MEDICAL INSTRUMENT FOR DELIVERY OF HIGH VOLTAGE PULSES AND METHOD OF DELIVERING THE SAME

摘要

An instrument (10) for delivering a high voltage pulse to tissue is disclosed. The instrument (10) can include an outer support member (12) with a liquid reservoir (14) that has a liquid-contacting interior surface (16), an opening (18) at a distal end (20) of the outer support member (12), and a ground electrode (22) extending in a longitudinal direction and having a lower surface (23) proximate the opening (18). The instrument (10) can also include a working electrode (26) extending longitudinally from the liquid-contacting interior surface (16) with a needle-shaped distal portion (28) proximate the distal end (20), and an inlet port (31) and an outlet port (34) in liquid communication with the liquid reservoir (14). The working electrode (26) can be electrically isolated from the ground electrode (22) by an insulating portion (30) of the outer support member (12), and a direct path can exist through the liquid reservoir (14) between the ground electrode (22) and the working electrode (26).