Ablation Instruments and Related Methods

• US 20090187179A1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Custom Medical Applications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: N. Sandor Racz, Ricardo Ruiz-Lopez
• Inventors: Ruiz-Lopez, Ricardo, Racz, N. Sandor
• Granted Patent: US 9,265,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/33
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• 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 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/144 Wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe

Abstract

An ablation instrument including a body and an ablating member is provided. The body includes a distal end and a surface with the ablating member coupled toward the distal end of the body. The ablating member includes a lesion wire extending through and along a portion of the surface of the body for creating lesions in a target tissue while the body serves to isolate surrounding tissue from the target tissue. A method of ablating a target area is also provided.

Claims

1. An ablation instrument comprising:

a body having a distal end and a surface; and

an ablating member coupled toward the distal end of the body, the ablating member comprising a lesion wire extending through and along a portion of the surface of the body for creating lesions in a target tissue and wherein the body isolates surrounding tissue from the target tissue.

2. The ablation instrument of claim 1, wherein the body is substantially cylindrical and relatively slender in an axial direction.

3. The ablation instrument of claim 1, wherein the lesion wire extends along a portion of the surface being substantially aligned with an axial direction of the body.

4. The ablation instrument of claim 1, wherein the lesion wire extends externally above the surface of the body.

5. The ablation instrument of claim 1, wherein the body is made from a conductive material and the lesion wire of the ablating member is insulated within the body.

6. The ablation instrument of claim 1, wherein the lesion wire extends through infusion ports within the body, the infusion ports electrically isolating the lesion wire of the ablating member from the body.

7. The ablation instrument of claim 1, further comprising a second lesion wire.

8. The ablation instrument of claim 1, wherein the lesion wire is selected for radiating energy in the radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic spectrum.

9. The ablation instrument of claim 1, further comprising a thermal sensor extending along the surface of the body.

10. The ablation instrument of claim 9, wherein the thermal sensor measures at least one of impedance about the thermal sensor and a temperature about the thermal sensor.

11. The ablation instrument of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises an articulated distal tip.

12. The ablation instrument of claim 1, wherein the lesion wire of the ablating member extends across the body through at least one infusion port to an electrical coupling system.

13. The ablation instrument of claim 8 wherein the energy source is selected from the group consisting of RF, microwave radiation, an inductively coupled RF fields, ultrasound, shortwave, and thermal conductive wire.

14. The ablation instrument of claim 1, further comprising a guidance system.

15. An ablation instrument comprising:

a body means for partially isolating a target area and includes a side surface; and

an ablation means for receiving energy from an energy source means, the ablation means extending along and external to the side surface of the body means for creating lesions.

16. The ablation instrument of claim 15, further comprising a thermal sensor means for measuring impedance or temperature.

17. The ablation instrument of claim 15, further comprising a guidance means.

18. A method of ablating a target tissue, comprising:

inserting an ablation instrument with a body and an ablating member into a patient,

orienting the ablating member of the ablation instrument about a target tissue, and

ablating the target tissue, wherein the body of the ablation instrument isolates surrounding tissue from the target tissue.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising measuring at least one of temperature of the ablating member, temperature of the target area, and impedance of the target area.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising orienting a thermal sensor about a sensitive area of the patient to monitor the temperature and/or the impedance of the sensitive area.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising stopping ablating the target tissue when the thermal sensor measures a set point temperature and/or impedance.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein inserting an ablation instrument with a body and an ablating member into a patient is for a procedure comprising at least one of rhizotomy, pulmonary ablation, organ ablation, and nerve end ablation.