DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DESTRUCTION OF CANCER CELLS

• US 20080071265A1
• 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 7,722,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• 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 non-thermal or selective ablation of target tissue regions, including selective ablation of cancerous cells and solid tumors. A method of the present invention includes delivering an electric field to a tissue, including 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 electrodes.

Claims

1. A method of delivering an electric field to a tissue, 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning comprises identifying a central area of the target tissue region and disposing the electrode at or proximate to the identified central area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-thermal ablation comprises low-power ablation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current comprises a low current intermediate frequency current.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current provides a voltage field less than about 50 V/cm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current comprises a frequency between about 50 kHz and about 300 kHz.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode provides an electric field extending radially outward from the electrode and in a plurality of different directions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning a plurality of secondary electrodes within the target tissue region to define an ablation volume.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode is operated in monopolar or bipolar mode.

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

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a characteristic of tissue of the target tissue region, the characteristic comprising temperature or impedance.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising modifying the applied electric current at least partially based on a change in a detected characteristic.

13. A method of delivering an electric field to a tissue, comprising:

positioning a plurality of electrodes within a target tissue comprising cancerous cells, the plurality comprising a first electrode and a plurality of secondary electrodes, the secondary electrodes at least partially defining an ablation volume and the first electrode positioned in the volume; and

applying an alternating electrical current to the volume to provide an electric field extending radially outward from the first electrode so as to selectively destroy cancerous cells of the target tissue.

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

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first electrode is positioned substantially within the center of the ablation volume.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field provides low-power, non-thermal tissue ablation.

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

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field disrupts mitosis or cell cycle progression dividing cancerous cells.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field disrupts cellular membrane integrity of cancerous cells.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field provides liquification of cancerous cells of the target tissue region.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the cancerous cells are substantially disposed within the ablation volume.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the target tissue region comprises a tumor.

23. A method of destroying cancer cells in a target tissue, comprising:

applying an electrical current to the target tissue; and

detecting a decrease in impedance of a current through the target tissue, the decrease being indicative of destruction of cancer cells of the target tissue.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the decrease in impedance is detected during application of electrical current.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the applying electrical current provides liquification of cancerous cells of the target tissue region.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein liquification includes rupturing of cancerous cells.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein field intensity increases as progressing from an outer portion of the target tissue toward an inner portion.

28. A device for delivering an electric field to a tissue and destroying cancerous cells, the device comprising:

a probe comprising a plurality of electrodes positionable within a target tissue region comprising cancerous cells, the plurality comprising a first electrode and a plurality of secondary electrodes;

an ablation volume at least partially defined by the secondary electrodes, the first electrode positionable within the ablation volume and spaced from the secondary electrodes so as to provide one or more electric fields extending radially outward from the first electrode and through the volume in a plurality of different directions.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein an electrode comprises an insulated portion and/or non-insulated portion.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the non-insulated portion of the electrode comprises an electric current delivery surface.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the electrodes are positionable such that the applied electric field is substantially aligned with a division axis of dividing cancerous cell in the ablation volume.

32. The device of claim 28, wherein the secondary electrodes comprise a plurality of electrically connected electrode elements.

33. The device of claim 28, wherein the first electrode is positioned substantially within the center of the ablation volume.

34. The device of claim 28, wherein the device comprises an electrically floating system.

35. The device of claim 28, wherein an electrode comprises a shape memory metal.

36. The device of claim 28, a delivery member having a distal portion with a lumen, and the plurality of electrodes positionable within the lumen of the delivery member.

37. The device of claim 36, the plurality of electrodes comprising a non-deployed state with electrodes positioned within the lumen of the delivery member, and a deployed state with electrodes advanced from the distal portion of the delivery member.

38. The device of claim 37, the ablation volume defined by electrodes in the deployed state.

39. The device of claim 28, the probe comprising a tissue piercing distal portion for percutaneous access to the target tissue.

40. The device of claim 28, wherein the secondary electrodes comprise a plurality of straight needle electrodes equally spaced from a central first needle electrode, the secondary electrodes defining a cylindrical ablation volume.

41. The device of claim 28, wherein the secondary electrodes are curved so as to define a substantially spherical ablation volume.

42. A system for non-thermal tissue ablation, comprising:

a tissue ablation probe having one or more electrodes positionable within a target tissue region comprising cancerous cells; and

an energy source coupled to the device to provide alternating electrical current to non-thermally ablate cancerous cells of the target tissue region.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the energy source is powered by a battery.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein an electric field applied by the electrodes is substantially aligned with a division axis of a dividing cancerous cell of the target tissue.

45. The system of claim 42, further comprising a feedback unit for detecting a characteristic of tissue of the target tissue region.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the characteristic comprises impedance or temperature.

47. The system of claim 42, further comprising an imaging system.

48. The system of claim 42, further comprising a computer configured to output a signal to the energy source for providing a low voltage, intermediate frequency current to a target tissue.

49. The system of claim 42, a positioning system for holding the probe in a treatment position during energy delivery to the target tissue.

50. A system for selectively destroying cancerous cells, comprising:

a probe comprising a plurality of electrodes positionable within a target tissue, the plurality comprising a first electrode and one or more secondary electrodes, an ablation volume at least partially definable by the secondary electrodes, with the first electrode positionable within the ablation volume;

an energy source coupled to the device to provide an alternating electrical current and one or more electric fields extending radially from the first electrode and through the volume so as to selectively destroy cancerous cells in the target tissue.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the energy source is powered by a battery.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the applied field provides a low-power, non-thermal ablation of tissue.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the applied field is substantially aligned with division axes of dividing cancerous cells of the target tissue region.

54. The system of claim 50, further comprising a computer coupled to the energy source to output a signal for a selected treatment current for application to the target tissue.

55. The system of claim 54, a user interface coupled to the computer.

56. The system of claim 50, wherein the system comprises an ambulatory system.