JP2001061852A - Plasma-like gas generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the handpiece of a plasma-like gas generating device lightweight and easy to operate. SOLUTION: In this plasma-like gas generating device including an insulating pipe 22 for guiding a gas and electrodes for applying voltages to the gas at the gas outlet of the pipe 22 to convert the gas into a plasma, a pipe-shaped conducting member 23 for guiding the voltages to the electrodes is disposed in contact with the inner wall 22a of the pipe 22 and the inside 23a of the pipe-shaped conducting member 23 is formed into a gas passage 24.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plasma-like gas generator, and more particularly to a handpiece that is lightweight and easy to operate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a surgical apparatus using a plasma gas by applying a high voltage to the gas to form a plasma gas has been used. FIG. 13 shows a sectional structure of a cable of a handpiece of a conventional plasma discharge type surgical apparatus. In FIG. 13, the cable 90 of the handpiece of the plasma discharge type surgical apparatus has a tubular shape. A linear conductive path 92 is provided inside the insulating tube 91. An insulating coating 93 is provided so as to cover the linear conductive path 92. A switch line 94 is provided outside the pipe 91.
Is arranged. The switch line 94 connects a switch (not shown) (attached to the cable 90) to an apparatus body (not shown). By turning on and off the switch, the surgical apparatus can be operated and its operation can be stopped.

[0003]

However, in the above conventional example, the linear conductive path 9 is provided inside the gas insulating tube 91.
2 and through the insulating film 93, the tube 9 is compared with other surgical devices (electric scalpel, laser, etc.).
As the outer diameter 91a of the first cable 90 increases and the weight of the cable 90 increases, the operation of the cable 90 becomes difficult. For this reason, there is a problem that the burden on the operator who operates the cable 90 increases. The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to provide a lightweight and easy-to-operate handpiece of a plasma-like gas generating device.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the structure of the first invention of the present application is as defined in claim 1.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma-like gas generating apparatus comprising: an insulating pipe for introducing a gas; and an electrode for applying a voltage to the gas at a gas outlet of the pipe to convert the gas into a plasma. A pipe-shaped conductive member disposed so as to be in contact with the inner wall of the pipe guides the voltage to the electrode, and the inside of the pipe-shaped conductive member serves as a gas passage, so that the pipe and the pipe-shaped conductive member are integrated. Is formed. Therefore, the outer diameter of the insulating pipe can be reduced, and the weight of the pipe can be reduced.

Further, the structure of the second invention is as described in claim 2.

According to the configuration of the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation of the configuration of the first aspect of the invention, the apparatus main body includes a voltage supply source for supplying the voltage and a gas supply source for supplying the gas. A connection portion provided with a conductive member connected to the voltage supply source and a pipe-shaped insulating cover serving as a passage for the gas supplied from the gas supply source while covering the conductive member, and opposite to the electrode of the insulating pipe; A connection portion is formed at a side end, and a connection portion of the insulating pipe includes a tubular cover member that communicates with a pipe-shaped conductive member that guides the voltage to the electrode. The pipe-shaped insulation member is provided inside the tubular cover member. A fixing portion is provided for fixing the tubular cover member and the pipe-shaped insulating cover in a state where the tubular cover member is inserted, and the pipe-shaped insulating cover is provided inside the tubular cover member by the fixing portion. The pipe-shaped conductive member can be connected to the conductive member of the device main body in a state where the tubular cover member and the pipe-shaped insulating cover are fixed in a state where it is inserted. And the insulating pipe and the pipe-shaped conductive member can be easily and detachably connected to the main body by the connecting portion of the insulating pipe.

[0008] Further, the structure of the third invention is as described in claim 3.

According to the configuration of the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the operation of the configuration of the first aspect of the present invention, a ring-shaped groove is formed on the outer surface of the pipe-shaped conductive member that guides the voltage to the electrode at the end opposite to the electrode. The apparatus main body includes a voltage supply source that supplies the voltage and a gas supply source that supplies the gas, and a connection portion of the apparatus main body is connected to the voltage supply source and a gas supply source that supplies the gas from the gas supply source. A main body-side pipe-shaped conductive member serving as a passage, a projection formed on an inner surface of the main body-side pipe-shaped conductive member, and an end of the pipe-shaped conductive member that guides the voltage to the electrode opposite to the electrode is connected to the main body. Since the projection can be engaged with the ring-shaped groove in a state of being inserted into the pipe-shaped conductive member, the insulated pipe and the insulated pipe can be easily connected by the connection portion of the main body and the connection portion of the insulated pipe. pipe The conductive member can be detachably connected to said body.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the present invention. The plasma-like gas generator shown in FIG. 1 is a handpiece as an induction mechanism for applying a high voltage to a gas to convert the gas into plasma and inducing the plasma-converted gas to a target (affected part, processed part). have.

