METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ENDOSCOPIC INJECTION OF AT LEAST ONE FLUID

• US 20030065306A1
• Filed: 03/15/1999
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH (C. Erbe GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH (C. Erbe GmbH)
• Inventors: FARIN, GUNTER, OZMEN, DOGAN, GRUND, KARL ERNST
• Granted Patent: US 6,752,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/506
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0073 Tip designed for influencing the flow or the flow velocity of the fluid, e.g. inserts for twisted or vortex flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0069 Tip not integral with tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/30 Syringes for injection by jet action, without needle, e.g. for use with replaceable ampoules or carpules
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/482 Varying injection pressure, e.g. by varying speed of injection

Abstract

It is particularly difficult to perform injections during endoscopic operations. The invention proposes that to expel a defined quantity of fluid from the end of a tube or a nozzle according to hydraulic parameters (settable in a defined way) such as pressure, speed of increase of pressure, duration and speed and with such energy that the fluid penetrates into the tissue after traversing in a substantially exposed manner a distance between the end of the tube or the nozzle and the tissue.

Claims

1. Method of endoscopically injecting at least one fluid, in particular a solution, suspension or emulsion, into a tissue in a hollow organ, a body cavity or an artificial cavity in a human or animal body, in which a specified amount of fluid is expelled out of the end of a tube or a nozzle with hydraulic parameters such as pressure, rate of pressure increase, duration and/or velocity that can be adjusted to specified values, and with energy such that after traveling a distance between the tube end or the nozzle and the tissue in substantially free flight, the fluid penetrates into the tissue.

2. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that to inject relatively large amounts of fluid, a plurality of substantially equal-sized minimal quantities or fluid quanta is injected.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the fluid is injected at an angle of about 30°

to 60°

with respect to the tissue or to its surface.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the fluid is injected in such a thin stream that the hole created in the tissue during injection closes thereafter by itself, without previously allowing an appreciable amount of the injected fluid to escape.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that two different fluids that react with one another, such as fibrin adhesive or the like, either are mixed shortly before being injected together or are injected in rapid succession into the same site in the tissue so that they become mixed at the injection site.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that fluid that emerges slowly and unintentionally from the end of the tube is removed by suction.

7. Method according to claim 6,

characterized in that a continuous current of fluid is removed by suction, in such a way that that the volume of fluid removed by suction per unit time is less than the volume injected per unit time during the injection process.

8. Endoscopic injection apparatus for the injection of at least one fluid, in particular a solution, suspension or emulsion, into a tissue in a hollow organ, a body cavity or an artificial cavity in a human or animal body, comprising

a tube (10) with a distal and a proximal end, which can be passed through a working channel (2) of an endoscope (1) in such a way, or incorporated into an endoscope (1) in such a way that the distal end of the tube (10) projects out of a distal end of the endoscope (1);

a pump mechanism (30) that is in sealed connection with the proximal end of the tube (10) and is so constructed that in response to a control signal from a control circuit (5) a specified amount of fluid is expelled out of the distal end of the tube, with hydraulic parameters such as pressure, rate of pressure rise, duration or velocity that can be adjusted to specified values, and with energy such that the fluid penetrates into the tissue.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8

characterized in that the distal end of the tube (10) is shaped or provided with a nozzle (13) such that the hole created in the tissue during injection closes by itself, without previously allowing an appreciable amount of injected fluid to escape.

10. Apparatus according to one of the claims 8 or 9,

characterized in that the pump mechanism (30) is so constructed that a desired amount of fluid can be injected as a plurality of consecutively injected small individual volumes.

11. Apparatus according to one of the claims 8 to 10,

characterized in that at the distal end of the tube (10) aiming and/or positioning devices (20) are provided, so that the distal end can be kept at a predetermined distance from the tissue and/or oriented in a predetermined direction with respect to the tissue.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11,

characterized in that the aiming and/or positioning devices (20) are so constructed that the fluid is injected into the tissue at an angle of about 30°

to 60°

.

13. Apparatus according to one of the claims 8 to 12,

characterized in that the tube (10) at least in its distal section comprises several, in particular two lumina (11, 12), and that the pump mechanism (30) comprises several individual pumps, so that several, in particular two fluids that are to be mixed can be injected.

14. Apparatus according to one of the claims 8 to 13,

characterized in that the tube (10) comprises a gas and/or liquid-return lumen (12), which opens into the tube (10) at its distal end in such a way that fluid contained in the tube (10) is prevented from emerging from its distal end.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14,

characterized in that a suction device (4) is provided to suck fluid out of the fluid-return lumen (12).

16. Apparatus according to one of the claims 13 to 15,

characterized in that the tube (10) comprises at its distal end a single-lumen section (14) or a nozzle (13).

17. Apparatus according to one of the claims 8 to 16,

characterized in that the tube (10) is made of such a material and is so resistant to pressure and/or provided with stiffening means in such a way that a pressure pulse introduced at its proximal end emerges essentially undamped or unchanged from the distal end.

18. Apparatus according to one of the claims 8 to 17,

characterized in that the tube (10), together with a nozzle (13) if present and a fluid reservoir (39) for the storage of large amounts of fluid to be injected during prolonged use of the apparatus or prolonged surgery, is constructed as a sterile injection unit, which can be operated as a unit.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18,

characterized in that the injection unit is constructed as a disposable item of equipment, to be used only once.

20. Apparatus according to one of the claims 18 or 19,

characterized in that the injection unit also comprises at least part of the pump mechanism (30).

21. Apparatus according to claim 20,

characterized in that the pump mechanism (30) comprises a piston (32), a membrane (37) or a similar movable element as a pressure-generating component, driven by a separate, preferably reusable drive device (36, 42) with an adjustable pumping force.