Method for internal ablation of turbinates

• US 5,823,197 A
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Somnus Medical Technologies, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Somnus Medical Technologies, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Edwards, Stuart D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US08/790,172
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 606/41, 606/42, 606/45, 606/48-50, 607/100-102, 600/372, 600/373, 600/374, 128/898
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1485 having a short rigid shaft for accessing the inner body through natural openings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/4216 Operations on uterus, e.g. endometrium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00065 porous
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00261 arranged in a line
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00559 Female reproductive organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00654 with individual control of each of a plurality of energy emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00678 upper
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00708 : switching the power on or off
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00761 : Duration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00827 : Current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00869 : Phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 : Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00886 : Duration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 : Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00898 : Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0091 : Handpieces of the surgical instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00916 : with means for switching or controlling the main function of the instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 : combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/046 : in liquid form
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/124 : switching the output to different electrodes, e.g. sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1472 : for use with liquid electrolyte, e.g. virtual electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 : Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0481 : through the cuff wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1052 : for temporarily occluding a vessel for isolating a sector
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1086 : having a special balloon surface topography, e.g. pores, protuberances, spikes or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1002 : characterised by balloon shape A61M25/1006, A61M25/1009 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 : for high-frequency therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/04 : Radiators for near-field treatment

Abstract

A method and apparatus for ablating at least a portion of a nasal concha. The apparatus includes a catheter having a distal portion with a dimension configured for positioning through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus adjacent a nasal concha, and an energy delivery device coupled to the catheter distal portion including one or more energy delivering probes extendable from the catheter distal portion a sufficient distance to be inserted into an interior of the nasal concha to deliver ablative energy therein. The distal portion of the apparatus may also include an expandable member, expansion of the expandable member within the nasal meatus immobilizing the distal portion within the nasal meatus.

Claims

1. A method for ablating at least a portion of a nasal concha comprising:

taking a catheter having a distal portion with a length operable for positioning through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus adjacent a nasal concha and an energy delivery device coupled to the catheter distal portion including one or more energy delivering probes;

positioning the catheter distal portion through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus adjacent a surface of a nasal concha;

introducing the one or more energy delivering probes into an interior of the nasal concha; and

delivering sufficient ablative energy into the interior of the nasal concha to ablate at least a portion of the nasal concha.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the nasal concha is an inferior nasal concha and the nasal meatus is an inferior nasal meatus.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the portion of the nasal concha ablated is an anterior section of the inferior nasal concha.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the portion of the nasal concha ablated is no more than one-third of the inferior nasal concha in the anterior portion of the inferior nasal concha.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein ablating a portion of the nasal concha includes ablating an internal section of the nasal concha without ablating the surface of the nasal concha.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein ablating an internal section of the nasal concha without ablating the surface of the nasal concha is performed by the step of cooling the surface of the nasal concha during the delivery of energy.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the ablative energy used is electromagnetic energy.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the electromagnetic energy used for ablation is energy selected from the group consisting of RF, microwave, ultrasonic, pulsed laser, and diffuse laser energy.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the electromagnetic energy used is RF radiation with a frequency between about 300 megahertz and about 700 megahertz.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the electromagnetic energy is RF radiation sufficient to deliver between about 5 and about 30 watts of energy to the portion of the nasal concha being treated.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of delivering ablative energy is performed substantially bloodlessly.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of removing the ablated nasal concha tissue is performed substantially bloodlessly.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of removing the ablated nasal concha tissue is performed without introducing an element into the nasal concha.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nasal concha is reduced in size a sufficient amount to increase the rate of airflow through the nasal meatus at a given pressure by at least 25%.

15. A method for ablating at least a portion of a nasal concha comprising:

taking a catheter having a distal portion with a length operable for positioning through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus adjacent a nasal concha, an expandable member coupled to the catheter distal portion, and an energy delivery device coupled to the catheter distal portion including one or more energy delivering probes;

positioning the catheter distal portion through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus adjacent a surface of a nasal concha;

expanding the expandable member within the nasal meatus to immobilize the distal portion within the nasal meatus;

introducing the one or more energy delivering probes into an interior of the nasal concha; and

delivering sufficient ablative energy into the interior of the nasal concha to ablate at least a portion of the nasal concha.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein expansion of the expandable member is performed by delivering a medium into the expandable member.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein delivery of the medium is through a lumen within the catheter into the expandable member.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein ablating a portion of the nasal concha includes ablating an internal section of the nasal concha without ablating the surface of the nasal concha.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein ablating an internal section of the nasal concha without ablating the surface of the nasal concha is performed by the step of cooling the surface of the nasal concha during the delivery of energy.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein cooling the surface of the nasal concha is performed by introducing a cool medium into the expandable member during ablation.