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Device And Method For Coordinated Insertion Of A Plurality Of Cryoprobes FreshPatents Stats1 views for this patent on FreshPatents.com2010: 1 viewsUpdated: June 10 2014 TOP 200 Companies filing patents this week
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Device and method for coordinated insertion of a plurality of cryoprobes Title: Device and method for coordinated insertion of a plurality of cryoprobes.Abstract: The present invention relates to devices and methods delivering a plurality of thermal ablation probes to an organic target in a body, the probes being delivered in a configuration and orientation enabling efficient and thorough ablation of a large target of complex shape. Preferred embodiments include introducers having individual probe channels shaped to direct inserted probes to diverge upon exiting the introducer, probes designed and constructed to bend in selected manner when exiting the introducer, and apparatus for stabilizing an introducer with respect to a target during insertion of treatment probes from introducer to target. ...
USPTO Applicaton #: #20090292279 - Class: 606 21 (USPTO) - 11/26/09 - Class 606 Surgery > Instruments >Cyrogenic Application >Internal Application The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090292279, Device and method for coordinated insertion of a plurality of cryoprobes.
This Application claims the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/762,110 filed Jan. 26, 2006.
This Application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/640,309 filed Dec. 18, 2006, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/660,478 filed Sep. 12, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,743, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/860,486 filed May 21, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,760,037, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/242,455 filed Oct. 24, 2000, now expired.
This Application is also a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/637,095 filed Dec. 12, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/660,478 filed Sep. 12, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,743, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/860,486 filed May 21, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,706,037, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/242,455 filed Oct. 24, 2000, now expired.
Pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/637,095 is also a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/055,597 filed Feb. 11, 2005, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/987,689 filed Nov. 15, 2001, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/860,486 filed May 21, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,706,037, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/242,455 filed Oct. 24, 2000, now expired.
Pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/637,095 is also a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/185,699 filed Jul. 21, 2005, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/151,310 filed May 21, 2002, now abandoned, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/300,097 filed Jun. 25, 2001, now expired, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/291,990 filed May 21, 2001, now expired.
Pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/637,095 also claims the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/762,110 filed Jan. 26, 2006.
Pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/637,095 also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/750,833 filed Dec. 16, 2005, now expired.
The present invention relates to devices and methods for thermal ablation of a surgical target within a body of a patient. More particularly, the present invention relates to use of an introducer for delivering thermal ablation probes to an organic target in a desired configuration and orientation.
Cryotherapy is often called upon to treat lesions which are larger than the size of the ice ball which can be formed by a single cryoprobe. Using, repositioning, and re-using a same probe to treat large lesion is impractical, given the time-consuming freezing, thawing, and re-freezing processes involved. Consequently, a plurality of probes is typically used to treat a large treatment target. Yet, it is difficult to accurately insert a plurality of cryoprobes into a body and to position those probes in such manner that their treatment heads are in desired target locations relative one to another and relative to a target lesion. The process is particularly difficult when long, thin cryoprobes are used. Yet treated organs are often deep within the body, and cryoprobes and associated sensor probes must penetrate thick layers of tissue to reach an intended treatment locus.
In prostate cryoablation, where insertion depth is relatively short, templates are used. U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,492 to Zvuloni et al. presents examples where templates are used to control cryoablation of large lesions using multiple cryoprobes. However, cryoprobes are typically only semi-rigid. Probes often bend or stray off course when inserted through thick layers of tissue. Once a cryoprobe has begun to be inserted into a body, a surgeon\'s ability to control the exact course of the probe\'s insertion is limited because of the probes inherent flexibility and because of the strength of internal tissue structures through which the probe must pass. In many contexts, for example in treatment of lesions within the abdomen, where probes must penetrate skin, fat, and muscular layers to reach a treatment target, use of templates to guide a plurality of probes to a target has been found to be unsatisfactory. In such contexts cryoprobes are often inserted individually, under endoscopic and/or ultrasound visual guidance. Such procedures, however, typically necessitate making a plurality of incisions to accommodate inserting a visual imaging (scope) apparatus, lighting instruments, cryoprobes, a manipulator for handling the probes, and means for inflating a body cavity to create a free visual field. Such a plurality of incisions is highly disadvantageous. Moreover, insertion of multiple probes is a time-consuming process. Since the patient is usually under general or at least local anesthesia, long operation times pose not only reduce productivity for the surgeon and healthcare facility, but increase patient discomfort and risks of complications.
