Abstract:
A tissue penetrating probe includes a distal tissue piercing end; a first electrode; a second electrode; and a dielectric element. A proximal end of the dielectric element is bonded to a distal end of the first electrode and a distal end of the dielectric element is bonded to a proximal end of the second electrode. The dielectric element is formed of a composite material including a fiber braid within a polymeric material.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     The present application is a Continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/929,298 filed Aug. 30, 2004, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Ablation is often the recommended treatment for fibroids, tumors or other abnormal tissue masses. Local ablation of the diseased tissue may be carried out by inserting a therapeutic device into the tissue and carrying out therapeutic activity designed to treat the diseased cells. For example, tissue may be ablated by placing one or more electrodes into the affected tissue and discharging electric current therefrom. Various types of probes may be used to reach the target tissue and deliver electric energy thereto. One type of probe commonly used is the needle probe.  
         [0003]     Needle probes are often used to carry out the RF ablation treatments because they are able to pierce the surfaces of many tissue masses and to penetrate to an optimal location within these masses for treatment. The needle probes may be either monopolar with a single polarity electrode on the probe and a second external electrode (e.g., a grounding pad) used to complete the circuit or bipolar with electrodes of opposite polarity mounted on the probe separated from one another by an insulator.  
         [0004]     The size of the RF ablation probes is generally kept to a minimum to reduce trauma and to facilitate accurate placement of the probe so that target tissue may be ablated with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The construction of small diameter ablation probes is difficult because, in use, these probes are subjected to compressive loads. In particular, it is difficult to construct small insulating elements to separate electrodes (e.g., in a bipolar device) which are able to withstand the compressive loads to which they will be subjected.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention relates to a tissue penetrating probe includes a distal tissue piercing end; a first electrode; a second electrode; and a dielectric element. A proximal end of the dielectric element is bonded to a distal end of the first electrode and a distal end of the dielectric element is bonded to a proximal end of the second electrode. The dielectric element is formed of a composite material including a fiber braid within a polymeric material. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective depiction of the RF ablation probe according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a detail view of the structural insulator bonded to the metal conductor of the RF ablation probe where the insulator overlaps the conductor_shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view along line III-III of the structural insulator shown in  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a detail view of the structural insulator bonded to the metal conductor of the RF ablation probe where the conductor overlaps the insulator shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0010]     The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The present invention is related to medical devices for ablating abnormal tissues. More specifically, the invention is related to devices for ablating tissues such as tumors, fibroids and other abnormal growths using RF energy. The invention is also related to devices adapted to treat tissue within hollow organs or body lumens of the patient.  
         [0011]     A variety of ablation techniques have been employed to treat various tumors, fibroids and other abnormal tissue growths. Heat ablation, RF ablation and chemical ablation are a few of the techniques available to necrose abnormal tissues, which may then be surgically removed. These techniques are especially well suited for growths within hollow organs, such as the GI tract, the uterus, etc. In some cases, an endoscope or similar instrument may be necessary to reach the target tissue. In those cases the ablation device is often sized to fit within a working lumen of the endoscope.  
         [0012]     As discussed above, size and durability constraints for bipolar RF probes have posed several challenges. For bipolar probes which are needle-like or otherwise include a hollow tubular member, wires or other conductors are often threaded through a lumen of the probe to connect each of the electrodes to a power source. In particular, the most distal electrode may require that a conductor pass through the more proximal electrode and an insulator separating the electrodes to connect with the power supply. Thus these insulators have often been formed as hollow tubular elements.  
         [0013]     Ablation probes and, in particular, insulators of bipolar RF ablation probes must also be designed to support mechanical loads. For example, an RF ablation probe may be used as a needle to penetrate target tissue and may need to pass through other tissue in order to reach the target tissue. In some cases, the probe must be pushed through the working lumen of an endoscope or similar instrument before reaching the target tissue. Accordingly, the probe and its components are preferably formed with sufficient column strength to resist operative compressive and bending loads without buckling or other undesired deformation. Once such a bipolar probe has been positioned within or abutting target tissue, a high frequency alternating current may be applied to the electrodes so that current flows from one electrode to the other through the target tissue to heat and, if enough energy is applied, to necrose the tissue.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a bipolar ablation probe according to the present invention. The probe  100  comprises a needle-like elongated body  102  which terminates in a sharp distal end  106 . The sharp end  106  may be used to facilitate penetration of the probe  100  through tissue to reach desired locations within the body. Various configurations of the sharp distal end  106  may be used, depending on the desired use of the ablation probe  100  or a more blunt configurations may be used for applications which do not require penetration of puncture resistant tissues. A lumen  104  extends through the elongated body  102  to provide a passage through the probe  100 . One skilled in the art would understand that the probe  100  may also include any of other known types of ablation electrodes including, for example, electrodes formed as a deployable array of tines which, during insertion and removal from the body, are received within a central lumen of the probe  100 . In addition, the central lumen of the probe  100  may be used to receive guidewires and other medical devices which may be deployed or retracted therethrough to the target tissue.  FIG. 1  depicts only the distal end of the probe  100 , which is designed to contact the target tissue to deliver RF energy thereto. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, the probe  100  may also include a handle portion, electric contacts, an insulated body and electric controls.  
         [0015]     A distal electrode  108  and a proximal electrode  112  form the energy delivering portion of the ablation probe  100 . Each of the proximal and distal electrodes  108 ,  112 , respectively, is formed of an electrically conductive material which is also biocompatible and which possesses sufficient mechanical strength to resist buckling and deformation in normal use. For example, stainless steel or other metals may be used. As the ablation probe  100  is typically very thin, metal electrodes are preferred to provide the required structural strength. As the electrodes  108 ,  112  are of different polarities, it is necessary to separate them with an insulator such as a dielectric element  110  to prevent short circuits and to cause the current to flow from one electrode to the other through the target tissue. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, the length of the dielectric element  110  may be selected to obtain a desired performance of the probe  100 .  
