Surgical instrument with ultrasound pulse generator

• US 5,672,172 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Parsons C. Lowell, Paul F. Zupkas
• Original Assignee: VROS Corporation
• Inventors: Zupkas, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahr, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, RYAN CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US08/468,717
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.01, 128/661.01, 128/660.06, 128/660.07, 128/660.03, 128/662.06, 128/661.04, 128/653.1, 128/662.03, 606/20-28
• US Class Current: 606/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00274 Prostate operation, e.g. prostatectomy, turp, bhp treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00547 Prostate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3929 Active markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00

Abstract

A surgical instrument comprising a probe for insertion into the body of a host and for manipulating the tissues of the host, the probe including an ultrasound transducer element for locating and positioning the probe within the body of the host; and a method for manipulating the tissues of a host using the surgical instrument.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument which comprises:

(a) a rigid probe adapted for insertion into the body of a host and including integral means for manipulating the tissue of said host, wherein said probe comprises

(i) a shaft portion containing a plurality of passageways segregated from one another,

(ii) a first series of passageways defining an inlet channel for a refrigerant fluid through the shaft,

(iii) a second series of passageways defining an outlet channel for the refrigerant fluid through the shaft,

(iv) a sealed chamber formed at the tip of the shaft which communicates with both inlet and outlet channels,

(v) a handle portion connecting the passageways in the shaft to coupling means,

(vi) first coupling means for connecting the inlet channel to a source of refrigerating fluid,

(vii) second coupling means for connecting the outlet channel to a means for exhausting the refrigerating fluid,

(viii) third coupling means for connecting wires from the ultrasound transducer element to external electronics; and

(b) a non-imaging ultrasonic transducer comprising means for operative connection to external imaging means, said transducer composed of a single ultrasound element adapted solely for transmitting or receiving a nondiscrete omnidirectional ultrasound signal, said transducer element operatively incorporated into said probe so as to provide means for locating and positioning said manipulation means within a space within the body of the host and to provide means for enhancing the visualization and identification of soft tissue manipulated by said manipulation means.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic transducer element is located proximate said tissue manipulation means.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the tip of said probe is constructed of material capable of transmitting an ultrasound pulse.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3 wherein the ultrasonic transducer element is located proximate the tip of said probe in intimate contact with the material forming the tip of the probe.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound transducer element is located remote from said tissue manipulation means.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 wherein the ultrasound transducer element is positioned within the probe, wherein said transducer is connected to the tip of said probe by material capable of transmitting an ultrasound pulse solely to said tip.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said ultrasound transducer element is a piezoelectric device.

8. The surgical instrument of claim 7 wherein the piezoelectric device oscillates in the range of approximately 2-10 MHz.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said probe is a cryosurgical probe.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein said probe is a heating probe.

11. A method for manipulating tissue of a host, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) contacting said host with a scanner of an ultrasound imaging system to create an image of a target zone within the host for placement of a surgical instrument, said surgical instrument comprising

(i) a rigid probe adapted for insertion into the body of a host and including integral means for manipulating the tissue of said host, wherein said probe comprises a shaft portion containing a plurality of passageways segregated from one another, a first series of passageways defining an inlet channel for a refrigerant fluid through the shaft, a second series of passageways defining an outlet channel for the refrigerant fluid through the shaft, a sealed chamber formed at the tip of the shaft which communicates with both inlet and outlet channels, a handle portion connecting the passageways in the shaft to coupling means, first coupling means for connecting the inlet channel to a source of refrigerating fluid, second coupling means for connecting the outlet channel to a means for exhausting the refrigerating fluid, third coupling means for connecting wires from the ultrasound transducer element to external electronics, and

ii) a non-imaging ultrasonic transducer comprising means for operative connection to external imaging means, said transducer composed of a single ultrasound element adapted solely for transmitting or receiving a nondiscrete omnidirectional ultrasound signal, said transducer element operatively incorporated into said probe so as to provide means for locating and positioning said manipulation means within a space within the body of the host and to provide means for enhancing the visualization and identification of soft tissue manipulated by said manipulation means;

(b) guiding the placement of said manipulation means into said target zone with the aid of the image from step (a), said image further comprising signal input from the ultrasound transducing element; and

(c) manipulating the tissue in said target zone, wherein the step of manipulating further includes visualizing the effects of manipulation on tissue in said target zone during the step of manipulation, said visualizing being enhanced by pulses generated by the transducer element.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of manipulating comprises freezing the tissue in said target zone.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of manipulating comprises heating the tissue in said target zone.