An additional problem generally encountered during insertion of multiple treatment probes into a target organ is that treated organs are typically flexible and moveable, and do not maintain a fixed position during attempts by a surgeon to penetrate them with a plurality of cryoprobes or other needle-like treatment tools. Thus, in many cases it is important to hold and stabilize a body organ or other treatment target, to prevent its motion during insertion and positioning of treatment tools such as cryoprobes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,844 to Van Bladel et al. discloses a cannula adapted to apply suction through a lumen of a catheter to a tumor or lesion. Val Bladel\'s lumen has a self-sealing valve through which a cryoprobe may be inserted while suction is applied. Van Bladel discloses a multiple coring needle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,255 to Van Bladel et al. discloses an adhesion probe for securing the tumor. The probe secures the tumor by piercing the tumor and providing a coolant to the distal tip to cool the tip, thereby causing adhesion between tip and tissue.
Cryoprobes are typically designed and constructed to produce very cold temperatures at their treatment tips. However, it is a well-known disadvantage of cryoprobes that cold cryogen exhausting from a treatment tip and flowing through a proximal shaft of the cryoprobe may cool that shaft to the point where the unintentionally cooled shaft causes undesired freezing damage to healthy untreated tissue proximate to the shaft. Thermal insulation layers are often provided surrounding cryoprobe shafts. However, insulation layers increase probe diameters, thereby increasing trauma to tissues probes traverse.
Thus, there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, devices and methods enabling to deliver a plurality of cryoprobes to a treatment target absent the above-mentioned disadvantages.
The present invention relates to use of an introducer for delivering thermal ablation probes to an organic target, and particularly for delivering multiple probes in a configuration and orientation enabling efficient and thorough ablation of a large target of complex shape. Preferred embodiments include introducers having individual probe channels shaped to direct inserted probes to diverge as they advance from the introducer into body tissues, probes designed and constructed to bend in selected manner when exiting the introducer, and probes and introducers comprising attachment mechanisms for fastening an introducer to an organic target during advancement of multiple probes from introducer to target.
The present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the presently known configurations by providing devices and methods enabling easy and rapid deliver of a plurality of treatment to a treatment target deep within a body, and further enabling to position treatment heads of the probes in a designed configuration appropriate for treating a large treatment target of complex shape, while yet requiring only a single incision to deliver such tools to a target and to provide feedback information as to the tool\'s deployment and position. The present invention further successfully addresses the shortcomings of the presently known configurations by providing devices and methods enabling to use a first of said plurality of probes to immobilize a target organ with respect to that first probe during insertion of others of that plurality of treatment probes.
The present invention further successfully addresses the shortcomings of the presently known configurations by providing devices and methods enabling to deliver a plurality of cryoprobes to a treatment target deep within a body and further enabling to position treatment heads of the probes in a designed configuration appropriate for treating a large treatment target of complex shape, which devices are operable to protect healthy tissues from damage by contact with cold shafts of cooling cryoprobes.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an C. apparatus for thermal treatment of an organic target within a body of a patient, comprising: an introducer operable to introduce at least one thermal treatment probe into the body and to deliver a distal portion of the probe to a vicinity of the target, the introducer having a distal exterior wall, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis and being characterized by a distance D1 defined as a maximum of radial distances between points on the distal exterior wall and the longitudinal axis; and at least one thermal treatment probe operable to be introduced into the body through the introducer, the cryoprobe having a distal end, the introducer and the at least one probe being so designed and configured that there exists a distance L1 such that if the probe is advanced through the introducer so that the distal end of the probe is advanced beyond the exterior wall of the introducer by at least distance L1, then a distance D2, defined as a radial distance between the distal end of the probe and a linear extension of the longitudinal axis of the introducer, will be greater than distance D1.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the introducer is further operable to introduce a plurality of thermal treatment probes into the body and to deliver distal portions of the plurality of probes to the vicinity of the target; and the apparatus is so designed and configured such that there exists a distance L2 such that if a plurality of flexible cryoprobes is advanced through the introducer so that distal tips of the plurality of probes extend beyond a distal end of the introducer by at least distance L2, then the distal tips form a dispersed configuration characterized in that a distance D3, defined as a maximum of distances of the distal tips one from another, is greater than double the distance D2.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the introducer further comprises a plurality of curved channels, each channel sized to accommodate a treatment probe.
According to still further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the curved channels diverge as they approach a distal end of the introducer. Preferably the apparatus comprises an axially located straight channel, the plurality of curved channels being positioned around the axially located straight channel.
The apparatus may further comprise a sharp distal end shaped to facilitate penetration of the introducer into body tissues.
