System, apparatus, and method for imaging and treating tissue

• US 20070232941A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Inventors: Rabinovich, Stan
• Application Number:
  US11/588,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232941A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/508
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0472 Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06028 by means of a cylindrical longitudinal blind bore machined at the suture-receiving end of the needle, e.g. opposite to needle tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3784 both receiver and transmitter being in the instrument or receiver being also transmitter

Abstract

A catheter for treating and imaging tissue within a patient'"'"'s body includes a distal portion having a tissue grasper in the form of a vacuum recess, with a close-up imaging device positioned adjacent or within the vacuum recess. The close-up imaging device provides imaging signals for imaging the tissue in front of the vacuum recess. The close-up imaging device may be in the form of an ultrasound transducer, which may be a linear or 2-dimensional array. The close-up imaging device may include imaging elements positioned around the axis of the catheter, and/or positioned on opposing sides of the tissue grasper. Another imaging device may be provided to provide “distant” images of the treatment area, with the close-up images and distant images provided to a user via one or more display screens. A tissue connector is positioned at the distal portion of the catheter.

Claims

1. A method of treating tissue, the method comprising:

providing a catheter device having a proximal end, a distal end, at least one vacuum recess near the distal end, a first imaging apparatus near the distal end, the first imaging apparatus positioned within or adjacent the vacuum recess, and a connector near the distal end;

advancing the catheter through a patient'"'"'s circulatory system to position the distal end and first imaging apparatus adjacent the tissue to be treated;

collecting a first set of imaging data, wherein the first set of imaging data is collected from the tissue to be treated, and the first set of imaging data is collected via the first imaging apparatus;

providing a first image of the tissue to be treated using the first set of imaging data;

applying a vacuum to the first vacuum recess to stabilize a first tissue portion; and

securing the connector to the first tissue portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue to be treated is on or in a body organ, and the method further comprises:

providing a second imaging apparatus, the second imaging apparatus positioned away from the catheter device; and

collecting a second set of imaging data, wherein the second set of imaging data is collected from the body organ, and the second set of imaging data is collected via the second imaging apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a second image of the tissue to be treated using the second set of imaging data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first image of the tissue to be treated is presented on a first display, and the second image of the tissue to be treated is presented on a second display.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first image and the second image of the tissue to be treated are both presented on a first display.

6. The method of claim 1, whereby the first imaging apparatus is positioned within the vacuum recess, the connector comprises suture attached to a needle, and the needle is configured to pass across at least a portion of the vacuum recess and in front of the first imaging apparatus,

and wherein the step of securing the connector to the first tissue portion comprises passing the needle across the portion of the vacuum recess and in front of the first imaging apparatus, whereby the needle can be imaged by the first imaging apparatus.

7. A device for treating tissue, the device comprising:

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

a tissue grasper positioned near the distal end of the elongated body; and

an imaging apparatus positioned within or adjacent the first tissue grasper.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the tissue grasper comprises a vacuum recess.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises a first imaging element positioned within the vacuum recess.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the device further comprises:

a first needle configured to penetrate tissue held by the tissue grasper, wherein the first needle is configured to be passed across at least a first portion of the vacuum recess and in front of the first imaging element, whereby the first needle can be viewed by the first imaging element as the first needle is passed across the first portion of the vacuum recess.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the first imaging element is positioned on a first side of the catheter, the imaging apparatus further comprises a second imaging element positioned on a second side of the catheter, and the first side of the catheter is an opposite side to the second side of the catheter.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises multiple imaging elements positioned about a circumferential radius of the catheter.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasound transducer.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound transducer is a linear array.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises an array having at least two dimensions.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasound transducer, and the ultrasound transducer comprises a first transducer element and a second transducer element, wherein the first transducer element is positioned on the catheter just distal of the vacuum recess, and the second transducer element is positioned on the catheter just proximal of the vacuum recess.

17. A system for treating tissue, the system comprising:

a catheter configured to be advanced within a patient'"'"'s body, the catheter comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and further comprising a tissue grasping element at the catheter distal end, and having a first imaging apparatus at or adjacent the tissue grasping element, the first imaging apparatus configured to provide first imaging signals; and

a first display configured to receive the first imaging signals and to display a first image derived from the first imaging signals.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a second imaging apparatus, wherein the second imaging apparatus is positioned away from the catheter, the second imaging element configured to provide second imaging signals.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a second display configured to receive the second imaging signals and to display a second image derived from the second imaging signals.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first display is configured to receive the second imaging signals and to display a second image derived from the second imaging signals.