Flexible microcircuits for internal light therapy
First Claim
1. Apparatus for effecting a medical treatment at an internal site within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
- (a) a flexible substrate;
(b) a plurality of conductive traces affixed to the flexible substrate, said conductive traces being sufficiently flexible to bend with the flexible substrate without breaking or separating from the flexible substrate as the flexible substrate is flexed during its insertion into a patient'"'"'s body and advanced to the internal site;
(c) an electrical device disposed on the flexible substrate and coupled to the plurality of conductive traces, said electrical device being carried by the flexible substrate for disposition at the internal site;
(d) a biocompatible, flexible envelope hermetically enclosing the flexible substrate, the plurality of conductive traces, and the electrical device; and
(e) a plurality of electrical leads connected to the conductive traces, said electrical leads being adapted to couple to a source of electrical power in order to energize the electrical device, and being operative to carry signals between the electrical device and a different location.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of embodiments for a flexible probe used to provide photodynamic therapy (PDT) and to effect other medical procedures at an internal treatment site inside a patient'"'"'s body. Each of the embodiments of the flexible probe (100, 108, 130, 158, 182, 190, 220, 280, 370, 390, 440, 460, 520) includes a flexible substrate (102, 184, 196, 222, 250, 282, 412, 462, 482, 502, 522) on which are disposed conductive traces (414, 466, 468, 488, 490, 504, 506, 524, 526) electrically connected to leads through which electrical current and signals are conveyed. A plurality of light sources (104, 192, 256, 286, 418, 436, 470, 492, 508, 542) or other micro-electronic circuits are connected to the conductive traces and mounted on the flexible substrate. Each of the embodiments of the flexible probes is enclosed within a transparent, biocompatible polymer envelope (106, 110, 464, 522). Due to the characteristic elastic properties of the flexible substrate, the flexible probe can readily be bent, folded, or rolled while being disposed at the internal treatment site, thereby enabling the probe to pass through a guide tube (120), an incision, a catheter (150), or a lumen(154) of relatively small cross-sectional diameter. Once disposed at the treatment site, a folded or rolled flexible probe can be unfolded or unrolled to supply light for PDT, or energized to provide other types of medical treatment.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. Apparatus for effecting a medical treatment at an internal site within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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(a) a flexible substrate; (b) a plurality of conductive traces affixed to the flexible substrate, said conductive traces being sufficiently flexible to bend with the flexible substrate without breaking or separating from the flexible substrate as the flexible substrate is flexed during its insertion into a patient'"'"'s body and advanced to the internal site; (c) an electrical device disposed on the flexible substrate and coupled to the plurality of conductive traces, said electrical device being carried by the flexible substrate for disposition at the internal site; (d) a biocompatible, flexible envelope hermetically enclosing the flexible substrate, the plurality of conductive traces, and the electrical device; and (e) a plurality of electrical leads connected to the conductive traces, said electrical leads being adapted to couple to a source of electrical power in order to energize the electrical device, and being operative to carry signals between the electrical device and a different location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Apparatus for administering light to a treatment site within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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(a) a flexible substrate serving as a support; (b) conductive traces affixed to the flexible substrate, said conductive traces being sufficiently flexible to bend with the flexible substrate without breaking or separating from the flexible substrate, thereby enabling the apparatus to be flexed when being inserted into the patient'"'"'s body and when being disposed at the treatment site within the patient'"'"'s body; (c) at least one light source electrically coupled to the conductive traces and mounted to the flexible substrate; (d) a plurality of electrical leads connected to the conductive traces, said electrical leads being adapted to couple to a source of electrical power in order to energize said at least one light source to emit light that is incident on the treatment site within the patient'"'"'s body; and (e) a flexible envelope of a transparent material that hermetically encloses said at least one light source, the conductive traces, and the flexible substrate, said flexible envelope transmitting light emitted from said at least one light source to the treatment site. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for effecting a medical treatment at an internal site within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an electrical device that is mounted on a flexible substrate in contact with a plurality of conductive traces disposed on the flexible substrate, said electrical device, said plurality of conductive traces, and said flexible substrate being hermetically sealed within a biocompatible, flexible envelope that encloses the electrical device, the plurality of conductive traces, and the flexible substrate; (b) supplying electrical power to the electrical device through the conductive traces; (c) inserting the flexible substrate and electrical device into the patient'"'"'s body by flexing the flexible substrate to reduce its size in at least one dimension or to enable it to pass through a curved lumen; and (d) positioning and deploying the flexible substrate and electrical device at the internal site to facilitate use of the electrical device. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for administering light therapy to an internal treatment site within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing at least one light source mounted on a flexible substrate in electrical contact with conductive traces disposed on the flexible substrate, said at least one light source, said flexible substrate, and said conductive traces being hermetically sealed within a biocompatible flexible envelope that is generally transparent to light emitted by said at least one light source; (b) supplying electrical power to said at least one light source through the conductive traces; (c) inserting the flexible substrate and said at least one light source into the patient'"'"'s body by flexing the flexible substrate to reduce a size of the flexible substrate in at least one dimension sufficiently to fit within an opening into the patient'"'"'s body; (d) positioning the flexible substrate at the treatment site; and (e) irradiating the treatment site with light emitted by said at least one light source to effect the light therapy. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification