Self anchoring radio frequency ablation array

• US 20040254572A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gellman, Barry N., Slanda, Jozef, McIntyre, Jon T.
• Application Number:
  US10/832,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254572A1
• 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 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• 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 2018/00273 Anchoring means for temporary attachment of a device to tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/143 multiple needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1432 curved
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1435 Spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing

Abstract

A system for tissue ablation includes a handle, a tissue anchoring portion operatively connected to the handle, the tissue anchoring portion forming an electrode of a first polarity and a central post or a plurality of arms deployable in proximity to the anchoring portion, at least the post or one of the arms comprising a second electrode of a second polarity. A method of ablating target tissue, comprises the steps of positioning a distal end of an elongated shaft so that it abuts the target tissue and anchoring the distal end in the target tissue by actuating an anchoring portion of the elongated shaft (e.g., a coil-like anchor) in combination with deploying the center post in the tissue or the steps of deploying an array of tines from the distal end of the shaft to contact the target tissue and applying an electric potential between a first electrode of the anchoring portion and a second electrode formed by the center post or the array of tines.

Claims

1. A tissue treatment device comprising:

a handle;

a tissue anchoring portion operatively connected to the handle, the tissue anchoring portion forming an electrode of a first polarity; and

a plurality of arms deployable in proximity to the anchoring portion, at least one of the arms comprising a second electrode of a second polarity.

2. The tissue treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the tissue anchoring portion comprises a coil for penetrating and stabilizing tissue.

3. The tissue treatment device according to claim 2, further comprising a shaft extending from the handle to the tissue anchoring portion, wherein the coil is deployable from a distal end of the shaft and retractable thereinto.

4. The tissue treatment device according to claim 1, further comprising a shaft extending from the handle to the tissue anchoring portion, wherein the plurality of arms is deployable from a distal end of the shaft and retractable thereinto.

5. The tissue treatment device according to claim 4, wherein the tissue anchoring portion comprises a coil for penetrating and stabilizing tissue and wherein the plurality of arms is deployable along a longitudinal axis of the coil.

6. The tissue treatment device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one of the arms comprising the second electrode which cooperates with the coil to define a shape of an effective region of the treatment device.

7. The tissue treatment device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of arms is deployable from a hollow core of the shaft.

8. The tissue treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of arms comprises an array of tines.

9. A system for ablating target tissue in a body, comprising:

an elongated shaft having a distal end insertable into the body to abut the target tissue;

a coil extending from the distal end, anchorable to the target tissue and forming a first electrode of a first polarity;

an array of a plurality of tines at the distal end, at least one of the tines forming a second electrode of a second polarity; and

an electric power supply connectable to the coil and to the array of tines for creating an electric potential difference therebetween.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the array of tines is deployed and extends through the coil along a longitudinal axis thereof.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the array of tines extends beyond a distal end of the coil, curving around the distal end of the coil.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein each of the tines forms a second electrode and wherein the coil and the array of tines cooperate to form a bipolar system with an effective region of tissue treatment defined by the relative positions of the tines and the coil.

13. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a handle coupled to a proximal end of the shaft.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the shaft comprises a control portion at a distal end thereof from which the array of tines is deployed.

15. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a switch to electrically connect the power supply to the coil and to the array of tines.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the array of tines is movable between a first position withdrawn into a hollow core of the elongated shaft and a second position extended therefrom.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein, in the second position, the array of tines assumes a substantially umbrella-shaped configuration.

18. A method of ablating target tissue, comprising:

positioning a distal end of an elongated shaft so that it abuts the target tissue;

anchoring the distal end in the target tissue by actuating an anchoring portion of the elongated shaft, the anchoring portion comprising a first electrode;

deploying a second electrode from the distal end of the shaft to contact the target tissue; and

applying an electric potential between the first electrode of the anchoring portion and the second electrode.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of, after the tissue has been ablated, withdrawing the negative electrode and detaching the anchoring portion from the target tissue to remove the distal end from the body lumen.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein deploying the second electrode comprises deploying an array of tines.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising screwing a coil of the anchoring portion into the target tissue to anchor the distal end of the elongated shaft relative to the target tissue.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising deploying the array of tines in an umbrella-like configuration surrounding a distal end of the anchoring portion.

23. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of inserting the distal end of the elongated shaft into a body lumen via a naturally occurring body orifice to reach the target tissue.

24. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of configuring a deployed position of the array of tines to cooperate with a coil of the anchoring portion in defining a desired effective region of tissue treatment.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the distal end of the elongated shaft is inserted through a trocar to abut the target tissue.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the elongated shaft is inserted through the trocar under laproscopic guidance.

27. The method according to claim 18, wherein the distal end of the elongated shaft is inserted percutaneously under laproscopic guidance to abut the target tissue.

28. A thermal treatment apparatus comprising:

a positive electrode assembly adapted for insertion in a body lumen;

an elongated shaft of the positive electrode assembly;

a coil-like electrode mounted distally on the positive electrode assembly;

a negative electrode assembly having an elongated shaft inserted in a working channel of the positive electrode assembly; and

an electrode mounted distally on the negative electrode assembly, the electrode extending through the coil-like electrode.

29. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a control console connected to the positive and negative electrode assemblies.

30. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising a power source of the control console.

31. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising monitoring and power control instruments of the control console.

32. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the elongated shaft of the negative electrode assembly is adapted to slide longitudinally in the working channel of the positive electrode assembly.

33. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a hub adapted to connect the positive electrode assembly to the negative electrode assembly.

34. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a proximal grasping portion of the positive electrode assembly.

35. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a proximal grasping portion of the negative electrode assembly.

36. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the electrode mounted distally on the negative electrode assembly comprises a longitudinal non insulated elongated protrusion.

37. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the coil-like electrode has an inner diameter greater than a diameter of the elongated longitudinal protrusion.

38. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the positive electrode assembly comprises a handle to transmit torque to the coil-like electrode.

39. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the elongated shaft of the positive electrode assembly is adapted for front loading in a medical insertion device.

40. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the medical insertion device is an hysteroscope.

41. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the coil-like electrode is one of a compression spring, a screw and a corkscrew shaped coil.

42. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the coil-like electrode comprises a distal sharp point.

43. The thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the elongated protrusion comprises a sharp distal end.