Tissue-retaining system for ultrasound medical treatment

• US 20030018270A1
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Dunki-Jacobs, Robert, Pellegrino, Richard C., Makin, Inder Raj. S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,806,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/466
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2202 the ultrasound transducer being inside patient's body at the distal end of the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320093 additional movable means performing cutting operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3784 both receiver and transmitter being in the instrument or receiver being also transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3929 Active markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3975 active
• 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 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

An ultrasound medical treatment system includes an end effector insertable into a patient. The end effector includes a tissue-retaining device. The tissue-retaining device includes a first tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound medical-treatment transducer and includes a second tissue-retaining member. The first and second tissue-retaining members are operatively connected together to retain patient tissue between the first and second tissue-retaining members and to release patient tissue so retained. In one example, the second tissue-retaining member has an ultrasound reflector. In the same or a different example, the ultrasound medical-treatment transducer is an ultrasound imaging and medical-treatment transducer.

Claims

1. An ultrasound medical treatment system comprising an end effector insertable into a patient, wherein the end effector includes a tissue-retaining device, wherein the tissue-retaining device includes a first tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound medical-treatment transducer and includes a second tissue-retaining member, and wherein the first and second tissue-retaining members are operatively connected together to retain patient tissue between the first and second tissue-retaining members and to release patient tissue so retained.

2. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 1, wherein the retained patient tissue is retained between the transducer and the second tissue-retaining member.

3. An ultrasound medical treatment system comprising an end effector insertable into a patient, wherein the end effector includes a tissue-retaining device, wherein the tissue-retaining device includes a first tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound imaging and medical-treatment transducer and includes a second tissue-retaining member, and wherein the first and second tissue-retaining members are operatively connected together to retain patient tissue between the first and second tissue-retaining members and to release patient tissue so retained.

4. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 3, wherein the retained patient tissue is retained between the transducer and the second tissue-retaining member.

5. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 3, wherein the end effector is an open-surgery end effector, an endoscopic end effector, a laparoscopic end effector, a catheter end effector, or a needle end effector.

6. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 3, wherein the transducer focuses ultrasound energy.

7. A method for ultrasound medical treatment of a patient using the ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 3 comprising the steps of:

a) endoscopically inserting the end effector into an ear, nose, or throat of the patient;

b) guiding the end effector in the patient;

c) identifying patient tissue for medical treatment at least in part from ultrasound imaging using the transducer;

d) retaining the identified patient tissue using the tissue-retaining device; and

e) medically treating the retained patient tissue with ultrasound using the transducer.

8. A method for ultrasound medical treatment of a patient using the ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 3 comprising the steps of:

a) inserting the end effector into the patient;

b) retaining an intervertebral disk of the patient with the tissue-retaining device, wherein the intervertebral disk includes tissue; and

c) medically treating the retained intervertebral disk with ultrasound to shrink the tissue using the transducer.

9. A method for ultrasound medical treatment of a patient using the ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 3 comprising the steps of:

a) inserting the end effector into the patient;

b) retaining a joint of the patient with the tissue-retaining device, wherein the joint includes tissue; and

c) medically treating the retained joint with ultrasound to shrink the tissue using the transducer.

10. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 3, wherein the second tissue-retaining member is substantially ultrasonically non-reflective.

11. An ultrasound medical treatment system comprising an end effector insertable into a patient, wherein the end effector includes a tissue-retaining device, wherein the tissue-retaining device includes a first tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound medical-treatment transducer and includes a second tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound reflector, and wherein the first and second tissue-retaining members are operatively connected together to retain patient tissue between the first and second tissue-retaining members and to release patient tissue so retained.

12. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 11, wherein the retained patient tissue is retained between the transducer and the reflector.

14. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 13, wherein the retained patient tissue is retained between the transducer and the reflector.

15. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 13, wherein the end effector is an open-surgery end effector, an endoscopic end effector, a laparoscopic end effector, a catheter end effector, or a needle end effector.

16. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 13, wherein the reflector is disposed to receive ultrasound energy from the transducer and is oriented to reflect the received ultrasound energy back into patient tissue retained by the tissue-retaining device.

17. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 16, wherein the transducer and the reflector each focus ultrasound energy.

18. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 16, wherein the reflector is oriented to reflect the received ultrasound energy away from the transducer when the patient tissue is retained by the tissue-retaining device.

19. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 13, wherein one of the first and second tissue-retaining members is controllably orientatable relative to the other of the first and second tissue-retaining members.

20. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 19, wherein the second tissue-retaining member is controllably orientatable relative to the first tissue-retaining member to reflect the received ultrasound energy back along different directions.

21. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 19, wherein the transducer and the reflector each focus ultrasound energy.

22. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 13, wherein the end effector has a longitudinal axis, and wherein one of the first and second tissue-retaining members at all times faces along a direction which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

23. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 22, wherein the one tissue-retaining member is the first tissue-retaining member.

24. A method for ultrasound medical treatment of a patient using the ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 22 comprising the steps of:

a) endoscopically inserting the end effector into an ear, nose, or throat of the patient;

b) guiding the end effector in the patient;

c) identifying patient tissue for medical treatment at least in part from ultrasound imaging using the transducer;

d) retaining identified patient tissue using the tissue-retaining device; and

e) medically treating the retained patient tissue with ultrasound using the transducer and the reflector.

25. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 13, wherein the end effector has a longitudinal axis, and wherein one of the first and second tissue-retaining members at all times faces along a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

26. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 25, wherein the one tissue-retaining member is the first tissue-retaining member.

27. A method for ultrasound medical treatment of a patient using the ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 25 comprising the steps of:

a) inserting the end effector into the patient;

b) retaining an intervertebral disk of the patient with the tissue-retaining device, wherein the intervertebral disk includes tissue; and

c) medically treating the retained intervertebral disk with ultrasound to shrink the tissue using the transducer and the reflector.

28. A method for ultrasound medical treatment of a patient using the ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 25 comprising the steps of:

a) inserting the end effector into the patient;

b) retaining a joint of the patient with the tissue-retaining device, wherein the joint includes tissue; and

c) medically treating the retained joint with ultrasound to shrink the tissue using the transducer and the reflector.

30. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 29, wherein the first tissue-retaining member is a distal end portion of a first tube, and also including:

a) a second tube oriented substantially parallel to the first tube;

b) first and second link members pivotally attached to the first tissue-retaining member and to the second tube at pivot points creating a hinged parallelogram defined by a proximal portion of the first tissue-retaining member, a distal portion of the second tube, and the first and second link members, wherein the reflector is disposed at a distal portion of the second tissue-retaining member and faces the transducer; and

c) a cable operatively connected to the hinged parallelogram to move the second tissue-retaining member toward and away from the first tissue-retaining member.

31. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 30, also including an outer tube, and wherein the cable and the first and second tubes are disposed in the outer tube.

32. The ultrasound medical treatment system of claim 31, also including a handpiece, and wherein the cable and the first, second, and outer tubes are operatively connected to the handpiece.

13. An ultrasound medical treatment system comprising an end effector insertable into a patient, wherein the end effector includes a tissue-retaining device, wherein the tissue-retaining device includes a first tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound imaging and medical-treatment transducer and includes a second tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound reflector, and wherein the first and second tissue-retaining members are operatively connected together to retain patient tissue between the first and second tissue-retaining members and to release patient tissue so retained.

29. An ultrasound medical treatment system comprising an end effector insertable into a patient, wherein the end effector includes a tissue-retaining device, wherein the tissue-retaining device includes a first tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound imaging and medical-treatment transducer and includes a second tissue-retaining member having an ultrasound reflector, wherein the first and second tissue-retaining members are operatively connected together to retain patient tissue between the first and second tissue-restraining members and to release patient tissue so retained, and wherein the first and second tissue-retaining members always maintain a substantially parallel alignment.