Patent ID: 6584361
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
A catheter for insertion into a urethra to perform heat treatment of a prostate which surrounds a prostatic urethra of the urethra in a human being, comprising:an antenna located at a position within the catheter adjacent to the prostatic urethra and the prostate upon insertion of the catheter into the urethra to a treatment position at which the treatment is performed, the antenna emitting electromagnetic radiation to heat at least a portion of the prostate surrounding a portion of the prostatic urethra; a fluid reservoir within the catheter surrounding the antenna and located to extend along a portion of the prostatic urethra upon positioning the catheter in the treatment position, the fluid reservoir for containing fluid surrounding the antenna to absorb heat from the antenna and from some of the emitted electromagnetic radiation and to apply that absorbed heat through the catheter to the prostatic urethra and prostate tissue surrounding the reservoir; a feed cable extending along the catheter from a position at an exterior of the urethra, the feed cable operatively connected to the antenna to conduct energy to the antenna, the feed cable emitting heat as a result of conducting energy to the antenna; a cooling channel within the catheter and extending along the feed cable, the cooling channel for conducting cooling fluid to remove the heat emitted from the feed cable and to protect the urethra and the tissue surrounding the feed cable from the heat emitted from the feed cable; a delimiter separating the fluid reservoir from the cooling channel; and a channel extending through the delimiter for conducting fluid into and out of the fluid reservoir.