         [0016]     As indicated above, the ablation probe  100  is preferably of low profile and of very small gauge, to minimize the trauma. As described above, in addition to being a structural member of the probe  100 , the dielectric element  110  must also be biocompatible and be bondable or otherwise attachable to the metallic cannulas that form the electrodes  108 ,  112 . In the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the dielectric element  110  is formed as a substantially tubular shell with a wall thickness t of between about 0.004 and about 0.007 inches. The inner diameter ID of the dielectric element  110  according to this embodiment is approximately 0.05 inches and the outer diameter OD is approximately 0.06 inches.  
         [0017]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tubular dielectric element  110  comprises a polymeric filler material  120  containing an encapsulated fiber braid  122 . This construction results in a composite material of dielectric strength sufficient to insulate the electrodes  108 ,  112  from one another while providing column strength sufficient to resist buckling or bending under operative loads to which the probe  100  is to be subjected. For example, when subjected to compressive loads of 3.5 to 4 pounds, the metal cannulas used to form the electrodes of a dielectric element constructed as described failed while the dielectric portions of the element retained their structural integrity. In one exemplary embodiment, the filler material is a polyamide material with a braid of Vectran fiber (Celanese Acetate LLC, Charlotte, N.C.). The combination of polyamide and the Vectran fiber braid results in a composite material having the desired mechanical and insulation properties for use in the contemplated applications. Alternatively, the fiber braid  122  may comprise braided fibers of metal or other electrically conductive material so long as these fibers are fully encapsulated in a dielectric material. One skilled in the art would understand that the polymeric filler material  120 , may be replaced by any other non-conductive material suitable to insulate the electrodes including, for example, ceramics and rubbers.  
         [0018]     As described above, according to the present embodiment, the column strength of the resulting composite material is comparable to that of the metal cannulas conventionally used to form the proximal and distal electrodes  108 ,  112 . In an exemplary embodiment, the metallic cannulas that form the electrodes  108 ,  112  have an inner diameter between approximately 0.03 and 0.05 inches and an outer diameter of between 0.05 and 0.07 inches and, more preferably, has an inner diameter of approximately 0.043 inches and an outer diameter of approximately 0.060 inches. The composite material is thus well suited for use in a medical device such as the RF ablation probe  100 , so that the elongated body  102  exhibits relatively uniform mechanical properties along its length. The user thus may push the probe  100  through the working lumen of the endoscope or through the biological tissue without the dielectric element  110  buckling or bending under the operative axial load before the failure of the metal components of the probe  100 .  
         [0019]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the fiber braid  122  may be formed of a plurality of bands of fibers  124  overlapping one another in a cris-cross pattern. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, the shape of the pattern and the fiber count per unit length may be modified to obtain a desired column strength of the dielectric element  110  or to facilitate manufacture of the component. The cost and expected use of the resulting probe  100  may also be considerations in determining the configuration of the fiber braid  122 . According to the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the composite material results in the dielectric element  110  which is substantially rigid. However, for certain applications, it may be desirable to modify the polymeric material  120  and/or the fiber braid  122  such that the resulting composite material will retain a degree of flexibility. For example, the pattern and type of fiber bands  124  may be modified to achieve selected mechanical properties. The material may thus retain a high column strength to resist compression, but may be bendable along its longitudinal axis. In a preferred embodiment, the fiber braid  122  is formed with a plurality of bands of fibers  124  arranged in a cris-cross pattern at approximately 60 PIC (crisscrosses per inch).  
         [0020]     An additional feature of the dielectric element  110  is that it can be securely attached to the distal and proximal electrodes  108 ,  110 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , an overlapping joint is formed between reduced diameter portions  130  of the electrodes  112 ,  108  and overlap portions  132  of the dielectric element  110 . The inner, reduced diameter portions of the overlapping joint are preferably formed from the metal electrodes  108 ,  112  rather than from the composite dielectric element  110 , since the metal of which the electrodes  108 ,  112  are formed will generally exhibit mechanical properties at the reduced diameter superior to those of the composite material. However, as shown in  FIG. 4 , depending on the mechanical properties of the composite material forming the dielectric element  110 , an opposite configuration where the composite material forms the reduced diameter portion may also be used.  
         [0021]     Multiple techniques may be used to bond the composite material of the dielectric element  110  to the metallic electrodes  108 ,  112 . For example, an adhesive may be placed at the interface of the reduced diameter sections  130  and the overlap portions  132 , to securely bind the dielectric element  110  to the electrodes  108 ,  112 . Various known biocompatible adhesives such as Loctite (Henkel Loctite Corp.-Industrial, Rocky Hill, Conn.) may be used for this purpose. If the composite material forming the dielectric element  110  comprises a polyamide base polymer with Vectran fiber, Ultra-Violet (UV) bonding methods may also be used. The use of polyamide with encapsulated Vectran together with the thin nature of the walls of dielectric element  110  produces a translucent dielectric element  110 , through which UV light may reach the interface between the two components. UV curing of the adhesive may thus be carried out to join the components as would be understood by those skilled in the art.  
         [0022]     The present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, and more specifically to the distal structural dielectric element used to separate the electrodes of a bipolar ablation probe. However, other embodiments may be devised that are applicable to other procedures and devices, without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments, without departing from the broadest spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.