IRREVERSIBLE ELECTROPORATION AND TISSUE REGENERATION

• US 20100204638A1
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Pearson, Robert M., Hobbs, Eamonn P., Lovewell, James G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,231,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00613 Irreversible electroporation reversible electroporation A61N1/327
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/306 Arrangements where at least part of the apparatus is introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/327 for enhancing the absorption properties of tissue, e.g. by electroporation

Abstract

A method and device are herein described to treat a target region of tissue, using at least one energy delivery device coupled to a power source and positioned in a treatment position so as to irreversibly electroporate tissue to ablate a target region, and introduce regenerative materials into a treated region.

Claims

1. A method for treating a target region of tissue, comprising:

providing at least one energy delivery device, wherein said at least one energy delivery device is connectable to a power source;

wherein said at least one energy delivery device comprises;

a shaft capable of being positioned within said target region of tissue, said shaft having a lumen adapted to receive at least one regenerative material for insertion into said target region of tissue;

at least one electrode positioned on said shaft and adapted to deliver electrical pulses to said target region of tissue in an amount sufficient to irreversibly electroporate said target region of tissue;

positioning said at least one energy delivery device in a treatment position;

applying power from said power source to said target region of tissue to irreversibly electroporate at least a portion of said target region of tissue;

ablating at least a portion of said target region of tissue; and

introducing said at least one regenerative material into said target region of tissue after the step of ablating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of positioning includes placing at least a portion of said energy delivery device on a surface of said target region of tissue.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of positioning includes advancing at least a portion of said at least one energy delivery device into said target region of tissue.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of introducing said at least one regenerative material includes releasing said at least one regenerative material through said at least one energy delivery device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one energy delivery device involves at least one of a monopolar, bipolar electrodes, and an array of electrodes.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying the method as at least part of a medical procedure that involves at least one of a percutaneous, a laparoscopic, and an open surgery.

7. The method of claim 1 prior to the step of introducing said at least one regenerative material, further comprising releasing at least one factor to optimize said target region of tissue.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said factor is at least one of water, ions, hormones, paracrine agents, pharmacological mediators and vasoreactive elements.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material is applied a sufficient number of times to effect at least one of regrowth, restructuring, and cellular repopulation in said target region of tissue.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said target region of tissue is at least a portion of a tissue selected from the group comprising:

digestive, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, circulatory, reproductive, integumentary, lymphatic, urinary, and soft tissue.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said target region of tissue is at least one of a vessel, a liver, a lung, a pancreas, and a prostate.

12. The method of claim 1 where said target region of tissue is at least one of benign, malignant, cancerous, neoplastic, preneoplastic, and tumorous tissue.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material includes at least one of totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, and unipotent cells.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material is at least one of autogeneic, isogeneic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material includes at least a portion of a cell selected from the group comprising:

smooth muscle cells, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, adult stem cells, vascular endothelial cell precursor cells, and mesodermal stromal cells.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material includes at least one cell that is the same cell type as the primary cell type of said target region of tissue.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material includes at least a portion of a cell selected from the group comprising:

liver, lung, pancreas, and bone.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material includes at least one of VEGF, cytokines, and anti-inflammatory agents, water, ions, hormones, paracrine agents, pharmacological mediators and vasoreactive elements.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material is at least a portion of a molecule selected from the group comprising:

DNA, RNA, proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, lipids, enzymes, proteases, and steroids.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one regenerative material includes at least one of polysaccharides, proteoglycans, hyaluronic acid, collagen, fibronectin, elastin, laminin, and integrins.

21. A method for treating a target region of tissue, comprising:

providing at least one energy delivery device, wherein said at least one energy delivery device is connectable to a power source;

wherein said at least one energy delivery device comprises;

a shaft capable of being positioned within said target region of tissue, said shaft having a lumen adapted to receive at least one regenerative material for insertion into said target region of tissue;

at least one electrode positioned on said shaft and adapted to deliver electrical pulses to said target region of tissue in an amount sufficient to irreversibly electroporate said target region of tissue;

positioning said at least one energy delivery device in a treatment position;

setting at least one parameter on said power source to provide power to nonthermally irreversibly electroporate said target region of tissue to achieve ablation;

applying power from said power source according to said parameter to said target region of tissue to irreversibly electroporate at least a portion of said target region of tissue;

introducing said at least one regenerative material into said target region of tissue after the step of applying power.

withdrawing said at least one energy delivery device from said target region of tissue after the regenerative material has been introduced into said target region of tissue.

22. An energy delivery device for treating a target region of tissue by irreversible electroporation comprising:

a shaft capable of being positioned within said target region of tissue, said shaft having a lumen adapted to receive at least one regenerative material for insertion into said target region of tissue;

at least one electrode positioned on said shaft and adapted to deliver electrical pulses to said target region of tissue in an amount sufficient to irreversibly electroporate said target region of tissue prior to inserting said at least one regenerative material into said target region of tissue.

23. The energy delivery device of claim 22, further comprising a container storing said at least one regenerative material.

24. The energy delivery device of claim 23, further comprising an infusion pump connected between said container and said shaft to pump said at least one regenerative material into said target region of tissue.

25. The energy delivery device of claim 24 wherein said container stores at least a portion of a molecule selected from the group comprising:

DNA, RNA, proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, lipids, enzymes, proteases, and steroids.

26. The energy delivery device of claim 24, wherein:

said container stores stem cells; and

wherein said infusion pump is programmable to insert a pre-programmed amount of the stem cells into the target region of tissue.

27. The energy delivery device of claim 22, further comprising a temperature controller that maintains said at least one regenerative material contained in said container at a selected temperature.