Apparatus and method for cryosurgery within a body cavity

• US 20050251124A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Galil Medical Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Galil Medical Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, Yan, Zvuloni, Roni, McGlone, James, Sofer, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/185,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251124A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3462 with means for changing the diameter or the orientation of the entrance port of the cannula, e.g. for use with different-sized instruments, reduction ports, adapter seals expandable cannulas A61B17/3417
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00041 Heating, e.g. defrosting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0262 using a circulating cryogenic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0293 using an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/048 in gaseous form

Abstract

Apparatus and method for cryosurgery within a body cavity are disclosed. The apparatus includes a trocar installable in an external passageway opened in a wall of a body cavity of a patient, the trocar having a portal serving to maintain and control the external passageway after installation of the trocar, the portal being useable for transmitting therethrough at least one surgical instrument for use during a surgical procedure. The apparatus further includes at least one cryoprobe deployable through the portal of the trocar into a body cavity. The cryoprobe is operable to be positioned in the body cavity in a selected orientation and position, and to cryoablate a tissue within the body cavity when in that selected orientation and position.

Claims

1. A cryosurgery method for cryoablation of a tissue of a body, comprising:

(a) installing at least a first trocar in a wall of a cavity of said body;

(b) introducing at least one substantially flexible cryoprobe into said cavity of said body through a portal of said first trocar;

(c) positioning and orienting said cryoprobe so that a cooling surface of said cryoprobe is adjacent to a tissue to be cryoablated; and

(d) cooling said cooling surface of said cryoprobe to cryoablation temperature and maintaining said cooling for a selected period of time;

thereby cooling said tissue to a cryoablation temperature, thereby cryoablating said tissue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating said cooling surface to a selected temperature and maintaining said heating for a selected period of time.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising multiple cycles of alternating cooling and heating of said cooling surface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing a plurality of surgical tools through said portal of said installed first trocar.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing, through said portal of said installed first trocar, a surgical instrument selected from the group consisting of a grasping tool, an incising tool, a dissecting tool, a clipping tool, a cutting tool, a coagulating tool, and a sensor operable to report physically measurable data from a treated organ.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising utilizing at least one of said plurality of surgical tools to position and orient said cryoprobe.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising utilizing at least one of said plurality of surgical tools to monitor positioning of said cryoprobe.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising utilizing at least one of said plurality of surgical tools to monitor temperature in a vicinity of said cryoprobe.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising utilizing at least one of said plurality of surgical tools to monitor freezing of tissues in a vicinity of said cryoprobe.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing a plurality of substantially flexible cryoprobes into said cavity of said body through a portal of said trocar.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing said plurality of cryoprobes to cryoablate a single tumor.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing said plurality of cryoprobes to cryoablate a plurality of tumors.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing a plurality of trocars in a wall of a cavity of said body, and introducing a plurality of substantially flexible cryoprobes into said cavity of said body, at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes being introduced through a portal of each of said plurality of trocars.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising utilizing said plurality of cryoprobes to cryoablate a single tumor.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing said plurality of cryoprobes to cryoablate a plurality of tumors.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing a second trocar in a wall of said body cavity, introducing at least one surgical tool into said body cavity through a portal of said second trocar, and utilizing said surgical tool to monitor positioning of said cryoprobe introduced into said body cavity through a portal of said first trocar.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing a second trocar in a wall of said body cavity, introducing at least one surgical tool into said body cavity through a portal of said second trocar, and utilizing said surgical tool to monitor temperature in a vicinity of said cryoprobe introduced into said body cavity through a portal of said first trocar.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing a second trocar in a wall of said body cavity, introducing at least one surgical tool into said body cavity through a portal of said second trocar, and utilizing said surgical tool to monitor freezing of tissues in a vicinity of said cryoprobe introduced into said body cavity through a portal of said first trocar.

19. A flexible cryoprobe for cryoablating a tissue of a body, comprising:

(a) a distal portion which comprises

(i) a tissue-cooling surface operable to cool a body tissue adjacent to said tissue-cooling surface; and

(ii) a cooling device for cooling said tissue-cooling surface; and

(b) a substantially flexible medial portion designed and constructed for insertion into a body of a patient.