| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20100191283 | KNOTLESS SUTURE ANCHORING DEVICE HAVING DEFORMING SECTION TO ACCOMMODATE SUTURES OF VARIOUS DIAMETERS - An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing soft tissue, such as tendons, to bone, which permit a suture attachment that lies entirely beneath the cortical bone surface. The suturing material between the soft tissue and the bone anchor may be secured without the need for tying a knot. The suture attachment to the bone anchor involves the looping of a length of suture around a suture return member or path within the bone anchor, tightening the suture and attached soft tissue, and compressing the suture against the bone anchor. The bone anchor may be a tubular body having a lumen with a locking plug that compresses the suture therein. One of the components of the locking structure may include a deformable or flexible section, member, or surface. The locking plug may include a shaft and an enlarged head that interferes with the tubular body to provide a positive stop. An actuation rod attached at a frangible section to the shaft may be manipulated by an external handle during locking of the suture within the bone anchor. The bone anchor further may include locking structure for securing itself within a bone cavity. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100204690 | SINGLE APERTURE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY - Systems and methods for securing a screen-type active electrode to the distal tip of an electrosurgical device used for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within or on a patient's body. A securing electrode is disposed through the screen electrode and mechanically joined to an insulative support body while also creating an electrical connection and mechanical enagement with the screen electrode. The electrosurgical device and related methods are provided for resecting, cutting, partially ablating, aspirating or otherwise removing tissue from a target site, and ablating the tissue in situ. The present methods and systems are particularly useful for removing tissue within joints, e.g., synovial tissue, meniscus, articular cartilage and the like. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100204693 | ELECTROSURGICAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING TISSUE WITHIN A BONE BODY - A method for treating a bone body comprises inserting a probe having at least one active electrode into the target tissue and applying a voltage difference between an active electrode and return electrode to ablate the tissue. The method is particularly directed to removing tumors in a bone body and or removing cancellous bone in a bone body. The bone body may be a vertebral body. An apparatus includes a plurality of active electrodes and a distal section including two bends. The bends serve to prevent the active electrodes from impinging upon the shaft of an introducer needle. Also, a kit includes an electrosurgical probe, an electrosurgical generator, an introducer needle, and a fluid connector to connect the introducer needle to a fluid source such that liquid may be supplied to the target site during an application. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20110130753 | INTERNALLY LOCATED RETURN ELECTRODE ELECTROSURGICAL APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD - A bipolar, plasma-generating electrosurgical apparatus and system wherein the return electrode is enclosed within an electrosurgical shaft, and the active electrode is located on the outside surface of the shaft such that in treating the tissue, the tissue is exposed to plasma generated on the active electrode, but is minimally exposed to electric fields generated between the active and return electrodes. Due to the configuration of the electrodes, electric fields generated between the electrodes are directed away from the target tissue and inwardly towards the return electrode within the shaft, thereby electrical stimulation of neuromuscular structures in the tissue by the electric fields is minimized. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110137308 | ELECTROSURGERY IRRIGATION PRIMER SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Systems and methods are provided for priming or purging an electrosurgical fluid irrigation system. The electrosurgical system can include a high frequency power supply, a fluid delivery system, a handheld device having one or more electrodes, and one or more connectors for connecting the handheld device to the fluid delivery system and the RF generator. The electrosurgical system may be configured to deliver RF current and irrigation fluid until a threshold current level is detected, which is indicative of a continuous flow of fluid at the electrode and purging completion. The systems and methods of purging an electrosurgical system may further include dynamically controlling an RF output and fluid delivery system in accordance with varied parameters of detected threshold current levels. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110245826 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF REDUCTION OF LOW FREQUENCY MUSCLE STIMULATION DURING ELECTROSURGICAL PROCEDURES - Reduction of low frequency muscle stimulation during electrosurgical procedures. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including: treating a target tissue with an electrosurgical wand comprising a plurality of active electrodes intermittently exposed to a rectifying electrical phenomenon; charging a first capacitance in series with a first electrode of the plurality of active electrodes, the charging during periods of time when the rectifying electrical phenomenon proximate the first electrode; charging a second capacitance in series with a second electrode of the plurality of active electrodes, the charging during periods of time when the rectifying electrical phenomenon is proximate the second electrode; charging a third capacitance in series with a third electrode of the plurality of active electrodes, the charging during periods of time when the rectifying electrical phenomenon is proximate the third electrode; and discharging, through the first electrode, the first capacitance, while simultaneously charging the second capacitance. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110288539 | SYMMETRIC SWITCHING ELECTRODE METHOD AND RELATED SYSTEM - Electrosurgical system and related methods that include: producing energy by a generator of an electrosurgical controller, the generator comprises a first terminal coupled to a first electrode of an electrosurgical wand, and the generator comprises a second terminal coupled to a second electrode of the electrosurgical wand; forming, responsive to the energy, a plasma proximate to the first electrode, and acting as a current return by the second electrode; reducing energy output of the generator such that the plasma proximate the first electrode is extinguished, the reducing energy output during periods of time when the electrosurgical controller is commanded to produce energy; producing energy from the generator with the first terminal coupled to the first electrode and the second terminal coupled to the second electrode; and forming, responsive to the energy, a plasma proximate to the second electrode, and acting as a current return by the first electrode. | 11-24-2011 |