According to a preferred embodiment at least one probe is a pre-bent probe having a distal portion which is operable to assume a straight configuration when constrained to do so, and which assumes a bent configuration when unconstrained.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a plurality of pre-bent probes each having a distal portion which is operable to assume a straight configuration when constrained to do so, and which assumes a bent configuration when unconstrained.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the introducer comprises a plurality of channels each sized to accommodate one of the plurality of probes.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the apparatus further comprises an attaching mechanism enabling to attach the introducer to tissue of the target.
The attaching mechanism may comprise a hook operable to penetrate tissue. Preferably the hook is of corkscrew-shaped spiral construction and may be attached to a distal portion of the introducer or to a distal portion of a probe operable to be advanced towards the target from within the introducer.
Alternatively, the attaching mechanism comprises a distal portion operable to be cooled to freezing temperatures while in contact with the target, thereby creating adhesion between the attaching mechanism and frozen tissues of the target.
Further alternatively, the apparatus further comprises a channel for applying suction to the target, thereby attaching a portion of the apparatus to the target.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the introducer comprises an echogenic portion, and/or at least one probe comprises an echogenic portion.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the at least one probe comprises a marking describing a characteristic of the probe, and a shaft of the at least one probe comprises markings serving to indicate position of the probe within the introducer when the probe is inserted in the introducer and a distal end of the probe is advanced to a position near a distal end of the introducer.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the apparatus further comprises a position sensor operable to report position of the probe within the introducer and an actuator operable to induce movement of the probe within the introducer.
The probe may be a Joule-Thomson cryoprobe, the apparatus then further comprising a source of high-pressure cooling gas, a source of high-pressure heating gas, and a controller operable to control deliver of the high-pressure gasses to the cryoprobe.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the apparatus further comprises a sensor interface unit operable to receive data from a sensor and to calculate and send commands to the controller.
Preferably, the interface unit is further operable to calculate an estimated future position of an ablation volume producible by thermal treatment probes introduced into the body through the introducer, the calculation being at least partially based on information received from the sensor.
Preferably, the interface unit is further operable to display the estimated ablation volume position, and is further operable to calculate a real-time estimate of an actual ablation volume position, the calculation being at least partially based on data received from the sensor.
Preferably, the interface unit is further operable to calculate in a first calculation an estimated future position of an ablation volume producible by thermal treatment probes introduced into the body through the introducer and to record the estimated future position, the first calculation being at least partially based on information received from a first sensor, and the interface unit is further operable to calculate in a second calculation a real-time estimate of an actual ablation volume position, the second calculation being at least partially based on data received from a second sensor. Preferably the interface unit is further operable to display a comparison of results of the first and second calculations.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the introducer comprises a channel sized to accommodate a treatment probe, the channel having a distal opening at a circumferential position on the introducer, the circumferential positioned being distanced from a distal end of the introducer.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a plurality of treatment probes operable to be inserted into the body through the introducer.
Preferably the introducer further comprises a sharp distal end shaped to facilitate penetration of the introducer into body tissues, and at least one of the plurality of cryoprobes comprises a sharp distal end operable to be positioned so as to be substantially flush with the sharp distal end of the introducer.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an introducer operable to deliver a plurality of cryoprobes to a treatment target within a body of a patient, comprising a plurality of channels each sized to accommodate a cryoprobe, at least one of the channels being curved.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below the introducer further comprises a straight central channel and a plurality of curved channels positioned around the central channel, and at least one of the curved channels curves away from the central channel as it approaches a distal end of the introducer.
Preferably, the curved channels are disposed symmetrically around the central channel, and distal ends of at least some of the plurality of channels diverge as they approach a distal end of the introducer.
Preferably, the introducer further comprises a position sensor for sensing a position of a treatment probe within the introducer, and an insertion device operable to advance a treatment probe within the introducer.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus operable to deliver a plurality of cryoprobes to a target, comprising a body having a longitudinal axis; a plurality of channels within the body, each channel sized to accommodate a treatment probe; and at least one pre-bent probe operable to exit a distal portion of the introducer and to advance in a direction which is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the introducer, and preferably comprising a plurality of pre-bent probes. The pre-bent probe may comprises stainless steel and may comprise shape memory metal.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the apparatus further comprises a plurality of pre-bent treatment probes positioned within the plurality of working channels in such orientation that when the pre-bent treatment probes extend from a distal end of the introducer, a distance of one of the treatment heads from at least one other of the treatment heads is greater than a diameter of the introducer.
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Patent InfoApplication # US 20090292279 A1Publish Date 11/26/2009 Document # 11884684 File Date 01/25/2007 USPTO Class 606 21 Other USPTO Classes International Class 61B18/02 Drawings 12 CryoprobeThermal Ablation