Devices for applying energy to tissue

• US 20020128647A1
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broncus Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Broncus Technologies, Inc
• Inventors: Thompson, David, Keast, Thomas, Roschak, Ed, Willink, Christopher Lee, Haugaard, Dave, Melton, Hewlett E. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,422,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/064 Surgical staples, i.e. penetrating the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0644 penetrating the tissue, deformable to closed position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12104 in an air passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22 Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on the inside of inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; Calculus removers; Calculus smashing apparatus; Apparatus for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1485 having a short rigid shaft for accessing the inner body through natural openings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00575 for closure at remote site, e.g. closing atrial septum defects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00809 Lung operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1135 End-to-side connections, e.g. T- or Y-connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1139 Side-to-side connections, e.g. shunt or X-connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22067 Blocking; Occlusion A61B2017/22054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22077 with a part piercing the tissue A61B2017/22044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 : open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 : Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00273 : Anchoring means for temporary attachment of a device to tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00285 : Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00541 : Lung or bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00601 : Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 : combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 : Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1437 : whereby the windings of the spiral touch each other such as to create a continuous surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 : Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 : of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3782 : transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/395 : with marking agent for marking skin or other tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 : Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 : Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 : in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 : Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/02 : Prostheses implantable into the body closure means for urethra or rectum or for artificial body openings therefor A61F2/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 : Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/20 : Epiglottis; Larynxes; Tracheae combined with larynxes or for use therewith tracheae, bronchi per se A61F2/04 ; tracheostomy tubes A61M16/0465
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2412 : with soft flexible valve members, e.g. tissue valves shaped like natural valves check valves with flexible valve members in general F16K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2418 : Scaffolds therefor, e.g. support stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/90 : characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 : made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/92 : Stents in the form of a rolled-up sheet expanding after insertion into the vessel , e.g. with a spiral shape in cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/043 : Bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/061 : provided with means for allowing access to secondary lumens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/8483 : Barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0076 : multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 : with multiple treatment transducers

Abstract

Disclosed herein are devices for altering gaseous flow within a lung to improve the expiration cycle of an individual, particularly individuals having Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). More particularly, devices are disclosed to produce collateral openings or channels through the airway wall so that expired air is able to pass directly out of the lung tissue to facilitate both the exchange of oxygen ultimately into the blood and/or to decompress hyper-inflated lungs.

Claims

1. A medical device for applying energy to tissue, the medical device comprising:

an elongate member having a proximal portion and a distal portion;

a transducer assembly located towards said distal portion of said elongate member;

an electrically conductive tip located at a distal end of said distal portion of said elongate member, said tip being adapted to conduct energy to tissue, said tip located adjacent to said transducer assembly and having a front and back surface, said back surface being in acoustical communication with said transducer assembly wherein said tip is adapted to communicate a source signal from said transducer assembly out through said front surface, said tip also being adapted to communicate a reflected signal from said front surface to said transducer assembly; and

at least two conducting members extending through at least a portion of said elongate member, at least one of said conducting members capable of electrically coupling an RF energy supply to said tip.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein a length of said tip is selected from a multiple of one-quarter of said wavelength of said signal.

3. The medical device of claim 2, wherein said length of said tip is approximately seven-quarters of said wavelength of said signal.

4. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said front surface of said tip is round.

5. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said front surface of said tip is flat.

6. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said front surface of said tip is concave.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said tip comprises a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, aluminum, and stainless steel.

8. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said tip comprises a non-electrically conductive material coated by an electrically conductive tip coating.

9. The medical device of claim 8, wherein said non-electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of dimethyl pentene, methylpentene copolymer, carbon aerogel, polycarbonate, polystyrene, and a high temperature plastic, and wherein said electrically conductive tip coating is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, tantalum, copper, chrome, and any bio-compatible electrically conductive material.

10. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising an epoxy between said tip and said transducer assembly.

11. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said transducer assembly comprises

a covering having a proximal and distal end,

at least one transducer having at least a first and second pole, at least a portion of said transducer being located within said covering,

a first conductive medium in contact with said first pole of said transducer and extending to at least a portion of an outer surface of said covering, and

wherein at least a first of said conducting members is electrically coupled to said first conductive medium, and a second of said conducting members extending through said proximal end of said covering and is electrically coupled to said second pole of said transducer.

12. The medical device of claim 11, further comprising a second conductive medium contacting at least a portion of said tip.

13. The medical device of claim 12, wherein said second conductive medium is in communication with said first conductive medium, where said second conductive medium electrically couples said outer surface of said tip with said first conductive medium.

14. The medical device of claim 12, wherein said second conductive medium comprises a coating.

15. The medical device of claim 14, wherein said coating comprises a gold material.

16. The medical device of claim 14, wherein said second conductive medium comprises a tube.

17. The medical device of claim 16, further comprising a third conducting member extending from said proximal portion to said distal portion of said elongate member and being in electrical communication with said tube.

