TISSUE ABLATION AND REMOVAL

• US 20080071262A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LaZure Scientific Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lazure Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Azure, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/34
• 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 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/143 multiple needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 for high-frequency therapy

Abstract

The present invention provides devices and systems, as well as methods, of electric field delivery and ablation (e.g., non-thermal ablation) of target tissues, including cancerous cells and solid tumors. A method of the present invention can include applying an alternating current to a target tissue and removing ablated or liquefied tissue from the target tissue region.

Claims

1. A method of destroying cancerous cells of a tissue, comprising:

applying an alternating current to a target tissue region so as to non-thermally ablate cancerous cells within the target tissue, the applied current liquefying at least a portion of the target tissue; and

removing liquefied tissue from the target tissue region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquefied tissue comprises destroyed cancerous cells.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the destroyed cancerous cells comprise apoptotic or necrotic cells.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the destroyed cancerous cells comprise lysed or membrane ruptured cells.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein removal of the liquefied tissue reduces recovery time in a treated subject compared to non-removal of the liquefied tissue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein removing liquefied tissue comprises applying pressure to the target tissue region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein removing liquefied tissue comprises insertion of a removal member into the target tissue region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein removing liquefied tissue occurs following application of the current.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the applied current provides low-power, non-thermal tissue ablation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current provides a voltage field less than about 50 V/cm the current comprises a frequency between about 50 kHz and about 300 kHz.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the applied current provides one or more electric fields extending radially through the target tissue region.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue region comprises a tumor.

13. A method of delivering an electric field to a tissue and destroying cancerous cells, comprising:

positioning an electrode within a target tissue region comprising cancerous cells and applying an alternating electrical current to the target tissue so as to non-thermally ablate cancerous cells of the target tissue region around the electrode; and

removing ablated tissue from the target tissue region.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the ablated target tissue comprises a liquid.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the liquid comprises destroyed cancerous cells.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrical current provides a voltage field less about 50 V/cm or less, and a frequency between about 50 kHz and about 300 kHz.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the ablation is selective to cancerous cells.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied voltage field is substantially aligned with division axes of dividing cancerous cells of the target tissue region.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein applying the electric field comprises disrupting mitosis or cell cycle progression of dividing cancerous cells.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein applying the electric field comprises disrupting cellular membrane integrity of cancerous cells.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrode is disposed substantially at about the center of the target tissue region.

23. A method of delivering an electrical field to a tissue, comprising:

advancing a probe comprising a plurality of electrodes to a target tissue region comprising cancerous cells, and deploying the plurality of electrodes so as to at least partially define an ablation volume with the deployed electrodes;

applying an alternating current so as to provide one or more electric fields extending radially through the volume and selectively destroy cancerous cells within the volume;

removing liquefied tissue from the target tissue region, the liquefied tissue comprising destroyed cancerous cells.

24. A device for delivering an electric field to a tissue to destroy cancerous cells therein, the device comprising:

a probe having a plurality of electrodes positionable at a target tissue region, the plurality of electrodes deployable from the probe so as to at least partially define an ablation volume, the plurality of electrodes configured to provide electric fields extending radially through the volume and non-thermally ablate cancerous cells within the volume; and

a tissue removal member for removing ablated tissue from the target tissue region.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the ablated tissue comprises a liquid having destroyed cancerous cells.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the removal member functions as an electrode of the probe.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the tissue removal member comprises a lumen for carrying liquid.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the removal member is couplable to a removal unit for applying a force to draw fluid from the target tissue and through the lumen.

29. The device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises a first electrode and one or more secondary electrodes, the ablation volume at least partially definable by the secondary electrodes, with the first electrode positionable within the ablation volume so as to provide electric fields extending from the first electrode and radially through the volume.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein at least a portion of the removal unit defines the first electrode.

31. The device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises a plurality of electrode pairs, with each electrode pair configured to deliver an electric field having an angle relative to fields delivered from other electrode pairs of the plurality.

32. The device of claim 24, wherein the electrodes are positionable such that an applied electric field is substantially aligned with a division axis of dividing cancerous cells in the ablation volume.

33. The device of claim 24, wherein the device comprises an electrically floating system.

34. A system for destroying cancerous cells of a tissue, comprising:

a probe having a plurality of electrodes positionable at a target tissue region, the plurality of electrodes deployable from the probe so as to at least partially define an ablation volume and provide electric fields extending through the volume;

an energy source coupled to the device to provide alternating electrical current to ablate cancerous cells of the target tissue disposed in the volume; and

a removal unit configured for removing ablated tissue from the target tissue.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the removal unit comprises a tissue removal member having a lumen for carrying ablated tissue from the target tissue.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising a pressure source coupled to the tissue removal member to promote flow of ablated tissue from the target tissue and through the lumen of the tissue removal member.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the pressure source is an externally positioned pump or vacuum.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the removal unit comprises an expandable mesh coupled to the tissue removal member.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein the removal unit comprises a syringe.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the removal unit comprises a means for applying a pressure to the target tissue region.

41. The system of claim 34, wherein the probe comprises a first electrode and one or more secondary electrodes, the ablation volume at least partially definable by the secondary electrodes, with the first electrode positionable within the ablation volume, and the energy source coupled to the device to provide one or more electric fields extending radially from the first electrode and through the volume.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein at least a portion of the removal unit defines the first electrode.