Medical probe device and method
First Claim
1. A medical probe device for medical treatment of tissue at a treatment site through a natural body opening defined by a wall, comprising an elongate guide housing having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway therein extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity along a longitudinal axis, a stylet mounted in the guide housing and having proximal and distal extremities, a handle mounted on the proximal extremity of the guide housing, means mounted on the proximal extremity of the guide housing and connected to the stylet for causing advancement of the stylet through the passageway, the distal extremity of the guide housing being in communication with the passageway and permitting the distal extremity of the stylet to be advanced out of the passageway sidewise at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis into the tissue, the stylet including a conductive radio frequency electrode and a layer of insulating material coaxially disposed on the conductive radio frequency electrode so that a predetermined portion of the conductive radio frequency electrode is exposed in the tissue and the layer of insulating material protects the wall and expandable balloon means mounted on the guide housing for engaging the wall.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and device for medical treatment of a tissue mass. The method comprises introducing a catheter along a body duct to a zone adjacent to the target tissue to be treated. A flexible stylet comprising a radiofrequency electrode partially enclosed within a non-conductive sleeve is moved from the catheter through a catheter port in the side wall of the catheter and through surrounding tissue into a target tissue to be treated. An outward force is exerted on the wall of the body duct by means of an inflatable balloon attached to the catheter and heat is generated in the target tissue by passing electrode current from the exposed area of the electrode into the target tissue.
662 Citations
59 Claims
- 1. A medical probe device for medical treatment of tissue at a treatment site through a natural body opening defined by a wall, comprising an elongate guide housing having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway therein extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity along a longitudinal axis, a stylet mounted in the guide housing and having proximal and distal extremities, a handle mounted on the proximal extremity of the guide housing, means mounted on the proximal extremity of the guide housing and connected to the stylet for causing advancement of the stylet through the passageway, the distal extremity of the guide housing being in communication with the passageway and permitting the distal extremity of the stylet to be advanced out of the passageway sidewise at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis into the tissue, the stylet including a conductive radio frequency electrode and a layer of insulating material coaxially disposed on the conductive radio frequency electrode so that a predetermined portion of the conductive radio frequency electrode is exposed in the tissue and the layer of insulating material protects the wall and expandable balloon means mounted on the guide housing for engaging the wall.
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32. A method for medical treatment of a tissue mass comprising:
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(a) introducing a catheter along a body duct to a zone adjacent to the target tissue to be treated; (b) moving a flexible stylet comprising a radiofrequency electrode partially surrounded by a non-conductive sleeve from the catheter through a catheter port and surrounding tissue into a target tissue to be treated; (c) exerting an outward force on the wall of the body duct by means of a force exerting means attached to the catheter; and (d) generating heat in the target tissue by passing electrical energy from an exposed area of the electrode into the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for treatment of target tissue without exposing tissue surrounding the target tissue to destructive temperatures comprising:
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(a) advancing a flexible stylet through surrounding tissue into the target tissue to be ablated, the stylet being a radiofrequency electrode surrounded by a moveable non-conductive sleeve means for preventing significant transfer of energy from the electrode to tissue surrounding the sleeve; (b) moving the non-conductive sleeve means to expose a preselected portion of the electrode positioned in the target tissue and generating heat in the target tissue by causing electrical energy to flow between the preselected portion of the electrode and a second electrode; and (c) exerting a compressive force on the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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42. A method for treating a target tissue such as the prostate of a patient comprising:
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(a) introducing a catheter into the urethra to a zone adjacent to the prostate target tissue to be treated; (b) moving two flexible stylets, each comprising a radiofrequency electrode partially surrounded by a non-conductive sleeve which is axially moveable relative to the electrode, from the catheter through catheter ports and through the urethra wall and surrounding tissue into the prostate target tissue to be treated, the catheter ports having respective axes disposed relative to each other at an angle of less than 90°
;(c) exerting an outwardly directed force on the urethra wall by means of at least one inflatable balloon attached to the catheter; and (d) generating heat in the target tissue by passing electrical energy from the exposed areas of the electrodes into the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46)
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- 47. A medical probe device for medical treatment of tissue of a prostate through a urethra defined by a urethral wall comprising a guide housing having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, a stylet slidably mounted in the passageway of the guide housing, guide means carried by the distal extremity of the guide housing and in communication with the passageway for directing the stylet sidewise of the guide housing, the stylet including a flexible radio frequency electrode with a sharpened tip and an insulating sleeve slidably disposed on the radio frequency electrode, handle means mounted on the proximal extremity of the guide housing for introducing the distal extremity of the guide housing into the urethra to the vicinity of the prostate, the handle means including means secured to the stylet for advancing the stylet from the passageway of the guide housing to cause the sharpened tip of the radio frequency electrode and the insulating sleeve to penetrate the urethral wall and to extend into the tissue of the prostate with the insulating sleeve extending through the urethral wall, the handle means also including means for causing relative movement between the insulating sleeve and the radio frequency electrode to expose a predetermined length of the radio frequency electrode in the tissue of the prostate with the insulating sleeve extending through the urethral wall, means for supplying radio frequency energy to the radio frequency electrode to cause the temperature of the tissue of the prostate adjacent the predetermined length of the radio frequency electrode to be raised to cause destruction of cells in the tissue of the prostate, the guide housing having a fluid delivery lumen extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity of the guide housing and inflatable balloon means mounted on the distal extremity of the guide housing in communication with the fluid delivery lumen.
- 53. A method for the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy in the prostate of the human male having a bladder with a base and a penis with a urethra therein formed by a urethral wall extending into the base of the bladder along a longitudinal axis with the prostate having tissue surrounding the urethra near the base of the bladder, comprising dilating the urethra in the vicinity of the prostate with an expandable balloon disposed in the urethra, selecting a target volume of the tissue of the prostate beyond the urethral wall, introducing radio frequency energy through the urethral wall into the target volume of the tissue of the prostate to cause ablation of tissue in the target volume of the tissue in the prostate and protecting the urethral wall from ablation by the radio frequency energy supplied to the target volume of tissue in the prostate.
- 56. A method for medical treatment of a prostate through a urethra formed by a urethral wall by the use of a catheter having a distal extremity carrying expandable balloon means and having a flexible radio frequency electrode with a sharpened tip and an insulating sleeve mounted on and surrounding the flexible radio frequency electrode to expose a predetermined length of the radio frequency electrode, the radio frequency electrode and the insulating sleeve being slidably mounted in the catheter and being movable through the distal extremity of the catheter, comprising introducing the catheter through the urethra to a region adjacent the prostate, expanding the balloon means in the urethra, advancing the flexible radio frequency electrode and the insulating sleeve using the sharpened tip to penetrate the urethral wall and pass through the urethral wall into the prostate, passing sufficient radio frequency energy through the radio frequency electrode to raise the temperature of the prostate adjacent the predetermined length of the radio frequency electrode to a temperature causing destruction of cells by ablation in the prostate while protecting the urethral wall by the insulating sleeve from the radio frequency energy.
Specification