Systems and methods for ablation of tissue

• US 20060142755A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Elliott, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,892,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12036 partial occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12109 in a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1214 Coils or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12181 formed by fluidized, gelatinous or cellular remodelable materials, e.g. embolic liquids, foams or extracellular matrices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12186 liquid materials adapted to be injected
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• 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 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/143 multiple needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing

Abstract

A system for treating tissue includes a probe assembly having a cannula, a shaft, and one or more needle electrodes. The shaft has a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending between the distal and proximal ends of the shaft, and is slidable within the lumen of the cannula. Each needle electrode has a lumen that may be placed in communication with a port at a proximal end of the probe assembly, and is configured to deliver an occlusive element to a site. The system may further include an embolization actuator for delivering the occlusive element. A method of treating tissue includes placing an electrode at a site of a treatment region, occluding at least a part of a vessel located adjacent the site by delivering an occlusion element from an electrode, and delivering ablation energy to the site while the vessel is at least partially occluded.

Claims

1. A medical probe assembly for ablating tissue, comprising:

an elongated shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

one or more ablation_electrodes carried by the elongated shaft, at least one of the one or more electrodes comprising an electrode lumen;

a delivery port located on the elongated shaft, the delivery port being in communication with the electrode lumen; and

an occlusion element capable of being delivered through the electrode lumen.

2. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrodes are carried at the distal end of the shaft, and the delivery port is carried at the proximal end of the shaft.

3. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongated shaft is a surgical probe shaft.

4. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrodes comprises a plurality of electrodes.

5. The medical probe assembly of claim 4, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise an array of needle electrodes.

6. The medical probe assembly of claim 5, wherein the array of needle electrodes is configured to evert proximally.

7. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongated shaft comprises a lumen in communication with the delivery port and the one or more electrode lumens.

8. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cannula having a central lumen, wherein the shaft is reciprocally disposed within the central lumen of the cannula.

9. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more electrodes has a sharp distal tip configured to penetrate a blood vessel wall.

10. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more electrodes is configured for delivering an occlusion element to a lumen of a vessel wall.

11. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, further comprising an occlusion element capable of being delivered through the electrode lumen.

12. The medical probe assembly of claim 11, wherein the occlusion element is selected from the group consisting of an embolic coil, liquid embolic, an occlusion balloon, embolic particles, and a filter.

13. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more electrodes carries a radio-opaque marker.

14. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more electrodes carries a sensor configured to measure a tissue characteristic.

19. The medical probe assembly of claim 1, further comprising an electrical connector electrically coupled to the one or more electrodes.

15-18. -18. (canceled)

20. A tissue ablation system, comprising:

a probe assembly comprising one or more ablation electrodes, the one or more electrodes comprising a lumen;

an actuator configured to be in communication with the one or more electrode lumens; and

an occlusion element capable of being delivered through the one or more electrode lumens.

21. The tissue ablation system of claim 20, further comprising an ablation source configured to be electrically coupled with the one or more electrodes.

22. The tissue ablation system of claim 21, wherein the ablation source comprises a radio frequency (RF) generator.

23. The tissue ablation system of claim 20, wherein the one or more electrodes comprises a plurality of electrodes.

24. The tissue ablation system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise an array of needle electrodes.

25. The tissue ablation system of claim 24, wherein the array of needle electrodes is configured to evert proximally.

26. The tissue ablation system of claim 20, wherein the probe assembly comprises an elongated shaft that carries the one or more electrodes and a delivery port configured to be in communication with the actuator.

27. The tissue ablation system of claim 26, wherein the elongated shaft comprises a lumen in communication with the delivery port and the one or more electrode lumens.

28. The tissue ablation system of claim 26, wherein the probe assembly comprises a cannula having a central lumen, wherein the shaft is reciprocally disposed within the central lumen of the cannula.

29. The tissue ablation system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the one or more electrodes has a sharp distal tip configured to penetrate a vessel wall.

30. The tissue ablation system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the one or more electrodes is configured for delivering an occlusion element to a lumen of a vessel wall.

31. The tissue ablation system of claim 20, further comprising an occlusion element capable of being delivered through the one or more electrode lumens.

32. The tissue ablation system of claim 31, wherein the occlusion element is selected from the group consisting of an embolic coil, liquid embolic, an occlusion balloon, embolic particles, and a filter.

33. The tissue ablation system of claim 20, further comprising an indexer configured to place the actuator in communication with a selected one of the plurality of electrode lumens.