JP3068052B2 - Electrosurgical equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrosurgical apparatus for performing a surgical treatment such as hemostasis of a living body by a chemical action of plasma generated by arc discharge.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when performing a surgical treatment such as hemostasis of a living body, an electrosurgical device such as an argon beam discharge type electrosurgical device or an electric scalpel is used. In these electrosurgical devices, a high-frequency current is applied to an affected part of a living body to generate Joule heat, coagulate the affected part, and perform a surgical treatment such as hemostasis.

[0003]

The above-described conventional electrosurgical apparatus performs a surgical treatment such as hemostasis using Joule heat, and thus has a problem that the heat invasion of the affected part is deep and the healing time is long.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrosurgical device that suppresses thermal invasion of a living body by suppressing the generation of Joule heat and performing a surgical operation on the living body mainly by the chemical action of plasma. I do.

[0005]

The above object can be achieved by an electrosurgical device described in the claims.

According to the electrosurgical apparatus of the first aspect, the high-frequency voltage for generating plasma resonates with the carrier frequency of the high-frequency transformer to increase the inductance.
Is applied to the return electrode and the handpiece through a parallel resonance circuit in which the power and the capacitor are connected in parallel.
Limited by the resonant circuit . As a result, the generation of Joule heat in the affected part of the living body is suppressed, and surgical treatment such as hemostasis is performed mainly by the chemical action of plasma.

[0007]

According to the electrosurgical device according to the first aspect,
Since the generation of Joule heat in the affected part of the living body is suppressed and a surgical treatment such as hemostasis is performed mainly by the chemical action of plasma, there is an effect that thermal invasion of the living body can be reduced.

[0008]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing the entire configuration of the electrosurgical apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrosurgical device generally includes a tabletop-type main body 1, a handpiece 2 connected to the main body 1, a gas supply source 3, and a return electrode 12. .

The handpiece 2 includes a ceramic plasma injection unit 5 to which an inert gas such as argon gas is supplied from a gas supply source 3 via a gas pipe 3a, a main body 1, and a gas supply tube 4, And a grip portion 6 made of a synthetic resin casing member formed in a pencil shape that can accommodate and support the injection portion 5 and can be gripped by a doctor. Through the gas supply path, an inert gas (such as argon gas) is supplied to the plasma injection unit 5 of the handpiece 2 via a gas flow controller 21 (see FIG. 2) provided in the main body 1 and a gas pipe 3a to be described later. Can be supplied. Then, the inert gas sent to the plasma injection unit 5 is injected from the gas injection port 10 to the outside. In addition, handpiece 2
Is electrically connected to the main body 1 via a cable 7 and a connector 8, and the cable 7 is connected to the handpiece 2
Is connected to the electrode 9 inside. In addition, a high voltage generation unit 2 described later
2 (see FIG. 2) is applied across the electrode 9 and the return electrode 12 on which the patient lies and makes electrical contact.

The tip of the electrode 9 is disposed near the gas injection port 10. According to this configuration, when a high-frequency high voltage is applied between the electrode 9 and the counter electrode plate 12, the arc discharge generated between the distal end of the electrode 9 and the patient causes the gas injection port 10
The inert gas ejected from outside to the outside (affected part) is turned into plasma, and a surgical treatment such as hemostasis of the affected part tissue can be performed by the thermal energy of the gas turned into plasma.

On the other hand, a part of the grip 6 of the handpiece 2 is provided with a switch mechanism having a push-button switch 11. This allows the doctor to operate the switch 11 with his finger during the electrosurgical procedure,
Gas supply from the main body 1 to the handpiece 2 and the electrode 9
On / off control of the power output between the return electrode plates 12 can be performed.

Next, the configuration of the main body 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the main body 1. As schematically shown in FIG. 2, the main body 1 includes a gas flow regulator 21 for supplying an inert gas to the handpiece 2 at a constant pressure, a high voltage generator 22 described later, and the entire electrosurgical apparatus. A control unit 23 for controlling is provided.

