Electrosurgical Plenum

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrosurgical tool comprising:
 a 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. 
     
     
         7 . The tool of  claim 6  wherein said plenum comprises a knife blade. 
     
     
         8 . The tool of  claim 7  wherein said openings are disposed on an end-portion of said plenum. 
     
     
         9 . The tool of  claim 7  wherein said knife-blade is serrated. 
     
     
         10 . The tool of  claim 1  wherein said plenum comprises at least one elongated opening orientated along its primary axis. 
     
     
         11 . The tool of  claim 9  where said plenum comprises a plurality of elongated openings orientated along its primary axis. 
     
     
         12 . The tool of  claim 1  wherein the active electrode does not comprise any openings or flow-through channels. 
     
     
         13 . A method for performing an electrosurgical procedure comprising:
 providing an electrosurgical apparatus comprising active and return electrodes; and   disposing a plenum around the active electrode, the plenum comprising one or more openings which permit entry of fluid while preventing anatomically-specific tissue structures from contacting the active electrode.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said anatomically-specific tissue comprises targeted tissue. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said anatomically-specific tissue comprises in-tact tissue. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the openings are disposed along a primary axis of the plenum. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plenum comprises a shape which is mechanically useful for a surgical procedure. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the plenum comprises a knife-blade. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plenum comprises a textured surface. 
     
     
         20 . An electrosurgical tool comprising:
 a plenum disposed at least partially around an active electrode, said plenum comprising a plurality of openings which permit fluid to enter said plenum chamber.