In FIG. 1, a plasma-like gas generator 1
The main part of the main body 10, the return electrode 18 and the handpiece 2
0. The main body 10 includes a gas supply source 11, a plasma high-voltage supply source 12, a connection unit 13 (see FIG. 2), and a terminal 16. The gas supply source 11 is a unit that supplies a gas (for example, an argon gas, a helium gas, or another mixed gas) that generates a plasma, and is connected to a gas cylinder 19. The gas cylinder 19 contains the gas.

The handpiece 20 includes a cable section 21, a connection section 26, a hand section 31, and a nozzle section 41. The connection section 26 is connected to one end of the cable section 21, and the other end of the cable section 21 is connected to one end of the hand section 31. The other end of the hand unit 31 is connected to the base of the nozzle unit 41.

A push button switch 32 is attached to the hand unit 31. The switch line 25 is connected to the terminal 16, and the push button switch 32 is connected to the switch line 25.
Are connected to turn on and off. The switch line 25 is integral with or separated from the hand unit 31. If necessary, an integrated type or a separated type can be used. Since the push button switch 32 is an automatic reset type switch, the push button switch 32 is turned on only when the push button of the push button switch 32 is manually pressed, and the push button switch 32 is turned off when the hand is released from the push button. Become. When the push button switch 32 is turned on, the plasma-like gas generator 1 is in an operating state, and the gas that has been turned into plasma is released from the tip opening 46 of the nozzle 41.
When the push button switch 32 is off, the plasma-like gas generator 1 is in an inoperative state.

The conductive return electrode 18 is connected by a cord 17 to one output terminal of the high voltage supply 12. Patient 50 is lying on return electrode 18. 51 is patient 5
0 is the affected area, 52 is the head of the patient 50, and 53 is the foot of the patient 50.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional structure of the connecting portion 13 and the connecting portion 26, and FIG. 5 shows a sectional structure of the cable portion 21. 2 and 5, the connecting portion 13 is a portion for connecting the connecting portion 26 of the cable portion 21 of the handpiece 20 to the main body 10. The connection part 13 is an insulating tubular cover 13.
a, cylindrical conductive members 13c and 13e. A male screw 13b is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical cover 13a, and the cylindrical conductive member 13c and the cylindrical conductive member 13e are connected so as to be connected to each other. Is formed. The cylindrical conductive member 13e is connected to the other output terminal of the high voltage supply source 12.

The cable portion 21 has an insulating pipe 22 for introducing gas and an electrode 43 for applying a voltage to the gas at the gas outlet (opening 46) of the pipe 22 to convert the gas into a plasma.
(See FIG. 7), the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 for guiding the voltage to the electrode 43 is provided integrally with the pipe 22 so as to be in contact with the inner wall surface 22a of the pipe 22. And the pipe-shaped conductive member 23
Is formed as a gas passage 24. The insulating pipe 22 in FIG. 5 is, for example, a vinyl chloride pipe, and can be an insulator (insulating tube) that can sufficiently withstand the maximum working voltage of the plasma-like gas generator 1. If sufficient insulation is possible, an insulating paint, a shrink tube, or the like can be used as the insulating pipe 22 for weight reduction.

The material of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 is a conductive material, particularly a biocompatible material for a surgical operation. In particular, in order to emphasize weight reduction, a material such as stainless steel or aluminum is used. desirable. Therefore, the outer diameter of the cable portion 21, that is, the outer diameter 22b of the insulating pipe 22 is made smaller than the conventional example (the outer diameter 91a of the pipe in FIG. 13), and the weight of the cable portion 21 is reduced. (FIG. 13
The weight of the cable 90) can be reduced. In addition, when the handpiece 20 is allowed to bend freely, in the cable portion 21 or the nozzle portion 41,
Use bellows mechanism or soft material.

