Method and device for delivering heat to hollow body organs
First Claim
1. A catheter for heating a hollow body organ, said catheter comprising:
- a first flexible elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axial lumen extending between said proximal and distal ends;
a second flexible elongate member slidably disposed within the axial lumen of the first flexible elongate member;
means disposed externally near the distal end of the first flexible elongate member for heating an environment surrounding the catheter; and
means on the second flexible elongate member for sealing a region connecting with the hollow body organ.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter for thermally treating a hollow body organ includes a first flexible elongate member having a heater element at or near its distal end. A second flexible elongate member may be slidably disposed within a central lumen of the first flexible elongate member and may include an occluding means, such as an inflatable balloon, at its distal end. By first inserting the distal end of the second flexible elongate member within a hollow body organ or connecting region, the heater element on the first flexible elongate member may then be positioned and repositioned by axially translating the first flexible elongate member over the exterior of the second flexible elongate member. A collapsible shield may also be provided about the exposed heater element on the first flexible elongate member. The shield typically comprises a cylinder having a plurality of axial slots near its distal end. A plurality of ribs defined by the slots may be expanded radially outward by compressing the cylinder in the distal direction or by releasing tension which has maintained the shield in a radially collapsed configuration. Once expanded, the shield may be rotated to effect mixing of the fluid surrounding the catheter.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A catheter for heating a hollow body organ, said catheter comprising:
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a first flexible elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axial lumen extending between said proximal and distal ends; a second flexible elongate member slidably disposed within the axial lumen of the first flexible elongate member; means disposed externally near the distal end of the first flexible elongate member for heating an environment surrounding the catheter; and means on the second flexible elongate member for sealing a region connecting with the hollow body organ. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A catheter for heating a hollow body organ, said catheter comprising:
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a first flexible elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axial lumen extending between said proximal and distal ends; a second flexible elongate member slidably disposed within the axial lumen of the first flexible elongate member, said second flexible elongate member being a flexible tubular structure having an axial lumen available for perfusion or aspiration and having sufficient column strength to act as a guide for axially positioning the first flexible elongate member thereover; means on the second flexible elongate member for sealing a region connecting with the hollow body organ; and means disposed externally near the distal end of the first flexible elongate member for heating an environment surrounding the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for heating a hollow body organ, said method comprising:
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(a) placing a distal end of a second flexible elongate member within the hollow body organ; (b) positioning a first flexible elongate member over the second flexible elongate member so that a heater on said first flexible elongate member lies within a first desired region within the hollow body organ; (c) heating the first desired region with the heater; (d) repositioning the first flexible elongate member over the second flexible elongate member so that the heater lies within a second desired region within the hollow body organ; and (e) heating the second desired region with the heater. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A catheter for heating a hollow body organ, said catheter comprising:
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a first flexible elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axial lumen extending between said proximal and distal ends; a second flexible elongate member slidably disposed within the axial lumen of the first flexible elongate member; and means disposed externally near the distal end of the first flexible elongate member for heating an environment surrounding the catheter, said heating means comprising an exposed convective heating surface which is free from surrounding structure. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A catheter for heating a hollow body organ, said catheter comprising:
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a first flexible elongate member having a proximate end, a distal end, and an axial lumen extending between said proximal and distal ends; a second flexible elongate member slidably received within the axial lumen of the first flexible elongate member; means disposed on the second flexible elongate member for heating an environment surrounding the catheter; a stop element disposed near the distal end of the second flexible elongate member; a shield disposed about the heating means on the second flexible member; and means on the first flexible elongate member for expanding the shield about the heating means on the second flexible elongate member by axially advancing the first member against the stop element on the second member; whereby the second flexible elongate member may be rotated relative to the first in order to enhance mixing of a thermally conductive fluid within the hollow body organ. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A method for heating a hollow body organ, said method comprising:
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(a) placing a distal end of a flexible member within the hollow body organ; (b) expanding a shield over the distal end of the flexible member; (c) energizing a heating element within the expanded shield; and (d) rotating the shield in order to enhance mixing of a thermally conductive fluid within the hollow body organ. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A catheter for heating a hollow body organ, said catheter comprising:
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a first flexible elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, and means for heating a fluid environment surrounding the catheter to a temperature sufficient to thermally ablate the internal surface of a body organ, said heating means being disposed externally near the distal end of the first flexible member; an expandable shield disposed about the heating means which can assume a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration and which possesses a plurality of large apertures, which, in the expanded configuration, the apertures are sufficiently large to permit free circulation of a fluid to and from the environment, whereby heated fluid in the environment surrounding the heating means can circulate and transfer heat to the body organ; and means on the first flexible elongate member for expanding the shield about the heating means while the heating means is positioned within the hollow body organ. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for heating a hollow body organ, said method comprising:
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introducing a distal end of a flexible elongate member to the interior of the hollow body organ; expanding a shield about an external heating element near the distal end of the flexible elongate member after said member has been introduced, said shield having apertures to allow free circulation of fluid therethrough in both directions; introducing a thermally conductive medium into and circulating said medium within the interior of the hollow body organ; and raising the temperature of the heating element to heat the thermally conductive medium sufficiently to ablate an interior surface of the body organ, while the shield prevents contact between the external heating element and the interior surface of the organ. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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41. A catheter for heating a hollow body organ, said catheter comprising:
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a first flexible elongate member having a proximal end, a distal end, and an axial lumen extending between said proximal and distal ends; a second flexible elongate member slidably disposed within the axial lumen of the first flexible elongate member;
said first and second elongate members together defining an annular lumen which is open at its distal end to permit perfusion or aspiration of fluids therethrough;means disposed externally near the distal end of the first flexible elongate member for heating an environment surrounding the catheter; and a shield, comprising a plurality of expandable ribs disposed about the heating means and means on the first flexible elongate member for expanding the shield while the heating means is positioned within the hollow body organ. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification