Apparatus and Method for Cooling a Tissue Volume During Thermal Therapy Treatment

• US 20110319748A1
• Filed: 06/27/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2010
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Original Assignee: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Inventors: CHOPRA, Rajiv, BRONSKILL, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/420
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00547 Prostate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00744 Fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

An apparatus for cooling certain tissues in the vicinity of diseased or other tissue undergoing thermal treatment is disclosed. The present apparatus is configured and designed to have certain physical characteristics, e.g., certain acoustic and imaging responses. In some embodiments the present apparatus is compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environments used in conjunction with the thermal treatment, or other imaging environments. In some embodiments the present apparatus is detectable by said MRI and is within the imaging field of view (FOV) but causes few or no imaging artifacts. Additionally, the present apparatus does not substantially interfere with the thermal treatment, e.g., ultrasonic therapy, which can proceed to heat the targeted volume of tissue while protective cooling of tissues near the diseased tissue by the present apparatus takes place.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in conjunction with thermal therapy treatment of a patient, comprising:

an elongated member body adapted in shape and size for inclusion at least in part into a body cavity of the patient, said elongated member generally having a first end inserted into the patient'"'"'s cavity and a second end generally opposing said first end;

at least one ingress and one egress path for a cooling fluid so that said fluid may pass into said apparatus through said ingress path and said fluid may pass out of said apparatus through said egress path;

said elongated member comprising a housing compatible with a thermal therapy modality and further compatible with an imaging modality.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said elongated member being adapted in shape and size for inclusion into a rectal cavity of the patient for use in conjunction with a thermal therapy applied to a prostate of said patient.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the housing of said elongated member having a construction compatible with ultrasonic thermal therapy of the prostate, and further compatible with magnetic resonance imaging of a region of the patient in the proximity of said prostate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said ingress and said egress fluid paths being in fluid communication within the elongated member body so as to form a closed fluid circuit with cooling fluid entering through said ingress and exiting through said egress.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a pump apparatus to cause flow of said cooling fluid through said apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cooling fluid suitable for use with said thermal therapy modality and further suitable for use with said imaging modality.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a dopant substance used in known quantity within said cooling fluid to enhance a function of said imaging modality.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a dopant substance used in known quantity within said cooling fluid to reduce an imaging artifact of said imaging modality.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an end-member near said second end of said elongated member body that is designed of a shape and configuration to not enter into said patient'"'"'s body cavity.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of apertures to accommodate the ingress and egress fluid flow paths.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, having a relatively broad feature to prevent accidental insertion of said second end of said elongated member into the patient'"'"'s body cavity.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature monitoring apparatus to monitor a temperature within a portion of said apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, said temperature monitoring apparatus configured and positioned to monitor a temperature of said cooling fluid within said apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, said temperature monitoring apparatus configured and positioned to monitor a temperature within a tip region of said apparatus proximal to said first end thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a throttle valve for controlling a rate of flow of said cooling fluid through said apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, said ingress and said egress paths adapted to provide fluid flow through tubular channels compatible with said thermal therapy modality.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, said ingress and said egress paths adapted to provide fluid flow through tubular channels compatible with said imaging modality.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, said tubular channels comprising a metal so that a fluid flow therein would not adversely impact a magnetic resonance imaging modality.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fluid reservoir for holding a cooling fluid passed through said apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a fluid temperature control apparatus for controlling a temperature of said cooling fluid.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a filtration apparatus for filtering said cooling fluid.

22. A system for controlling a temperature of a healthy tissue volume of a patient during thermal therapy treatment of a diseased tissue volume of said patient proximal to said healthy tissue volume, comprising:

an elongated member, adapted in shape and size for inclusion at least in part into a body cavity of the patient, said member comprising a housing compatible with a thermal therapy modality of said treatment and further compatible with a treatment imaging modality;

said elongated member comprising cooling fluid inlet and fluid discharge ports through which a cooling fluid may flow;

said elongated member further comprising a fluid plenum proximal to a first end of said member, and proximal to said healthy tissue volume, said plenum allowing receipt of and discharge of said cooling fluid therethrough;

a fluid flow control apparatus for controlling a flow property of said cooling fluid into said inlet port and out of said discharge port; and

a fluid temperature control apparatus for monitoring and controlling a thermal property of said cooling fluid so as to maintain a temperature of said healthy tissue volume within an accepted range of temperatures.