Transcervical intrauterine applicator for intrauterine hyperthermia
First Claim
1. A method for thermally treating tissue of a body cavity having an entrance opening and a closed end, and that is irregular shaped when collapsed, comprising the steps of:
- inserting a catheter portion of an applicator having an antenna into the entrance opening of the collapsed body cavity;
expanding in the collapsed body cavity a noncompliant angioplasty type balloon to a fixed shape that is different from that of the collapsed body cavity to conform the shape of the body cavity to said fixed shape;
applying electromagnetic energy to the antenna at a power level and for a time interval sufficient to cause ablation of the tissue of the body cavity including the closed end thereof; and
producing a transmitted electromagnetic radiation pattern by said antenna, said radiation pattern having a shape generally the same as the fixed shape of the expanded angioplasty type balloon.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A transcervical intrauterine catheter applicator for the hyperthermia/thermal therapy treatment of the uterus. The applicator includes one or more EMR antennas and one or more temperature sensors for measuring the temperature of the endometrial tissue. Each EMR antenna has an elongated helical coil connected to the center conductor of a coaxial cable to thereby generate a light bulb shaped radiation pattern and thus generate a similar-shaped pattern of thermal energy in the endometrium tissue. The catheter can be of the balloon type that can be inflated, thereby radially moving the antenna and temperature sensor against the walls of the uterus.
309 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for thermally treating tissue of a body cavity having an entrance opening and a closed end, and that is irregular shaped when collapsed, comprising the steps of:
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inserting a catheter portion of an applicator having an antenna into the entrance opening of the collapsed body cavity; expanding in the collapsed body cavity a noncompliant angioplasty type balloon to a fixed shape that is different from that of the collapsed body cavity to conform the shape of the body cavity to said fixed shape; applying electromagnetic energy to the antenna at a power level and for a time interval sufficient to cause ablation of the tissue of the body cavity including the closed end thereof; and producing a transmitted electromagnetic radiation pattern by said antenna, said radiation pattern having a shape generally the same as the fixed shape of the expanded angioplasty type balloon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 22)
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9. A method for ablating endometrial tissue of a uterine cavity, comprising the steps of:
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inserting a balloon catheter having at least one antenna therein into the uterine cavity; and applying electrical energy to said antenna so as to produce an electromagnetic radiation for treating the endometrial tissue of the uterine cavity, said antenna being configured so that said radiation pattern is generally an inverted pear shape. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 20)
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13. An applicator for generating electromagnetic energy and insertable into a body cavity for treatment of body tissues, comprising:
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a catheter having a portion thereof that is expandable when pressure is applied thereto, a body portion of said catheter having at least one lumen constructed therein, said lumen extending into said expandable portion of the catheter; and an antenna supported by the catheter lumen, whereby when said catheter portion is expanded, the tissue of the body cavity and the expandable portion of the catheter are forced to conforming shapes, and the physical shape of the antenna conforms to the shape of the body tissue in contact with the expandable portion of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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21. An applicator for generating electromagnetic energy and insertable into a body cavity for treatment of body tissues, comprising:
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a catheter having a portion thereof that is expandable to a shaped envelope when pressure is applied thereto, a body portion of said catheter having at least one lumen constructed therein; and an elongate antenna structure supported by the catheter lumen, and being insertable into the catheter lumen so as to be disposed centrally within said envelope when expanded, said antenna producing a radiation pattern generally the same shape as a sidewall and end surface of said envelope when expanded.
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Specification