System and Method for the Simultaneous Bilateral Treatment of Target Tissues Within the Ears Using a Guide Block Structure

• US 20080262468A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tusker Medical, Inc. (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Acclarent Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Liu, Greg, Makower, Joshua, Goldfarb, Eric, Chang, John Y., Clifford, Anton, Morriss, John, Facteau, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/501
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/227 for ears, i.e. otoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00787 Surgery of the ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/202 Surgical middle-ear ventilation or drainage, e.g. permanent; Implants therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0039 H-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0052 T-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0039 differing in diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0082 specially designed for children, e.g. having means for adjusting to their growth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0662 Ears
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/00 Devices for introducing or retaining media, e.g. remedies, in cavities of the body A61M25/00 takes precedence ; introducing or retaining ophthalmic products into the ocular cavities A61F9/0008
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/306 Arrangements where at least part of the apparatus is introduced into the body

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating a patient having a head with a first ear and a second ear, function by mounting a support structure to the head of the patient; aligning the support structure with a target tissue in an ear canal of the first ear; stabilizing the support structure relative to the target tissue by injecting a material into the canal and hardening the material; and actuating a device while the device is supported by the support system so that the device therapeutically remodels the target tissue of the first ear.

Claims

1. A method for treating a patient, the patient having a head with a first ear and a second ear, the method comprising:

mounting a support structure to the head of the patient;

aligning the support structure with a target tissue in an ear canal of the first ear;

stabilizing the support structure relative to the target tissue by injecting a material into the canal and hardening the material; and

actuating a device while the device is supported by the support system so that the device therapeutically remodels the target tissue of the first ear.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the material comprises impression material, and wherein the support system is aligned with the target tissue while the impression material is in a workable state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue comprises a tympanic membrane, and further comprising imaging the target tissue of the first ear with an image capture device supported by the support structure, wherein the alignment of the support system with the ear is performed with reference to a display of the captured image.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising retaining a fluid in the ear canal in fluid communication with the tympanic membrane with a fluid barrier, the fluid barrier separating the material from the fluid.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising delivering a therapeutic agent of the fluid to the target tissue using an iontophoresis electrode supported by the support structure.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising measuring a distance from the support structure to the tympanic membrane.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the support structure and hardened material are included in a support system having an interface, and wherein the interface replaceably receives a measurement module, a treatment module including the treatment device, and/or an iontophoresis module including an iontophoresis electrode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient is sitting upright.

9. A system for treating a patient, the patient having a head with a first ear and a second ear, the system comprising:

a support structure engageable with the head of the patient so that the support structure and head define a receptacle therebetween;

an material receivable by the receptacle, the injectable material having a workable state allowing adjustment to alignment between the support structure and a target tissue of the first ear, and a hardened state for stabilizing the support structure relative to the target tissue; and

a device mountable to the support structure, the device actuatable so as to therapeutically remodel the target tissue of the first ear.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the material comprises impression material.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the target tissue comprises a tympanic membrane, and further comprising an image capture device supported by the support structure and oriented so as to image the target tissue of the first ear so that alignment of the support system with the ear can be performed with reference to a display of the captured image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the support structure comprises a fluid barrier configured for retaining a fluid in the ear canal in fluid communication with the tympanic membrane, the fluid barrier separating the material from the fluid.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an iontophoresis electrode supported by the support structure, the electrode suitable for applying a therapeutic agent of the fluid to the target tissue.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising an optical distance measuring system receivable by the support structure so as to measure a distance from the support structure to the tympanic membrane.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the support structure has an interface, and wherein the interface replaceably receives a measurement module including the measuring system, a treatment module including the treatment device, and/or an iontophoresis module including an iontophoresis electrode.