Methods of using high intensity focused ultrasound to form an ablated tissue area containing a plurality of lesions

• US 10,589,130 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hissong, James B., Stewart, Mark T., Francischelli, David E., Keogh, James R., Lee, Hotaik, Smith, Nadine B., Skarda, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brutus, Joel F
• Application Number:
  US15/919,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20180263651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320071 with articulating means for working tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320078 Tissue manipulating surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00291 using suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3782 transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

A device and method for ablating tissue is disclosed comprising the steps of acquiring an anatomical image of a patient, correlating the image to the patient, guiding an ablating member within the patient while tracking the position of the ablating member in the patient, positioning the ablating member in a desired position to ablate tissue, emitting ablating energy from the ablating member to form an ablated tissue area and removing the ablating member from the patient.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

delivering focused ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer to one or more focal points within target tissue proximate to a kidney of a human patient,

wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned externally adjacent to the human patient while delivering the focused ultrasound energy,

wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises an array of individual ultrasound transducer elements that are independently and electronically controllable, and wherein delivering the focused ultrasound energy comprises electronically steering the focused ultrasound energy via controlled interference between adjacent individual ultrasound transducer elements of the array; and

heating the target tissue at each focal point with the focused ultrasound energy to form a plurality of ablation lesions without forming lesions in surrounding non-target tissue or tissue through which the focused ultrasound energy passes between the ultrasound transducer and the one or more focal points.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the ultrasound transducer at a selected location relative to the human patient and target tissue via an imaging device utilizing ultrasound imaging.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the ultrasound transducer at a selected location relative to the human patient and target tissue using mapping technology.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the ultrasound transducer at a selected location relative to the human patient and target tissue via an imaging device utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the ultrasound transducer at a selected location relative to the human patient and target tissue via an imaging device utilizing fluoroscopy.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the ultrasound transducer at a selected location relative to the human patient and target tissue via an imaging device utilizing positron emission tomography (PET).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering focused ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer to one or more focal points comprises electronically controlling each individual ultrasound transducer element to focus the ultrasound energy at the one or more focal points.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering focused ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer to one or more focal points comprises emitting focused ultrasound energy having a first phase and a first amplitude from a first set of the individual ultrasound transducer elements, and emitting focused ultrasound energy having a second phase and a second amplitude from a second, different set of the individual ultrasound transducer elements.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering focused ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer to one or more focal points comprises emitting focused ultrasound energy from a first set of the individual ultrasound transducer elements while a second set of the individual ultrasound transducer elements are turned off.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering focused ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer comprises delivering high frequency focused ultrasound (HIFU) energy.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein heating the target tissue at each focal point with the focused ultrasound energy to form a plurality of ablation lesions comprises heating the target tissue at each focal point to a temperature of 50 to 90 degrees Celsius.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein heating the target tissue at each focal point with the focused ultrasound energy to form a plurality of ablation lesions comprises heating the target tissue at each focal point for a duration of between 2 and 60 seconds.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein heating the target tissue at each focal point to form a plurality of ablation lesions comprises creating a plurality of separate, discontinuous ablation lesions within the target tissue.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein heating the target tissue at each focal point to form a plurality of ablation lesions comprises creating a plurality of contiguous ablation lesions within the target tissue.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a parameter of the ultrasound transducer and/or target tissue within the human patient before and during delivery of the focused ultrasound energy.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein monitoring a parameter comprises monitoring changes in mechanical properties of the target tissue, and wherein the method further comprises altering delivery of the focused ultrasound energy in response to the monitored parameter.

17. A method of delivering ultrasound energy to a human patient, the method comprising:

delivering focused ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer positioned externally adjacent to the human patient to a plurality of focal points within target tissue proximate a kidney of the human patient at the same time,

wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises an array of individual ultrasound transducer elements that are independently and electronically controllable, and wherein delivering the focused ultrasound energy comprises electronically steering the focused ultrasound energy via controlled interference between adjacent individual ultrasound transducer elements of the array; and

forming an ablation lesion at each of the plurality of focal points with the focused ultrasound energy without forming lesions in surrounding non-target tissue or tissue through which the focused ultrasound energy passes between the ultrasound transducer and the plurality of focal points.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein delivering focused ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer to the plurality of focal points comprises electronically controlling each individual ultrasound transducer element to focus the ultrasound energy at the plurality of focal points.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein forming an ablation lesion at each of the plurality of focal points comprises creating a plurality of separate, discontinuous ablation lesions within the target tissue.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein forming an ablation lesion at each of the plurality of focal points comprises creating a plurality of contiguous ablation lesions within the target tissue.