Radio frequency ablation cooling shield

• US 20040220562A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Garabedian, Robert J., Rioux, Robert F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,101,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00005 Cooling or heating of the probe or tissue immediately surrounding the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00017 with gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0445 by absorption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0481 against EM radiation, e.g. microwave
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/04 Protection of tissue around surgical sites against effects of non-mechanical surgery, e.g. laser surgery protection of eyes against laser radiation A61F9/022

Abstract

A medical assembly and method are provided to effectively treat abnormal tissue, such as, a tumor. The target tissue is thermally ablated using a suitable source, such as RF or laser energy. A cooling shield is placed in contact with non-target tissue adjacent the target tissue, and actively cooled to conduct thermal energy away from the non-target tissue. In one method, the cooling shield can be placed between two organs, in which case, one of the two organs can comprise the target tissue, and the other of the two organs can comprise the non-target tissue. In this case, the cooling shield may comprise an actively cooled inflatable balloon, which can be disposed between the two organs when deflated, and then inflated. The inflatable balloon can be actively cooled by pumping a cooling medium through it. In another method, the cooling shield can be embedded within the non-target tissue. In this case, the cooling shield can comprise one or more needles. If a plurality of needles is used, they can be embedded into the non-target tissue in a series, e.g., a rectilinear or curvilinear arrangement. The needle(s) can be actively cooled by pumping a cooling medium through them.

Claims

1. A medical assembly for cooling tissue, comprising:

an elongate member;

an inflatable cooling balloon mounted to the elongate member, the cooling balloon having an interior region, the cooling balloon having opposing planar surfaces when inflated;

a cooling lumen extending through the elongate member and being in fluid communication with the interior region of the cooling balloon; and

a return lumen extending through the elongate member and being in fluid communication with the interior region of the cooling balloon.

2. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the lateral surfaces are rectangular.

3. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the cooling balloon is compliant.

4. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the cooling balloon is semi-compliant.

5. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the cooling balloon is non-compliant.

6. The medical assembly of claim 1, further comprising a guidewire lumen extending through the elongate member.

7. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflatable balloon, when inflated, is configured to be disposed between two distinct tissue planes.

8. The medical assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cooling pump assembly configured for pumping cooling medium through the cooling lumen into the interior region of the cooling balloon, and for pumping heated cooling medium from the interior region of the cooling balloon through the return lumen.

9. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongate member is flexible.

10. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongate member is rigid.

11. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the cooling balloon is mounted to a distal end of the elongate member.

12. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the cooling and return lumens are annular.

13. The medical assembly of claim 1, wherein the opposing planar surfaces are curved.

14. A medical assembly for cooling tissue, comprising:

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

an array of actively cooled needles extending from the distal end of the elongate member, the needle array arranged in a series.

15. The medical assembly of claim 14, wherein the array of needles is arranged in a rectilinear pattern.

16. The medical assembly of claim 14, wherein the array of needles is arranged in a curvilinear pattern.

17. The medical assembly of claim 14, wherein the array of needles is staggered.

18. The medical assembly of claim 14, wherein the array of needles is fan-shaped.

19. The medical assembly of claim 14, wherein the array of needles is rake-shaped.

20. The medical assembly of claim 14, wherein the needles are configured to be cooled by a liquid medium.

21. The medical assembly of claim 14, further comprising a cooling pump assembly configured for pumping cooling medium through the needles, and for pumping heated cooling medium from the needles.

22. The medical assembly of claim 14, wherein the elongate member is flexible.

23. The medical assembly of claim 14, wherein the elongate member is rigid.

24. The medical assembly of claim 14, further comprising a cannula, wherein the elongate member is slidably disposed within the cannula, such that the array of needles can be selectively deployed from the cannula and retracted within the cannula.

25. The medical assembly of claim 24, wherein the cannula is configured to be introduced percutaneously into a body of a patient.

26. The medical assembly of claim 24, wherein the cannula is configured to be introduced laparoscopically into a body of a patient.

27. A method of performing an ablation procedure, comprising:

thermally ablating target tissue of a patient;

placing a cooling shield in contact with non-target tissue adjacent the target tissue; and

actively cooling the cooling shield to conduct thermal energy away from the non-target tissue.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the target tissue is thermally ablated using radio frequency energy.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the target tissue is a tumor.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the cooling shield is placed between two organs.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein one of the two organs comprises the target tissue, and the other of the two organs comprises the non-target tissue.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the cooling shield is embedded within the non-target tissue.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising percutaneously introducing the cooling shield within the body of the patient.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising laparoscopically introducing the cooling shield within the body of the patient.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising introducing the cooling shield within the body of the patient via a surgical opening.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the cooling shield comprises an actively cooled inflatable balloon, and wherein placement of the cooling shield comprises disposing the inflatable balloon between two organs when deflated, and inflating the balloon.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein placement of the cooling shield further comprises placing a guide wire between the two organs, and guiding the cooling shield between the two organs using the guide wire.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the cooling shield is actively cooled by pumping a cooling medium through the inflatable balloon.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein the cooling shield comprises one or more needles, and wherein placement of the cooling shield in contact with the non-target tissue comprises embedding the one or more needles into the non-target tissue.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the cooling shield is actively cooled by pumping a cooling medium through the one or more needles.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the one or more needles comprises a plurality of needles, and wherein placement of the cooling shield in contact with the non-target tissue comprises embedding the plurality of needles into the non-target tissue in a series.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the linear arrangement comprises a rectilinear arrangement.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the linear arrangement comprises a curvilinear arrangement.