Medical-treatment electrode assembly having treatment-monitoring application

1. A medical-treatment electrode assembly comprising:

a) spaced-apart first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes each having a contact area contactable with patient tissue, wherein the second medical-treatment electrode is disposed between the first and third medical-treatment electrodes and is disposed closer to the first medical-treatment electrode than to the third medical-treatment electrode, and wherein the contact area of the second medical-treatment electrode is smaller than the contact area of the first medical-treatment electrode; and

b) first, second, and third leads, wherein the first lead is electrically connected to the first medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connectable to a first terminal of a medical radio-frequency (RF) generator, wherein the second lead is electrically connected to the second medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connectable to the first terminal, wherein the third lead is electrically connected to the third medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connectable to a second terminal of the medical radio-frequency (RF) generator, and wherein the contact area of the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes each has a substantially rectangular shape including a length and a width.

2. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third medical treatment electrodes are substantially parallel and width-wise aligned, and wherein the sum of the widths of the first and second medical-treatment electrodes is substantially equal to the width of the third medical-treatment electrode.

3. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 2 , wherein the width of the first medical-treatment electrode is at least twenty-five times greater than the width of the second medical-treatment electrode.

4. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 3 , wherein the distance between the second and the third medical-treatment electrodes is at least twenty-five times greater than the width of the second medical-treatment electrode.

5. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes are insertable into the esophagus of a patient.

6. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 5 , wherein the third electrode has a length of substantially twenty millimeters and a width of substantially five millimeters, and wherein the distance between the second medical-treatment electrode and the third medical-treatment electrode is substantially two millimeters.

7. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 1 , wherein, when the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes are in contact with the patient tissue, the patient tissue between the second and third medical-treatment electrodes is directly and/or indirectly visually observable.

8. A method for medically treating patient tissue using the medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

a) contacting the patient tissue with the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes;

b) medically treating the patient tissue when the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes are contacting the patient tissue by applying a same voltage differential between the first and third medical-treatment electrodes and between the second and third medical-treatment electrodes using the medical radio-frequency (RF) generator;

c) monitoring a current in a portion of the second lead which leads only to the second medical-treatment electrode; and

d) stopping the medically treating of the patient tissue when the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes are contacting the patient tissue by ceasing applying the voltage differential based at least on step c).

9. A method for medically treating patient tissue using the medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 7 , comprising the steps of:

a) contacting the patient tissue with the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes;

b) medically treating the patient tissue when the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes are contacting the patient tissue by applying a same voltage differential between the first and third medical-treatment electrodes and between the second and third medical-treatment electrodes using the medical radio-frequency (RF) generator;

c) visually monitoring the patient tissue between the second and third medical-treatment electrodes;

d) monitoring a current in a portion of the second lead which leads only to the second medical-treatment electrode; and

e) stopping the medically treating of the patient tissue when the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes are contacting the patient tissue by ceasing applying the voltage differential based at least on steps c) and d).

10. A medical-treatment electrode assembly comprising:

a) spaced-apart first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes each having a contact area contactable with patient tissue, wherein the second medical-treatment electrode is disposed between the first and third medical-treatment electrodes and is disposed closer to the first medical-treatment electrode than to the third medical-treatment electrode, and wherein the contact area of the second medical-treatment electrode is smaller than the contact area of the first medical-treatment electrode; and

b) first, second, and third leads, wherein the first lead is electrically connected to the first medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connected to a first terminal of a medical radio-frequency (RF) generator, wherein the second lead is electrically connected to the second medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connected to the first terminal, and wherein the third lead is electrically connected to the third medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connected to a second terminal of the medical radio-frequency (RF) generator,

wherein the contact area of the first, second, and third medical-treatment electrodes each has a substantially rectangular shape with a length and a width, and wherein the first, second and third medical treatment electrodes are substantially parallel and width-wise aligned.

11. A medical-treatment electrode assembly comprising:

a) a first, a plurality of second, and a third medical-treatment electrode spaced apart from each other and each having a contact area contactable with patient tissue, wherein the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes is disposed between the first and third medical-treatment electrodes and is disposed closer to the first medical-treatment electrode than to the third medical-treatment electrode, and wherein the contact area of each of the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes is smaller than the contact area of the third medical-treatment electrode; and

b) a first, a plurality of second, and a third lead, wherein the first lead is electrically connected to the first medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connectable to a first terminal of a medical radio-frequency (RF) generator, wherein the plurality of second leads is electrically connected one each to a corresponding one of the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes and is electrically connectable to the first terminal, and wherein the third lead is electrically connected to the third medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connectable to a second terminal of the medical radio-frequency (RF) generator,

wherein the contact area of the first, each of the plurality of second, and the third medical-treatment electrodes each has a substantially rectangular shape including a length and a width, and wherein the first, each of the plurality of second and the third medical treatment electrodes are substantially parallel and width-wise aligned.

12. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 11 , also including a current meter operatively connected to determine separate currents, in each of the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes, when current is flowing in the patient tissue between the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes and the third medical-treatment electrode and between the first and third medical-treatment electrodes.

13. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 11 , wherein the sum of the widths the first and the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes is substantially equal to the width of the third medical-treatment electrode.

14. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 13 , wherein the width of the first medical-treatment electrode is at least twenty-five times greater than the width of any of the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes.

15. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 14 , wherein the distance between the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes and the third medical-treatment electrodes is at least twenty-five times greater than the width of any of the second medical-treatment electrodes.

16. A medical-treatment electrode assembly comprising:

a) a first, a plurality of second, a third, and a plurality of fourth medical-treatment electrodes spaced apart from each other and each having a contact area contactable with patient tissue, wherein the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes is disposed between the first and the plurality of fourth medical-treatment electrodes and is disposed closer to the first medical-treatment electrode than to the plurality of fourth medical-treatment electrodes, and wherein the plurality of fourth medical-treatment electrodes is disposed between the third and the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes and is disposed closer to the third medical-treatment electrode than to the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes; and

b) a first, a plurality of second, a third, and a plurality of fourth leads, wherein the first lead is electrically connected to the first medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connectable to a first terminal of a medical radio-frequency (RF) generator, wherein the plurality of second leads is electrically connected one each to a corresponding one of the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes and is electrically connectable to the first terminal, wherein the third lead is electrically connected to the third medical-treatment electrode and is electrically connectable to a second terminal of the medical radio-frequency (RF) generator, and wherein the plurality of fourth leads is electrically connected one each to a corresponding one of the plurality of fourth medical-treatment electrodes and is electrically connectable to the second terminal.

17. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 16 , also including a current meter operatively connected to determine separate currents, in each of the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes, when the current is flowing in the patient tissue between the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes and the at least one of the plurality of fourth medical-treatment electrode.

18. The medical-treatment electrode assembly of claim 16 , wherein the distance between the plurality of second and the plurality of fourth medical-treatment electrodes is at least twenty-five times greater than the distance between adjacent electrode pairs of the plurality of second medical-treatment electrodes and is at least twenty-five times greater than the distance between adjacent electrode pairs of the plurality of fourth medical-treatment electrodes.