Gas-heated gas-cooled cryoprobe utilizing electrical heating and a single gas source
First Claim
1. A cryoprobe useable to cryoablate tissue of a body, comprising:
- (a) an operating tip operable to be cooled to cryoablation temperatures; and
(b) an electrical resistance heating element operable to heat said operating tip.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is of device, system, and method for cooling and heating an operating tip of a cryoprobe using a single source of compressed gas. Cooling of the operating tip is effected by Joule-Thomson expansion of a high-pressure cooling gas through a Joule-Thomson orifice into an expansion chamber. Heating of the operating tip is effected by electrical resistance heating. In preferred embodiments, heating of the operating tip is effected by electrical resistance heating of low-pressure gas flowing towards the operating tip. Preferably, gas from a single gas source is supplied to the probe during both cooling and heating phases, a cooling gas being supplied at high pressure when used for cooling and at low pressure when used for heating. Low-pressure gas supplied during the heating phase is heated as it flows towards the operating tip, preferably by electrical resistance heating within the body of the probe. A single gas input lumen is used during both cooling and heating phases to transport gas into the probe, and a single gas exhaust lumen is used during both cooling and heating phases to conduct gas out of the probe.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A cryoprobe useable to cryoablate tissue of a body, comprising:
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(a) an operating tip operable to be cooled to cryoablation temperatures; and
(b) an electrical resistance heating element operable to heat said operating tip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A cryoprobe useable to cryoablate tissue of a body, comprising an operating tip which includes a Joule-Thomson orifice, which operating tip is operable to be cooled by expansion of high-pressure cooling gas through said orifice, and wherein said operating tip further comprises an electrical resistance heating element.
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8. A cryoprobe having an operating tip operable to be cooled by expansion of high-pressure cooling gas expanding through a Joule-Thomson orifice, and also operable to be heated by a flow of heated low-pressure cooling gas transiting said orifice.
- 9. A cryoprobe useable to cryoablate tissue of a body, comprising an operating tip which includes a Joule-Thomson orifice, which operating tip is operable to be cooled by expansion of high-pressure cooling gas through said orifice, and wherein said operating tip is further operable to be heated by flowing heated low-pressure gas directed to said operating tip.
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23. A cryoprobe comprising:
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(a) a gas input lumen operable to direct high-pressure gas to a Joule-Thomson orifice; and
(b) an electrical resistance heating element operable to heat a low-pressure gas directed through said gas input lumen to said orifice.
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24. A system for cryoablating tissue, comprising:
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(a) A cryoprobe useable to cryoablate tissue of a body, which cryoprobe comprises an operating tip which includes a Joule-Thomson orifice, which operating tip is operable to be cooled by expansion of high-pressure cooling gas through said orifice, and wherein said operating tip is further operable to be heated by flowing heated low-pressure gas directed to said operating tip;
(b) a gas supply operable to supply high-pressure cooling gas to said cryoprobe and also operable to supply low-pressure cooling gas to said cryoprobe; and
(c) a power supply operable to supply electric power to a resistance element operable to heat a flow of low-pressure cooling gas. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for using a cryoprobe to cryoablate tissues at a cryoablation target site within a body and for subsequently disengaging said cryoprobe from said cryoablation site, comprising:
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(a) positioning an operating tip of said cryoprobe in a vicinity of a cryoablation target site;
(b) cooling said operating tip to cryoablation temperatures, thereby cryoablating tissues at said cryoablation target site; and
(c) utilizing an electrical resistance heating element within said cryoprobe to heat said operating tip, thereby thawing tissues contiguous to said operating tip;
thereby cryoablating tissue at said cryoablation target site and subsequently disengaging said cryoprobe from said cryoablation target site. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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46. A power cutoff system for a cryoprobe, comprising:
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(a) an electrical resistance heating element for heating an operating tip of a cryoprobe;
(b) a current detector operable to report a measure of current passing through said electrical resistance heating element when said electrical resistance heating element is used to heat said operating tip;
(c) a power supply operable to supply power to said electrical resistance heating element; and
(d) a power cutoff switch operable to cut off power flow from said power supply to said electrical resistance element when said current detector detects a current inferior to a predetermined value.
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Specification