The connection section 26 is connected to the end of the cable section 21. The connection part 26 includes an insulating cover part 26a and a pipe-shaped conductive member 23 (an extension of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 of the cable part 21). A female screw 26b is formed on the inner surface of the cover 26a. The ring-shaped reinforcing members 26c and 26d are formed of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 and the cover 2.
It is provided to strengthen the connection with 6a. The connecting portion 13 and the connecting portion 26 are connected by screwing the male screw 13b and the female screw 26b as fixing portions. At this time, the cover portion 26 is formed by the male screw 13b and the female screw 26b.
a and the cover 13a are kept airtight, and the cover 1
The gas in 3a and 26a can be prevented from leaking outside. At this time, the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 is connected such that the outer surface thereof comes into surface contact with the ring-shaped conductive protrusion member 13d.

FIG. 3 shows a first modification of FIG.
The connection part 14 of the main body 10 has a cylindrical cover part 14a. An external thread 14b is formed on the outer surface of the cover 14a. The U-shaped conductive member 14c is fixed to the base of the cover 14a. A cord 14d connects the conductive member 14c to the other output terminal of the high voltage supply 15. The gas passage 14e is formed so as to penetrate the base of the cover 14a. A gas pipe 14 f connects the gas passage 14 e to the gas supply source 11. Support members 14h and 14i are provided on the inner surface 14g of the cover 14a.

The connection part 27 is connected to the end of the cable part 21. The connection portion 27 includes an insulating cover portion 27a and a terminal 27b. The terminal 27b is a pipe-shaped conductive member 2.
3 (which is an extension of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 of the cable portion 21). The ventilation holes 27c, 2
7d is formed to communicate the inside of the cover 27a with the inside 23a of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23. A female screw 27e is formed on the inner surface of the cover 27a. A cylindrical reinforcing member 27f and a ring-shaped reinforcing member 27g are provided to strengthen the connection between the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 and the cover 27a.

Male screw 14b and female screw 27 as fixing parts
The connection part 14 and the connection part 27 are connected by screwing e. At this time, airtightness between the cover portions 27a and the cover portions 14a is maintained by the male screws 14b and the female screws 27e, and the gas in the cover portions 14a and 27a can be prevented from leaking outside. Also, the terminal 27b is a conductive member 1
4c, it is connected to the conductive member 14c, and the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 and the gas pipe 14f are connected via the cover portions 14a, 27a. Further, the support members 14h, 1
4i supports the outer surface of the cylindrical reinforcing member 27f. 3, the mechanism of the conventional line contact type conductive line can be directly used in the main body 10.

FIG. 4 shows a second modification of FIG. In FIG. 4, the connecting portion 15 of the main body 10 is
a. The pipe-shaped conductive member 15b is the cover 1
5a is fixed so as to be in contact with the inner surface. The pipe-shaped conductive member 15b is connected to the other output terminal of the high-voltage supply source 12 and is connected to the gas supply source 11 to form a passage for the gas supplied from the gas supply source 11. The conductive protrusions 15c and 15d are provided so as to be connected to the tip of the pipe-shaped conductive member 15b. The projection 15c is connected to the pipe-shaped conductive member 15b by a spring member 15e.
Of the spring member 15d.
It is urged toward the center of the pipe-shaped conductive member 15b by f. Further, a ring-shaped packing 15g is fixed to the inner surface of the distal end of the cylindrical cover 15a.

The connecting portion 28 is an extension of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23, and a ring-shaped groove 28 a is formed in the connecting portion 28 of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23. When the connecting portion 28 is inserted into the pipe-shaped conductive member 15b, the protrusion 15
c and 15d are urged by the spring members 15e and 15f to
8a. At this time, the gasket 15g maintains the airtightness between the cylindrical cover 15a and the connecting portion 28, so that the gas in the cylindrical cover 15a and the connecting portion 28 can be prevented from leaking outside. Therefore, the connecting portion 28 can be attached to and detached from the connecting portion 15 with one touch.

FIG. 6 shows a sectional structure of the hand section 31 shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the pipe-shaped conductive member 23
A tubular insulating sheath 31a is formed so as to cover (an extension of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 of the cable portion 21).

FIG. 7 shows a sectional structure of the nozzle portion 41 and the hand portion 31. In FIG. 7, a tubular insulating sheath 42 is formed so as to cover the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 (the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 of the cable portion 21 is extended). The electrode 43 is fixed to the tip of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23. The ventilation holes 44 and 45 are formed in the pipe-shaped conductive member 23.
Is formed so as to penetrate through. For this reason, the gas passing through the inside of the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 flows through the vent holes 44 and 45.
And reaches the electrode 43. Note that the shape of the cylindrical insulating outer skin 31a of the hand section 31 shown in FIG. 7 is different from that shown in FIG. The shape of the tubular insulating sheath 31a can be selected according to the intended use. FIG. 8 shows a part of FIG. 7 in an enlarged manner. In FIG. 8, the gas is turned into plasma by the voltage between the electrode 43 and the counter electrode 18, and is discharged from the opening 46 in the direction of the arrow 47.

