The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 27, 2005
Filed:
Jan. 21, 2003
Terry S. Davison, Redwood City, CA (US);
Theodore C. Ormsby, Escondido, CA (US);
Jean Woloszko, Mountain View, CA (US);
Robert H. Dahla, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Terry S. Davison, Redwood City, CA (US);
Theodore C. Ormsby, Escondido, CA (US);
Jean Woloszko, Mountain View, CA (US);
Robert H. Dahla, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Arthrocare Corporation, Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
Electrosurgical methods, systems, and apparatus for the controlled ablation of tissue from a target site of a patient. An electrosurgical apparatus of the invention includes an active electrode assembly having an active electrode screen surrounded by a plurality of flow protectors. Each flow protector defines a shielded region of the active electrode screen, each shielded region of the screen characterized by enhanced plasma formation. The active electrode assembly is adapted for removing tissue from a surgical site, and the active electrode screen is adapted for digesting fragments of resected tissue. In one embodiment, the apparatus is particularly suited to simultaneously removing both hard and soft tissue in, or around, a joint.