METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DESTROYING OF UNDESIRABLE FORMATIONS IN MAMMALIAN BODY

• US 20110208206A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lithotech Medical Ltd. (Nordson Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lithotech Medical Ltd. (Nordson Corporation)
• Inventors: Diamant, Valery, Lerner, Marat, Chernenko, Vladimir, Dutov, Alexey
• Granted Patent: US 8,777,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2202 the ultrasound transducer being inside patient's body at the distal end of the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22022 using electric discharge
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00185 Means for setting or varying the pulse height
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00194 Means for setting or varying the repetition rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22021 electric leads passing through the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

A method and a system for destruction of an undesirable formation in a mammalian body are described. The invention is based on inserting a probe into mammalian body; said probe is electrically connectable to a control unit and upon bringing the probe in physical contact with the formation supplying pulses of energy from the control unit to the probe in order to destroy the formation. The invention further comprises counting amount of pulses being supplied to the probe and establishing a remaining service life of the probe by subtracting the amount of pulses being supplied to the probe from an amount of pulses corresponding to initial service life of the probe. The treatment session is automatically terminates as soon as amount of pulses being supplied to the probe approaches at least a fraction of the established remaining service life of the probe. The established remaining service life of the probe is stored for new treatment session. Delivery of pulses automatically terminates when the remaining service life is exhausted and use of such probe becomes impossible.

Claims

1. A method of intracorporeal treatment for destruction of an undesirable formation in a mammalian body, said method comprising:

a) providing a probe insertable into mammalian body, said probe having a working head, said probe is electrically connectable to a control unit,

b) bringing a forwardmost end of the working head in physical contact with the formation,

c) supplying pulses of energy from the control unit to the probe during at least one treatment session,

d) counting amount of pulses being supplied to the probe,

e) establishing a remaining service life of the probe by subtracting the amount of pulses being supplied to the probe from an amount of pulses corresponding to initial service life of the probe,

f) terminating the treatment session when amount of pulses being supplied to the probe approaches at least a fraction of the established remaining service life of the probe,

g) storing the established remaining service life of the probe.

2. A method of claim 1, in which said pulses of energy are defined by the following parameters:

duration not more then 5000 nanoseconds, pulse rise time less than 50 nanoseconds, pulse energy of at least 0.01 joule and pulse amplitude of at least 2 kV.

3. A method of claim 2, in which said pulses are one time discrete pulses

4. A method of claim 2, in which said pulses are series of pulses supplied with frequency of 1-10 Hz.

5. A method of claim 1, in which said establishing of remaining service life comprises normalizing the initial service life before subtracting.

6. A method of claim 5, in which said normalizing is according to pulse energy and frequency.

7. A method of claim 1, comprising establishing a communication link between the probe and the control unit.

8. A method of claim 1, comprising detachable electrical connecting the probe, and the control unit.

9. A method of claim 2, comprising setting parameters of the pulses before supplying them to the probe.

10. A method of claim 1, comprising checking grounding of the control unit before supplying pulses to the probe.

11. A method of claim 1, comprising storing the established remaining service life in a non-volatile programmable memory.

12. A method of claim 1, comprising using the stored remaining service life as initial service life for a new treatment session.

13. A system for intracorporeal destruction of an undesirable formation in a mammalian body by virtue of applying pulses of energy to the formation, said system comprising:

a probe insertable into the mammalian body,

a control unit for supplying the pulses to the probe and for monitoring and controlling amount of supplied pulses,

a cable for electrical connection of the probe to the control unit and for supplying the pulses to the probe, said cable being detachably connectable to the probe by a coupler,

wherein the system is provided with a memory means capable of storing information associated with at least a probe type and a remaining service life of the probe, and there is provided a communication link between the memory means and the control unit.

14. A system of claim 13, in which said control unit is capable to supply pulses defined by the following parameters:

duration not more then 5000 nanoseconds, pulse rise time less than 50 nanoseconds, pulse energy at least 0.01 joule and pulse amplitude at least 2 kV.

15. A system of claim 13, in which said coupler is provided with a male portion associated with the probe and with a female portion associated with the cable.

16. A system of claim 13, in which said cable is a high voltage coaxial cable.

17. A system of claim 13, in which said communication link is a wire link.

18. A system of claim 17, in which said wire link comprises a miniature coaxial cable.

19. A system of claim 13, in which the memory means comprises a non-volatile programmable memory selected from the group consisting of ROM, EPROM, EEPROM and RFID tag.

20. A system of claim 15, in which said memory means resides in the male portion.

21. A system of claim 13, in which said control unit comprises a main control block, an auxiliary control block and a generator of pulses.

22. A system of claim 21, in which said main control block comprises a display means, an input means and a microcontroller.

23. A system of claim 21, in which said auxiliary control block comprises a source of low voltage, a grounding control circuit, a source of high voltage and a circuit for starting a thyratrone.

24. A system of claim 21, in which said generator of pulses comprises a thyratrone, a transformer for starting the thyratrone, a transformer, a high-ohmic divider, a plurality of capacitors and a rectifier.

25. A system of claim 22, in which said display means and said input means is located on a front panel of the control unit.