Multifunctional electrosurgical device

Abstract

The invention concerns a multifunctional electrosurgical device for treating biological tissues comprising a first member and a second member linked by a hinge allowing the members to be moved together and apart from each other; the first member comprising, at the front end of same, a first electrode for forming a first electrical contact with the tissues and the second member comprising, at the front end of same, a second electrode for forming a second electrical contact with the tissues. The first electrode has a concave cross-section, capable of partially housing the second electrode and of making the second electrode protrude from the first electrode when the two members are moved together. The device is remarkable in that the electrodes are configured to allow the formation of the first electrical contact on the outer surface of the first electrode and the formation of the second electrical contact on the protruding part of the second electrode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-purpose electrosurgical device for treating biological tissues, comprising a first member comprising at a front end thereof a first electrode to form a first electrical contact with the biological tissues and a second member consisting of a single second electrode connected to a gripping element, the single second electrode forming a front end of the second member, to form a second electrical contact with the biological tissues, the first and second members being connected by an articulation pivot making it possible to bring the members closer to and further away from one another; the first electrode having a concave cross-section defining a concavity having an internal surface able to partly house the second electrode, the first electrode having external flanks defining an external surface complementary to the internal surface of the concavity, and, when the two members are brought together, in a pressure mode such that no tissue is gripped between the first electrode and the second electrode, an end of the second electrode is longer than an end of the first electrode to make the second electrode project from the first electrode, a longitudinal axis of the first electrode and a longitudinal axis of the second electrode are not parallel to one another, and the external surface of the first electrode that faces away from the second electrode and a projecting part of the second electrode are configured to deliver energy to the biological tissues therebetween. 
     
     
         2 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is not entirely housed in the concavity of the first electrode when the two members are brought together, so that the second electrode is higher than the edges of this concavity. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the concave cross-section is a portion of a circle. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the end of the second electrode has a form of a blade. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the end of the second electrode has a form of a needle. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 4 , wherein the second electrode in the form of the blade is oriented so that an edge of the blade is housed in the first electrode with a concave cross-section, when the two members are brought together. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second electrode comprises a device for rotating the second electrode about an axis substantially defined by a longitudinal axis of the second member. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 7 , wherein the device for rotating the second electrode comprises wings and contiguous recesses separated from each other by an angular opening of 90°. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 8 , wherein a splayed form of the recesses are configured to guide the first and second members when the two members of the device are brought together. 
     
     
         10 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are assembled on gripping elements interchangeably. 
     
     
         11 . A multi-purpose electrosurgical device for treating biological tissues, comprising:
 a first member and a second member connected by an articulation pivot disposed at a rear end of each member;   the first member comprising a first gripping element disposed in a back half of the first member and a single first electrode disposed on a front of the first member;   the second member comprising a second gripping element disposed in a back half of the second member and a single second electrode disposed on a front of the second member;   wherein at least a portion of the single first electrode is configured to have a substantially cylindrical shape defining a concave cavity such that at least a portion of the second electrode is able to fit entirely within the discontinuous substantially cylindrical interior cavity;   wherein, an end of the single second electrode is longer than an end of the single first electrode; and   wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to contact biological tissue in either a gripping mode, in which the biological tissue is disposed between the two electrodes during operation, or in a pressure mode, in which the biological tissue is not disposed between the two electrodes during operation, and in which at least a portion of the second electrode fits either mostly or entirely within the concave cavity defined by the single first electrode during operation.   
     
     
         12 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 11 , wherein the end of the second electrode has a form of a blade. 
     
     
         13 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 11 , wherein the end of the second electrode has a form of a needle. 
     
     
         14 . The multi-purpose electrosurgical device according to  claim 12 , wherein the second electrode in the form of the blade is oriented so that at least a portion of the second electrode fits entirely within the discontinuous substantially cylindrical interior cavity defined by the single first electrode, when the two members are brought together.