US 11,969,208 B2
Electrosurgical instrument for performing ablation or electroporation of biological tissue
Christopher Paul Hancock, Bath (GB); and John Bishop, Chepstow (GB)
Assigned to CREO MEDICAL LIMITED, Chepstow (GB)
Appl. No. 16/662,889
Filed by CREO MEDICAL LIMITED, Chepstow (GB)
PCT Filed Jun. 1, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/064467
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 24, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/224404, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 13, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 1709134 (GB), filed on Jun. 8, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0367965 A1, Nov. 26, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 18/18 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/14 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1815 (2013.01) [A61B 18/1492 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00077 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0016 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00541 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00577 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00613 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00708 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00732 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00982 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00994 (2013.01); A61B 2018/1823 (2013.01); A61B 2018/1853 (2013.01); A61B 2018/1861 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrosurgical instrument for delivering microwave electromagnetic (EM) energy and for delivering EM energy having an electroporation waveform to biological tissue at a treatment site, the electrosurgical instrument comprising:
a coaxial transmission line comprising an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and a dielectric material separating the inner conductor from the outer conductor, the coaxial transmission line being arranged to convey the microwave EM energy;
a radiating tip mounted at a distal end of the coaxial transmission line and configured to receive the microwave EM energy from the coaxial transmission line and configured to emit the microwave EM energy as a field around the radiating tip;
an auxiliary transmission line extending along the coaxial transmission line towards the radiating tip, the auxiliary transmission line being arranged to convey the EM energy having the electroporation waveform; and
a microelectrode array mounted on the radiating tip and electrically connected to the auxiliary transmission line,
wherein the microelectrode array is configured to receive the EM energy having the electroporation waveform from the auxiliary transmission line to thereby generate an electric field at the radiating tip for electroporation of the biological tissue;
wherein the auxiliary transmission line comprises a first pole conductive element and a second pole conductive element, and wherein the microelectrode array comprises a first subset of electrodes in electrical contact with the first pole conductive element and a second subset of electrodes in electrical contact with the second pole conductive element;
wherein the microelectrode array is configured to be secured on a first sheet and a second sheet, wherein the first sheet and the second sheet wrap around the radiating tip;
wherein the radiating tip comprises a dielectric cap mounted at the distal end of the coaxial transmission line, and wherein the microelectrode array is mounted on an outer surface of the dielectric cap;
wherein the first and second sheets are mounted one over the other with a top surface of the first sheet directly contacting a bottom surface of the second sheet on the dielectric cap; wherein the first sheet comprises the first subset of electrodes, and the second sheet comprises the second subset of electrodes.