The gas flow controller 2 provided in the main body 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes a valve for supplying a predetermined amount of an inert gas such as an argon gas to the handpiece 2. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this gas flow controller 21 is connected to an external gas supply source 3 through a gas pipe 3a,
It communicates with the gas supply tube 4 via the gas pipe 3a and the joint 4a. This gas flow controller 21
It is electrically connected to the control unit 23, and its operation is controlled based on an operation signal from the control unit 23.
Therefore, a predetermined flow rate of the inert gas can be sent to the plasma injection unit 5 of the handpiece 2.

The control unit 23 is operated based on an operation signal input from a setting switch on the operation panel 24 on the surface of the main body 1 or a gas flow controller or an operation signal from the switch 11 provided on the handpiece 2. It controls the power value output from the voltage generation unit 22 and the inert gas supply amount. The controller 23 typically includes a CPU (processor), a ROM, a RAM, an input processing circuit, an output processing circuit, a gas flow control circuit, and the like. The CPU controls the entire electrosurgical apparatus according to a predetermined control program stored in the ROM.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a sensor 25 for detecting the supply state of the inert gas flowing through the gas pipe 3a to a part of the gas pipe 3a downstream of the gas flow controller 21 is provided by the control unit. 23 and is electrically connected thereto. The structure of the sensor 25 itself is a general one capable of indirectly detecting the supply state of the inert gas in the gas pipe 3a from the pressure change or the gas flow rate difference in the gas pipe 3a. Sent. And
The control unit 23 can control the power supplied from the high voltage generation unit 22 to the handpiece 2 based on the received detection signal.

Next, the configuration and operation of the high voltage generator 22 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of the high voltage generation unit 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the high voltage generator 22 is a commercial power supply (AC 100 volt power supply)
The power switch is supplied with power from the power switch 31.
Is turned on, an AC 100 volt voltage is applied to the booster circuit 33.
Is input to The booster circuit 33 is provided with a switching circuit, a resonance circuit, and the like for converting an AC 100 volt voltage to a high frequency voltage, and converts the AC 100 volt voltage to a high frequency voltage of several hundred volts.

The high frequency voltage output from the booster circuit 33 is input to a primary coil 34a of a high frequency transformer 34. The high-frequency transformer 34 boosts the voltage of several hundred volts output from the booster circuit 33 to a high-frequency high voltage of several kilovolts and outputs it from the secondary coil 34b. A changeover switch 35 is connected to one end of the secondary coil 34b of the high-frequency transformer 34. This changeover switch 35 has a contact a
The contact a is connected to one end of a conducting wire 36, and the contact b is connected to one end of a parallel resonance circuit 37 composed of an inductor L and a capacitor C.
In the parallel resonance circuit 37, the values of the inductor L and the capacitor C are set so as to resonate with the carrier frequency of the high-frequency transformer 34.
Becomes extremely high.

The other end of the secondary coil 34b of the high-frequency transformer 34 is connected to a capacitor C1 for cutting off a DC component, and the capacitor C1 is connected to the electrode 9 of the handpiece 2. A capacitor C2 for cutting off a DC component is connected to a connection point where the other end of the conducting wire 36 and the other end of the parallel resonance circuit 37 are connected, and the counter electrode plate 12 is connected to the capacitor C2. ing.

As described above, the switch 35 is connected to one end of the secondary coil 34b of the high-frequency transformer 34, and by switching this switch 35, the impedance of the high-frequency transformer 34 on the load side can be switched. That is, when the changeover switch 35 is switched to the contact a, the parallel resonance circuit 37 is short-circuited by the conducting wire 36, and thus the impedance is minimized. When the changeover switch 35 is switched to the contact b, the parallel resonance circuit 37 is inserted. The impedance becomes maximum. Therefore,
The changeover switch 35 is switched to the contact b to apply the high-frequency high voltage output from the secondary coil 34b of the high-frequency transformer 34 between the electrode 9 of the handpiece 2 and the return electrode plate 12, and the patient lying on the return electrode plate 12 (shown in FIG. ) And the electrode 9 to generate plasma by generating plasma and stopping the affected part of the patient by the chemical action of the plasma, the high-frequency current flowing through the patient is restricted, and the generation of Joule heat is suppressed. . Therefore, heat invasion of the patient is reduced.