18. The medical device of claim 16, wherein said tube is crimped about said tip.

19. The medical device of claim 14, wherein said second conductive medium is formed by at least one spring wound wire.

20. The medical device of claim 11, wherein said covering comprises a first tube.

21. The medical device of claim 20, wherein said first tube is conductive.

22. The medical device of claim 11, wherein said transducer assembly further comprises a second tube placed within said covering and having an end placed adjacent to said transducer.

23. The medical device of claim 22, wherein said second tube is conductive and where said second conducting member is electrically coupled to said second tube.

24. The medical device of claim 11, further comprising a non-conductive epoxy within said covering, said non-conductive epoxy securing a portion of said second conducting member within said covering.

25. The medical device of claim 24, wherein a portion of said transducer is separated from said non-conductive epoxy by a gap.

26. The medical device of claim 24, further comprising a conductive epoxy at a proximal end of said transducer assembly, said conductive epoxy electrically coupling said first conducting member with said first conductive medium.

27. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising a third conducting member extending from said proximal portion to said distal portion of said elongate member, said third conducting member being in electrical communication with said tip.

28. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said elongate member comprises an insulating material.

29. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer over a portion of said elongate member.

30. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising an outer sheath having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therethrough, wherein said elongate member is located within said sheath lumen.

31. The medical device of claim 1, wherein said first and second conducting members are electrically coupled to a control unit adapted to measure the Doppler shift between the transmitted and received signals.

32. The medical device of claim 1, said transducer is a piezo-electric ultrasound transducer.

33. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising a retaining epoxy placed adjacent to said tip to assist in retaining said tip to the device.

34. The medical device of claim 33, wherein a surface of said tip adjacent to said elongate member contains at least one groove, wherein said retaining epoxy fills said groove to increase retention of said tip.

35. The medical device of claim 33, wherein said retaining epoxy is located at least between said tip and said transducer.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein receiving the reflected signal to determine any difference in frequency between the source signal and reflected signal comprises receiving the reflected signal through the electrically conductive electrode.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the electrically conductive electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, stainless steel.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the electrically conductive electrode comprises a non-electrically conductive material coated with an electrically conductive material.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein generating the source signal with the transducer comprises generating a pulsed wave ultrasound signal.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the source signal has a pulse length equal to or less than a time required for the reflected signal to return from a first area of interest.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the source signal has a pulse length of approximately half of the time required for the reflected signal to return from the first area of interest.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein determining any difference in frequency between the source signal and reflected signal starts at the time required for the reflected signal to return from the first area of interest.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein determining any difference in frequency between the source signal and reflected signal ends at the time required for the reflected signal to return from a second area of interest.

47. The method of claim 38, wherein applying energy to tissue using the electrically conductive electrode comprises applying RF energy.

36. A medical device for detecting Doppler shift and for applying energy to tissue, the medical device comprising:

an elongate member having a proximal portion and a distal portion and a lumen extending therethrough;

a transducer assembly comprising

at least one transducer having at least a first and second pole, at least a portion of said at least one transducer being located towards a distal end of said transducer assembly,

a first conductive medium in contact with said first pole of said transducer,

wherein at least a portion of said transducer assembly is located towards said distal portion of said elongate member;

a first conducting member and a second conducting member both extending through at least a portion of said elongate member, said first conducting member being electrically coupled to said first conductive medium, and said second conducting member being electrically coupled to said second pole of said transducer;

an electrically conductive tip having a back surface being in acoustical communication with said transducer such that said transducer is able to transmit and receive a signal having a wavelength to/from said tip said tip located at a distal end of said distal portion of said elongate member; and

an RF power supply electrically coupled to said first conducting member.

37. A medical device for detecting Doppler shift and for applying energy to tissue, the medical device comprising:

an elongate member having a proximal portion and a distal portion;

a transducer means for generating a source signal and for receiving a reflected signal wherein said transducer means is located towards said distal portion of said elongate member;

a directing means for directing the source signal and the reflected signal and for applying energy to tissue, said directing means located adjacent at a distal end of said distal portion of said elongate member and being in acoustical communication with said transducer means; and

a first conducting member and a second conducting member both extending from said proximal end of said elongate member to said distal end of said elongate member, said conducting members electrically coupled to at least said transducer assembly.

38. A method of locating a site to apply energy to tissue and applying energy to tissue comprising:

generating a source signal with a transducer;

transmitting the source signal through an electrically conductive electrode to the tissue;

receiving a reflected signal;

determining any difference in frequency between the source signal and reflected signal; and

applying energy to tissue using the electrically conductive electrode.