FIG. 9 shows a conventional nozzle portion 48 (disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-299379) to be compared with FIG. The nozzle part 48 is an insulating pipe 48
a and a cylindrical electrode 48 fixed to the tip of the pipe 48a
b (corresponding to the electrode 43).

FIG. 10 shows a sectional structure of a handpiece of a type in which a nozzle portion can be attached to and detached from a cable portion. In FIG. 10, a handpiece 60 includes a cable portion 61,
A connection portion 62 and a nozzle portion 63 are provided. The illustration of the hand unit (corresponding to the hand unit 31) is omitted. The cable section 61 includes an insulating pipe 61a and a pipe-shaped conductive member 61b disposed so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the pipe 61a. Further, a reinforcing pipe-like cover 61c is provided so as to cover the base of the insulating pipe 61a.

In the connection portion 62, a male screw 62b is formed on the outer surface of the insulating main body 62a, and a connection electrode 62c and a ventilation hole 62d are formed. The electrode 62c is connected to the pipe-shaped conductive member 61b. The male screw 62b is attached to the main body 10
Can be screwed into a screw hole (not shown). Male screw 62
The electrode 62c is connected to the other output terminal of the high-voltage supply source 12 of the main body 10, and the ventilation hole 62d is connected to the gas supply source 11 and the pipe-shaped conductive member 61b. Connect. The nozzle part 63 is
It is detachable from the cable section 61. The nozzle section 63 includes an insulating pipe 63a, a conductive base 63b, an electrode 63c, and a ventilation hole 63d. The insulating pipe 63a and the electrode 63c are fixed to the conductive base 63b. The ventilation hole 63d is formed so as to communicate between the inside of the pipe-shaped conductive member 61a and the inside of the insulating pipe 63a.

For this reason, the nozzle portion 63 is of a disposer type (for disposable use), so that a patient of a plasma can be treated only by changing nozzle portions 63 of various shapes (for example, those shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 described later). It can be switched from front-side guidance to side-side or back-side guidance of the patient.

FIG. 11 shows a case where the tip of the nozzle portion is curved. In FIG. 11, the tip of the nozzle portion 71 is curved. For this reason, the tip opening 72 of the nozzle 71 is in the opposite direction to the case where the nozzle 71 is not curved. In addition, 73 is an electrode.

FIG. 12 shows a case in which the opening at the tip of the nozzle portion is horizontal. In FIG. 12, the opening 82 of the nozzle 81 is oriented at a right angle to the longitudinal direction of the nozzle 81. In addition, 83 is an electrode.

As shown in FIG. 13, since the conductive path 92 is provided in the cable 90 of the conventional handpiece, the connection portion of the handpiece is connected to the high voltage line on the apparatus main body (corresponding to the main body 10) side. Conductive path 92 of handpiece
Is a line contact mechanism. Therefore, in order to stabilize the contact point, it is necessary to fix the position of the conductive path 92 and connect it to the main body of the apparatus by screwing.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the pipe-shaped conductive member 23 can make surface contact with the ring-shaped conductive projection 13d for the high voltage line on the main body 10 side. Further, as shown in FIG.
One-touch connection is possible. Also, in the connection mechanism on the main body 10 side, it is not necessary to provide a high voltage line on the central axis of the gas line and have a complicated mechanism capable of connecting to the conductive path 92 on the handpiece side.

By using the mechanism of the nozzle portion shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a thin hand portion 31 such as a scalpel used in a surgical operation as shown in FIG. 7 can be formed. For this reason, compared to conventional handpieces,
A hand mechanism that is easy to hold and has excellent operability can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, a conventional nozzle shape can be used as it is, as shown in FIGS. Further, in FIG. 8, conventionally, the connection mechanism between the conductive line and the electrode and the mechanism of the connection portion to make the electrode stable at the center axis become complicated, and the hand portion needs to be enlarged. On the other hand, even when the electrode 43 having an outer diameter of 1 mm is used by the mechanism shown in FIG. 8, the handpiece 20 having an outer diameter of 3 mm can be obtained. As a result, the nozzle (41)
Etc.) By reducing the diameter, it has become possible to apply the nozzle to devices such as laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery in surgery.

