US 12,137,966 B2
Arthroscopic devices and methods
Simon Malkevich, Gilroy, CA (US); and Aaron Germain, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Relign Corporation, Campbell, CA (US)
Filed by RELIGN Corporation, Campbell, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/434,939.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/683,988, filed on Jun. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0022749 A1, Jan. 23, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/148 (2013.01) [A61B 2018/00059 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00178 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00196 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00202 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00577 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00589 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0091 (2013.01); A61B 2018/1422 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for mechanical cutting and radiofrequency (RF) treatment of tissue, said system comprising:
a probe detachably couplable to a handpiece that includes a motor drive, the probe including:
(a) an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end;
(b) a cutting member formed of a dielectric material mounted on the distal end of the elongated sleeve, the cutting member rotatable relative to the handpiece around the longitudinal axis of the elongated sleeve, wherein the dielectric material comprises a ceramic composite comprising no more than 25 wt % alumina but no less than 15 wt % alumina, no more than 85 wt % zirconia but no less than 75 wt % zirconia, and no more than 5 wt % cerium but no less than 1 wt % cerium; and
(c) a metal electrode attached to a surface of the cutting member for rotating with the cutting member relative to the handpiece around the longitudinal axis of the elongated sleeve, the metal electrode configured to deliver RF current; and
an RF power supply configured to generate current having a pulsed RF waveform and to be connected to the metal electrode to deliver the current having the pulsed RF waveform to the tissue, wherein said pulsed RF waveform reduces a thermal stress on the dielectric material at the interface of the metal electrode and the dielectric material,
wherein the cutting member includes a cutting window, the cutting window including a first side with a first cutting edge formed in the dielectric material and a second side with a second cutting edge formed in the dielectric material, the first side useable to mechanically cut soft tissue at the treatment site while rotating the cutting member in a first rotational direction, the second side useable to mechanically cut bone at the treatment site while rotating the cutting member in a second rotational direction,
wherein the metal electrode is absent from both the first side and the second side of the cutting window.