US 12,484,954 B2
Arthroscopic devices and methods
Aaron Germain, San Jose, CA (US); and Jeffrey Norton, Emerald Hills, CA (US)
Assigned to Relign Corporation, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/779,937
Filed by Relign Corporation, Campbell, CA (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 15, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/065124
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 25, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/126852, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/950,381, filed on Dec. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0000540 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 17/16 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 18/148 (2013.01) [A61B 17/1633 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00642 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0072 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00827 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00892 (2013.01); A61B 2090/0427 (2016.02); A61B 2090/08021 (2016.02); A61B 2217/005 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tissue cutting system, comprising:
(a) a probe, including:
an elongated shaft comprised of an inner sleeve assembly rotatably received in an outer sleeve assembly, the elongated shaft extending about a longitudinal axis with the inner sleeve assembly being rotatable at a speed of greater than 1000 RPM within the outer sleeve assembly, the inner sleeve assembly including a tissue-cutting edge at a distal end thereof;
an active electrode on the distal end of the inner sleeve assembly; and
a return electrode on a distal end of the outer sleeve assembly; and
(b) a controller configured to simultaneously: (i) rotate the inner sleeve assembly within the outer sleeve assembly at said speed of greater than 1000 RPM as the tissue-cutting edge is engaging a tissue target to thereby mechanically cut the tissue target with the tissue-cutting edge; (ii) deliver, as the inner sleeve assembly is rotating at said speed of greater than 1000 RPM, radiofrequency (RF) current to the active electrode when the active electrode is remote from the return electrode during each respective rotation of the inner sleeve assembly; and (iii) limit, as the inner sleeve assembly is rotating at said speed of greater than 1000 RPM, RF current delivery to the active electrode when the active electrode is proximate the return electrode during each respective rotation of the inner sleeve assembly.