Importance

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Abstract

An electrosurgical implement for tunneling through tissue for effecting drainage of an organ or to restore patency to a blood vessel is described. The implement comprises a stainless steel, helically wound, wire body similar to a conventional guidewire of the type used in angiography, angioplasty or in implanting cardiac pacing leads. The exterior of the guidewire is coated with an insulating material, save for one or two convolutions at its distal end. A core wire having a Teflon.RTM. shrink tube surrounding it over substantially its entire length is disposed within the lumen of the helical guidewire and only a short segment of the distal end of the core wire is allowed to extend out from the distal end of the guidewire. This short segment is stripped free of insulation. The implement may be routed through an endoscope into the stomach or colon and when an RF voltage of an appropriate amplitude is connected across terminals electrically joined to the proximal ends of both of the guidewire and the core wire, an arc discharge is created when the distal end of the implement is brought into contact with tissue, thereby allowing the device to readily pierce this tissue. The same implement may also be used for restoring patency to a blocked blood vessel.

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First Claim