The operation of the electrosurgical apparatus when performing hemostasis processing will be described below. Since this hemostatic treatment minimizes the generation of Joule heat in the patient and is performed mainly by the chemical action of plasma, the changeover switch 35 is used.
Is switched to the contact b. First, power is supplied from a commercial power supply by turning on the power switch 32. Next, the doctor holding the handpiece 2 operates the push button switch 1 mounted on the handpiece 2.
By turning on 1, an operation signal from the control unit 23 is transmitted to the gas flow regulator 21 provided in the main body 1. As a result, the gas flow controller 21 is opened, and the inert gas is supplied from the gas supply source 3 to the plasma injection unit 5 of the handpiece 2 via the gas pipe 3a, the sensor 25, and the gas supply tube 4. . The inert gas supplied in this manner is then injected from the gas injection port 10 to the outside (affected part).

At this time, the supply state of the inert gas flowing through the gas pipe 3a is detected by the sensor 25 based on the gas flow velocity difference or the pressure change, and the detection signal is transmitted to the control unit 23. . Thus, when a detection signal indicating that a predetermined amount of gas is being supplied to the handpiece 2 is transmitted from the sensor 25 to the control unit 23, an operation signal is transmitted from the control unit 23 to the high voltage generation unit 22. Is done.
Then, a predetermined high-frequency high voltage is applied between the electrode 9 and the counter electrode plate 12 from the high voltage generator 22.

When a predetermined high-frequency high voltage is applied between the electrode 9 and the counter electrode plate 12, an arc discharge occurs between the tip of the electrode 9 and the affected part of the patient, and the inert gas flowing around the electrode 9 is turned into plasma. You. And the doctor says this handpiece 1
By operating 2 and bringing the tip (gas injection port 10) closer to the affected part, the affected gas can be irradiated to the affected part by the plasma gas ejected from the gas injection port 10. In this arc discharge, in the load circuit of the high-frequency transformer 34, since the parallel resonance circuit 37 resonates at the carrier frequency of the high-frequency transformer 34 and has a high impedance, the high-frequency current flowing to the patient is restricted, and Joule heat is generated. Is suppressed. Therefore, the affected part is treated by the chemical action of the plasma, and the blood in the affected part is gently coagulated and stopped, so that the heat invasion of the affected part becomes shallower.

Next, the operation when a surgical procedure is performed by switching the changeover switch 35 to the contact point a will be described.
When the changeover switch 35 is switched to the contact a, the parallel resonance circuit 37 is in a short-circuited state, so that the impedance of the load circuit of the high-frequency transformer 34 decreases.
Therefore, an arc discharge occurs between the tip of the electrode 9 and the affected part of the patient, and when the inert gas flowing around the tip is turned into plasma, a high-frequency current is applied to the patient and Joule heat is generated in the affected part. Therefore, when the changeover switch 35 is switched to the contact point a, the affected part performs the hemostatic treatment by both the plasma chemical action and the Joule heat action.

When the doctor finishes the hemostatic treatment of the affected part according to the above-described operation procedure, the control unit 23 stops the output of electric power by turning off the push-button switch 11 on the handpiece 2. At the same time, the gas flow controller 21 stops, and the supply of the inert gas to the handpiece 2 ends.
Then, by finally turning off the power switch 32, the supply of power is stopped.

