Method for ablating interior sections of the tongue

• US 5,820,580 A
• Filed: 10/03/1996
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Somnus Medical Technologies, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Douglass, David, Edwards, Stuart D., Lax, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US08/726,070
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 604/19-22, 604/53, 604/164, 604/280, 606/39, 606/42, 606/45, 606/32, 507/96, 507/98, 507/99-102, 601/2
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/24 for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose for medical inspection of cavities or tubes in the body A61B1/00; Tongue scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00261 arranged in a line
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00678 upper
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00708 switching the power on or off
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00744 Fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3782 transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0096 being laterally outward extensions or tools, e.g. hooks or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 for high-frequency therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/04 Radiators for near-field treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/045 : specially adapted for treatment inside the body

Abstract

A method for reducing a volume of a tongue provides a source of ablation energy and an ablation energy delivery device. At least a portion of the ablation energy delivery device is positioned in an interior of the tongue. A sufficient amount of energy is delivered from the energy delivery device into the interior of the tongue to debulk a section of the tongue without damaging a hypoglossal nerve. Thereafter, the at least portion of the ablation energy delivery device is removed from the interior of the tongue.

Claims

1. A method for reducing a volume of a tongue, comprising:

providing an ablation apparatus including an ablation energy source of energy and an energy delivery device;

positioning at least a portion of the ablation energy delivery device into an interior of the tongue;

delivering a sufficient amount of energy from the energy delivery device into the interior of the tongue to debulk a section of the tongue without permanently damaging a main brach of a hypoglossal nerve; and

removing the at least portion of the ablation energy delivery device from the interior of the tongue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is an RF source and the ablation energy delivery device is an RF electrode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a coherent source of light.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is an incoherent light source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a heated fluid and the ablation energy delivery device is a catheter with a closed channel configured to receive the heated fluid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a heated fluid and the ablation energy delivery device is a catheter with an open channel configured to receive the heated fluid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a cooled fluid and the ablation energy delivery device is a catheter with a closed channel configured to receive the cooled fluid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a cooled fluid and the ablation energy delivery device is a catheter with an open channel configured to receive the cooled fluid.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a cryogenic fluid.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a resistive heating source.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a microwave source providing energy from 915 MHz to 2.45 GHz and the ablation energy delivery device is a microwave antenna.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy source is an ultrasound source and the ablation energy delivery device is an ultrasound emitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ultrasound source produces energy in the range of 300 KHZ to 3 GHz.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a microwave source.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode is advanced into an interior of the tongue through a ventral surface of the tongue.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the ablation energy delivery device is advanced into an interior of the tongue through an inferior dorsal surface of the tongue.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the ablation energy delivery device is advanced into an interior of the tongue through a dorsum surface of the tongue.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the ablation energy delivery device is advanced into an interior of the tongue through a tip of the tongue.

19. A method for reducing a volume of a tongue, comprising:

providing an ablative agent source coupled to an ablative agent delivery device;

positioning at least a portion of the ablative agent delivery device into an interior of the tongue;

delivering a sufficient amount of an ablative agent from the ablative agent delivery device into the interior of the tongue to debulk a section of the tongue without permanently damaging a main branch of a hypoglossal nerve; and

removing the at least portion of the ablative agent delivery device from the interior of the tongue.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the ablative agent is a chemical composition or mixture of compositions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the ablative agent includes an alcohol composition.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the ablative agent is a chemotherapeutic agent.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing an RF electrode to deliver electromagnetic energy to an interior section of the tongue.

24. A method for reducing a volume of a tongue, comprising:

providing a radioactive energy source producing a radioactive energy;

positioning at least a portion of the radioactive energy source into an interior of the tongue; and

delivering a sufficient amount of the radioactive energy from the radioactive energy source into the interior of the tongue to debulk a section of the tongue without permanently damaging a main branch of a hypoglossal nerve.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

removing the radioactive energy source from the interior of the tongue after the section of the tongue is debulked.