[0036]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the handpiece of the plasma-like gas generator, the pipe-like conductive member is formed so as to be in contact with the inner wall of the insulating pipe, and the inside of the pipe-like conductive member is formed. It is a passage for gas for plasma generation. For this reason, the outer diameter of the insulating pipe, that is, the outer diameter of the cable portion of the handpiece can be reduced, and the weight of the handpiece according to the first invention can be reduced. For this reason,
The weight and slimness of the handpiece can be reduced, the burden on the operator of the handpiece can be reduced, and the operability of the handpiece can be improved. For this reason, it becomes easy to use the plasma-like gas generator according to the first invention for a surgical operation on a human body.

Further, according to the second invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, the connecting portion of the plasma-like gas generating device main body and the connecting portion of the insulating pipe facilitate the connection of the insulating pipe and the pipe-shaped conductive material. A member can be detachably connected to the main body.

Further, according to the third invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, the connecting portion of the plasma-like gas generating device main body and the connecting portion of the insulating pipe facilitate the connection of the insulating pipe and the pipe-shaped conductive material. The member can be detachably connected to the main body with one touch.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an outline of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection state of the cable unit of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a first modification of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a second modification of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a cable section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a hand unit of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a hand unit and a nozzle unit of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a nozzle portion shown in FIG. 7 in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional nozzle unit compared with the nozzle unit shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a modification of the entire handpiece according to the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first modification of the nozzle section of the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a second modified example of the nozzle section of the embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a cable portion of a conventional plasma surgical handpiece.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Plasma-like gas generator 10 Main body 11 Gas supply source 12 High voltage supply source for plasma 13, 14, 15 Connection part 13a, 14a Cylindrical cover 13b, 14b Male screw 13c Cylindrical conductive member 14c Conductive member 15b Pipe-shaped conductive member 15c , 15d Projection 20 Handpiece 21 Cable 22 Insulated pipe 23 Pipe-shaped conductive member 24 Gas passage 26, 27, 28 Connection 28a Ring-shaped groove 43 Electrode 46 Nozzle tip opening

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takao Furudate 28-28, Kitaimaji, Setai, Onishi-shi, Aichi Pref. In MEX (72) Inventor Masayoshi Uchida 28, Kitaimaji Seta, Onishi-shi, Aichi F-term (reference) 4C060 FF01 FF21 MM21 MM22 MM24

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plasma-like gas generating apparatus comprising: an insulating pipe for introducing a gas; and an electrode for applying a voltage to the gas at a gas outlet of the pipe to convert the gas into a plasma, wherein the pipe for guiding the voltage to the electrode is provided. A plasma-like gas generator characterized in that a conductive member in the form of a pipe is disposed in contact with an inner wall of the pipe, and the inside of the conductive member in the form of a pipe is used as a gas passage. 2. The apparatus main body includes a voltage supply source that supplies the voltage and a gas supply source that supplies the gas, and a connection portion of the apparatus main body includes a conductive member connected to the voltage supply source and the conductive member. A pipe-shaped insulating cover that covers and serves as a passage for the gas supplied from the gas supply source, a connection portion is formed at an end of the insulating pipe opposite to the electrode, and the connection portion of the insulating pipe is A tubular cover member communicating with a pipe-shaped conductive member that guides a voltage to the electrode, wherein the tubular cover member and the pipe-shaped insulating member are inserted with the pipe-shaped insulating cover inserted inside the tubular cover member. A fixing portion for fixing the tubular cover member and the pipe-shaped insulating cover in a state where the pipe-shaped insulating cover is inserted inside the tubular cover member by the fixing portion. Plasma-like gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the said pipe-shaped conductive member in a fixed state is connectable to the conductive member of the apparatus main body. 3. A ring-shaped groove is formed on an outer surface of the pipe-shaped conductive member that guides the voltage to the electrode at an end opposite to the electrode, and the apparatus main body supplies the voltage supply source that supplies the voltage and the gas. A gas supply source, a connection part of the apparatus main body being connected to the voltage supply source, and a main body side pipe-shaped conductive member serving as a passage for a gas supplied from the gas supply source; A protrusion is formed on the inner surface of the member, and the end of the pipe-shaped conductive member that guides the voltage to the electrode is inserted into the main-body-side pipe-shaped conductive member at an opposite end to the electrode. The plasma-like gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the plasma-like gas generator is engageable with a ring-shaped groove.