Patent ID: 8753342
Filing Date: 2014-06-17
Classification: A61B,A61N

Abstract:
1. In the surgical treatment of a human or animal body, a method of severing a portion of diseased liver from the liver without excessive bleeding, the method comprising: providing a device, the device comprising an applicator having at least one face and including an array of four identical needles arranged in a rectangular pattern of two rows by two columns that define a central channel structured and arranged such that two of said four tissue-piercing needles are positioned on one side of a width of liver tissue 2 cm across or less, and two of said needles are arranged to be positioned on an opposite side of said width of diseased liver tissue 2 cm across or less said width of tissue defining a planned incision line corresponding with said channel, said plurality of four tissue-piercing needles structured and arranged to be energizeable together to deliver three-dimensional energy among and with a cross-flow across said plurality of identical tissue-piercing needles, said applicator structured to be operably coupled to a source of electromagnetic energy; positioning said array of four needles arranged in two rows by two columns such that two of said four tissue-piercing needles are positioned on one side of a width of liver tissue 2 cm across or less and two of said needles are positioned on an opposite side of said width of liver tissue 2 cm across or less such that said positioning defines a planned incision line corresponding with said channel, said array of needles serving to confine and transmit the electromagnetic energy field three-dimensionally; inserting the tissue-piercing distal tips of said array of needles from said at least one face of the applicator into said liver tissue at a point on the planned incision line such that said four needles define a volume of liver tissue to be treated; applying said electromagnetic energy three-dimensionally among said array of four needles into the volume of liver tissue at said point on the planned incision line such that localized heating of said volume of liver tissue is achieved and blood vessels within said volume of liver tissue are coagulated; removing the tissue-piercing distal tips of said array of needles from the volume of tissue to be treated; advancing the applicator along the planned incision line in step-wise manner, inserting the tissue-piercing distal tips of said array of needles into a subsequent volume of tissue to be treated along said planned incision line, and applying said electromagnetic energy three-dimensionally among said array of four needles into the volume of the tissue to be treated along said planned incision line until said electromagnetic energy has been applied along the length of said incision line and blood vessels in the liver tissue along said planned incision line are coagulated; and severing the diseased liver tissue from the liver by incision along said planned incision line without excessive bleeding.