14, such as by applying the coating 16 to the electrode 12 prior to use. The coating 16 may be applied to the electrodes in a unipolar arrangement, as seen in fig. 1, where a return electrode 18 is used. The coating 16 may also be used in combination with a bipolar arrangement of electrodes 16, as seen in fig. 2, wherein the jaws 20 of the instrument carry the electrodes 12 covered by the coating 16 and enclosing the tissue 14 to be treated. The coating 16 may be applied to any electrosurgical electrode 12 that functions partially or fully through capacitive coupling, including electrosurgical electrodes intended for cutting, coagulating, or sealing tissue. The coating 16 increases the capacitance of the electrode 12 and provides beneficial effects, such as increasing the capacitive coupling current while reducing the direct current through the electrode, resulting in lower resistive heating and lower electrode surface temperatures.

The coating 16 comprises a high dielectric constant material (HPM), such as a ceramic or polymer, and may be applied directly to the surface of the electrode 12 that will be in contact with the tissue 14. Specific conjugated polymers may include cyano-polyphenylenevinylene, polyacetylene, polyaniline, polyfluorene, polyfluorenevinylene, polyphenylenevinylene, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylenevinylene, polypyridine, polypyrrole, and polythiophene. The relative (to free space) dielectric constant of the HPM is preferably at least 1000. For example, the HPM for the coating 16 may be barium titanate with a relative dielectric constant between 1000 and 10,000. Alternatively, the HPM used for the coating 16 may be one or more of the materials listed in table 1 below:

TABLE 1

As seen in fig. 3, coating 16 includes a plurality of suspended particles 22 within a matrix 24. The matrix 24 may comprise a silicone thermoset dispersion that cures at room temperature or accelerates at elevated temperatures. The substrate 24 may also be a molded thermoplastic, particularly a fluoropolymer, such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), ethylene trichloro-vinyl fluoride (ECTFE), or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Suspended particles 22 comprise 20% to 70% by volume of coating 16.

The HPM material increases the capacitance of the electrode 16. For example, an electrode 12 having a capacitance area of 0.0455 square inches and a coating 16 of HPM having a relative dielectric constant of 5000 and a thickness of 0.0016 inches has an electrode capacitance of 812 picofarads. An equivalent electrode with a non-HPM, such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), would have an electrode capacitance of only 0.3 picofarads.

As seen in fig. 4, the coating 16 may also be used in combination with one or more insulating layers 26 positioned between the electrode 12 and the coating 16 and/or between the coating 16 and the tissue 14 to be treated.