Next, another circuit of the high voltage generator 22 will be described with reference to FIG. The high voltage generator 22 of FIG.
Is characterized in that the parallel resonance circuit 37 shown in FIG.
, The resistances 43 to 45 having different resistance values can be selected by the changeover switches 41 and 46.
This is the same as the high voltage generation circuit of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, a changeover switch 41 that can switch between contacts a, b, c, and d is connected to one end of the secondary coil 34 b of the high-frequency transformer 34. A lead wire 42 is connected to the contact a,
A resistor 43 having the smallest resistance value is connected to b, a resistor 44 having an intermediate resistance value is connected to the contact point c, and a resistor 45 having a maximum resistance value is connected to the contact point d.

The other ends of the conductor 42 and the resistors 43 to 45 are connected to the contacts a, b,
A changeover switch 46 that can switch between c and d is connected. The changeover switch 46 includes a changeover switch 41.
The switching operation is performed in synchronization with the
When 1 is switched to the contact a, the other switch is similarly synchronously switched, such that the switch 46 is also switched to the contact a. By configuring the resistance selection circuit as described above, for example, the changeover switches 41, 46
Is switched to the contact a, the conductor 42 is selected, so that the resistance of the load circuit of the high-frequency transformer 34 is minimized. Therefore, an arc discharge occurs between the tip of the electrode 9 and the affected part of the patient, and when the inert gas flowing around the tip is turned into plasma, a high-frequency current is applied to the patient and Joule heat is generated in the affected part. Therefore, when the changeover switches 41 and 46 are switched to the contact point a, the hemostatic treatment of the affected part is performed by both the plasma chemical action and the relatively large Joule heat action.

Next, when the changeover switches 41 and 46 are switched to the contact b, the resistor 43 is selected, so that the resistance value of the load circuit of the high-frequency transformer 34 slightly increases. Therefore, the generation of Joule heat in the affected area is slightly suppressed. When the changeover switches 41 and 46 are switched to the contact c, the resistor 44 is selected, so that the resistance value of the load circuit of the high-frequency transformer 34 further increases. Therefore, generation of Joule heat in the affected area is further suppressed. When the changeover switches 41 and 46 are switched to the contact point d, the resistor 45 is selected, so that the resistance value of the load circuit of the high-frequency transformer 34 increases most. Therefore, the generation of Joule heat in the affected area is minimized, and the hemostatic treatment of the affected area is performed almost entirely by the chemical action of plasma. In this way, the resistance value of the load circuit of the high-frequency transformer 34 can be changed stepwise so that the hemostatic effect due to Joule heat can be added appropriately. In the above example, the resistors 43 to 45 are switched stepwise, but a variable resistor that changes the resistance value steplessly can also be used. The element is not limited to the resistor, and may be any element that changes the impedance of the load circuit of the high-frequency transformer 34.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing the entire configuration of an electrosurgical apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an internal configuration of a main body of the electrosurgical apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a high voltage generator of the electrosurgical device.

FIG. 4 is another circuit diagram of the high voltage generator of the electrosurgical device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Handpiece 9 Electrode 12 Counter electrode 22 High voltage generation part 33 Boost circuit 34 High frequency transformer 35,41,46 Changeover switch 37 Parallel resonance circuit 43,44,45 Resistance

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takao Furudate 28, Kita-Kimoji Seta, Onishi-shi, Aichi Pref. Mex Corporation (56) References JP-A-9-299380 (JP, A) -159641 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 18/00-18/28

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A handpiece for generating plasma between a living body mounted on a return electrode plate, a high-frequency transformer for outputting a high-frequency voltage for generating the plasma, and a high-frequency transformer connected to an output side of the high-frequency transformer. An antenna for raising the impedance by resonating with the carrier frequency of the high-frequency transformer
An electrosurgical device, comprising: a parallel resonance circuit in which an inductor and a capacitor are connected in parallel , wherein the high-frequency voltage is applied to the return electrode plate and the handpiece via the parallel resonance circuit .