Electrosurgical plenum
An electrosurgical probe having a plenum which prevents contact of the active electrode with tissue, while simultaneously allowing a fluid/interfacing agents to contact the active electrode.
1. An electrosurgical tool comprising:
a plenum comprising a plenum chamber and a knife blade, said plenum disposed at least partially around an active electrode, said plenum comprising one or more openings which permit fluid to enter said plenum chamber, and said plenum shielding tissue from said active electrode.
2. The tool of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said active electrodes.
3. The tool of claim 1 comprising a plurality of openings in said plenum.
4. The tool of claim 1 wherein said plenum exterior comprises a textured surface.
5. The tool of claim 4 wherein said textured surface comprises a roughened surface.
6. The tool of claim 1 wherein said plenum comprises a shape useful for a surgical procedure in addition to said knife blade.
7. The tool of claim 1 wherein said knife-blade is serrated.
8. The tool of claim 7 where said plenum comprises a plurality of elongated openings orientated along its primary axis.
9. The tool of claim 1 wherein said plenum comprises at least one elongated opening orientated along its primary axis.
10. The tool of claim 1 wherein the active electrode does not comprise any openings or flow-through channels.
11. A method for performing an electrosurgical procedure comprising:
providing an electrosurgical apparatus comprising active and return electrodes; and
disposing a plenum comprising a knife blade around the active electrode, the plenum further comprising one or more openings which permit entry of fluid while preventing anatomically-specific tissue structures from contacting the active electrode; and
manipulating the electrosurgical apparatus at a treatment site to perform the electrosurgical procedure.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said anatomically-specific tissue comprises targeted tissue.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein said anatomically-specific tissue comprises intact tissue.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the openings are disposed along a primary axis of the plenum.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the plenum comprises a shape which is mechanically useful for a surgical procedure in addition to said knife blade.
16. The method of claim 11 wherein the plenum comprises a textured surface.
17. An electrosurgical tool comprising:
a plenum comprising a knife blade, said plenum disposed at least partially around an active electrode, said plenum comprising a plurality of openings which permit fluid to enter said plenum chamber.