Microwave Ground Plane Antenna Probe

• US 20110319880A1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Vivant Medical, Inc. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Prakash, Mani N., Rossetto, Francesca, Brannan, Joseph D., Nguyen, Tao
• Application Number:
  US12/823,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20110319880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/33
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00017 with gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00244 adapted to separate target tissue from other tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1853 Monopole antennas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1869 with an instrument interstitially inserted into the body, e.g. needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1892 Details of electrical isolations of the antenna

Abstract

An ablation probe having a ground plane is disclosed. The disclosed probe includes an inner conductor coaxially disposed within an outer shield. One or more ground plane(s) oriented substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the probe are joined to the outer shield. One or more dielectric(s) may be disposed around the inner conductor or upon a surface of a ground plane. The probe may include a rigid or flexible catheter disposed around the outer shield to define a conduit therebetween to enable the delivery of pressurized fluid to an inflatable balloon disposed around a ground plane. A semicylindrical housing having a circumferential surface and a distal surface may be included. A proximal edge of the circumferential surface of the semicylindrical housing may be joined to a circumferential edge of a ground plane. An opening may be defined in the distal surface of the semicylindrical housing, through which the inner conductor may extend distally.

Claims

1. An ablation probe, comprising:

an inner conductor;

a first dielectric coaxially disposed around the inner conductor;

an outer shield coaxially disposed around the first dielectric; and

a first ground plane joined to a distal end of the outer shield and oriented substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the probe.

2. The ablation probe according to claim 1, further comprising a second dielectric disposed on a distal surface of the ground plane.

3. The ablation probe according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second ground plane joined to the outer shield at a juncture proximal of a distal end of the outer shield and oriented substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the probe; and

a ground plane dielectric disposed between the first ground plane and the second ground plane.

4. The ablation probe according to claim 1, wherein the inner conductor includes a distal section that extends distally from a distal end of the outer shield.

5. The ablation probe according to claim 4, further comprising at least a third dielectric coaxially disposed around the distal section of the inner conductor.

6. The ablation probe according to claim 5, further comprising a tapered tip joined to a distal end of the third dielectric.

7. The ablation probe according to claim 5, further comprising a reinforcing member disposed around at least a portion of the third dielectric.

8. The ablation probe according to claim 5, further comprising a fourth dielectric disposed between an inner diameter of the second dielectric and the inner conductor.

9. The ablation probe according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer shield or the ground plane is formed from electrically conductive material.

10. The ablation probe according to claim 1, further comprising:

a catheter disposed around a proximal portion of the outer shield to define a conduit therebetween; and

an inflatable balloon disposed around at least the first ground plane.

11. The ablation probe according to claim 10, wherein the conduit is adapted to operatively couple at a proximal end thereof to a source of pressure.

12. The ablation probe according to claim 10, wherein the conduit is operatively coupled at a distal end thereof to the inflatable balloon.

13. The ablation probe according to claim 1, wherein the inner conductor is adapted to operatively couple at a proximal end thereof to a source of ablation energy.

14. An ablation probe, comprising:

an inner conductor;

an outer shield coaxially disposed around the inner conductor, wherein the outer shield defines an inner region around the inner conductor;

a first ground plane joined to a distal end of the outer shield and oriented substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the probe;

a second ground plane joined to the outer shield at a juncture proximal of a distal end of the outer shield and oriented substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the probe; and

a generally tubular outer catheter coaxially disposed around the outer shield, wherein the outer catheter defines a cooling conduit between the outer catheter and the outer shield.

15. The ablation probe of claim 14, wherein the inner conductor extends distally beyond a distal end of the outer shield.

16. The ablation probe of claim 14, further comprising a semicylindrical housing having a circumferential surface and a distal surface, wherein a proximal edge of the circumferential surface is joined to a circumferential edge of the second ground plane.

17. The ablation probe of claim 16, further comprising an opening defined in the distal surface of the semicylindrical housing.

18. The ablation probe of claim 17, wherein the inner conductor extends distally through the opening defined in the distal surface of the semicylindrical housing.

19. The ablation probe of claim 14, wherein the cooling conduit is adapted to operatively couple at a proximal end thereof to a source of coolant.

20. An ablation system, comprising:

a source of ablation energy; and

an ablation probe, comprising;

an inner conductor operatively coupled to the source of electrosurgical energy;

a first dielectric coaxially disposed around the inner conductor;

an outer shield coaxially disposed around the first dielectric; and

a first ground plane joined to a distal end of the outer shield and oriented substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the probe.