Patent ID: 6706037
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A cryosurgery apparatus comprising:a) a sheath forming a first hollow and having a distal portion, said distal portion being sufficiently sharp so as to penetrate into a body, said first hollow being designed and constructed for containing a plurality of cryoprobes each of said cryoprobes being controllably operable in itself for effecting cryoablation, wherein said first hollow further comprises i) a first Joule-Thomson heat exchanger having a first Joule-Thomson orifice, for heating and cooling said first hollow; and ii) a first heat exchanging configuration; and b) said plurality of cryoprobes, wherein at least one of said cryoprobes comprises iii) a second Joule-Thomson heat exchanger having a second Joule-Thomson orifice, for heating and cooling said cryoprobe; and iv) a second heat-exchanging configuration for pre-cooling and pre-heating high-pressure gas delivered to said second Joule-Thomson orifice; said plurality of cryoprobes being deployable through said distal portion of said sheath when said distal portion is positioned with respect to a tissue to be cryoablated, and each of said cryoprobes being controllably operable in itself for exerting said cryoablation when so deployed.