Methods of tonsil reduction using high intensity focused ultrasound to form an ablated tissue area containing a plurality of lesions
First Claim
1. A method of thermal ablation of a tonsil comprising the steps ofintroducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity;
- positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent an external tissue surface of one of the patient'"'"'s tonsils;
emitting ultrasound energy from the ultrasound emitting member into the tissue of the one tonsil;
focusing the ultrasound energy at a plurality of focusing zones contained in a target area in the one tonsil;
heating the tissue of the one tonsil at the focusing zones with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area at the target area containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated;
withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity; and
allowing the lesions to be absorbed by the patient'"'"'s body so that the one tonsil is reduced in physical size.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of tonsil reduction by thermal ablation using high intensity focused ultrasound energy includes the steps of introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity, positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent an external surface of one of the patient'"'"'s tonsils, emitting ultrasound energy from the ultrasound emitting member into the tissue of the one tonsil, focusing the ultrasound energy in the one tonsil, ablating the tissue of the one tonsil with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area in the one tonsil containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated, and withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity. The ablated tissue area is surgically removed or is allowed to remain in the patient'"'"'s body. The lesions may be absorbed by the patient'"'"'s body and/or remain as altered tissue such that the tonsil is reduced in size to correspondingly increase the size of the patient'"'"'s airway and/or is stiffened to resist vibration. The lesions can begin a predetermined distance beneath the external surface of the tonsil such that the mucosa is preserved. The lesions end at a predetermined depth so that muscular tissue is not damaged.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method of thermal ablation of a tonsil comprising the steps of
introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity; -
positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent an external tissue surface of one of the patient'"'"'s tonsils;
emitting ultrasound energy from the ultrasound emitting member into the tissue of the one tonsil;
focusing the ultrasound energy at a plurality of focusing zones contained in a target area in the one tonsil;
heating the tissue of the one tonsil at the focusing zones with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area at the target area containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated;
withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity; and
allowing the lesions to be absorbed by the patient'"'"'s body so that the one tonsil is reduced in physical size. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
-
-
9. A method of thermal ablation of a tonsil comprising the steps of
introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity; -
positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent an external tissue surface of one of the patient'"'"'s tonsils;
emitting ultrasound energy from the ultrasound emitting member into the tissue of the one tonsil;
focusing the ultrasound energy at a plurality of focusing zones contained in a target area in the one tonsil;
heating the tissue of the one tonsil at the focusing zones with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area at the target area containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated, said step of heating including forming the ablated tissue area surrounded by unablated tissue of the one tonsil, said step of heating including forming the ablated tissue area so that the plurality of lesions do not contact one another; and
withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity.
-
-
11. A method of thermal ablation of a tonsil comprising the steps of
introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity; -
positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent an external tissue surface of one of the patient'"'"'s tonsils;
emitting ultrasound energy from a plurality of ultrasound emitting elements of the ultrasound emitting member;
focusing the ultrasound energy in the one tonsil at a plurality of spaced focusing zones corresponding to the ultrasound emitting elements, respectively;
ablating the tissue of the one tonsil with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated;
withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity; and
allowing the lesions to be replaced with scar tissue so that the one tonsil is rendered more resistant to vibration. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of tonsil reduction comprising the steps of
introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity; -
positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent an external tissue surface of one of the patient'"'"'s tonsils;
emitting ultrasound energy from a plurality of ultrasound emitting elements of the ultrasound emitting member;
focusing the ultrasound energy in the one tonsil at a plurality of spaced focusing zones corresponding to the ultrasound emitting elements, respectively;
ablating the tissue of the one tonsil with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated, said step of ablating including forming the plurality of lesions to begin at a beginning margin coincident with the external tissue surface of the one tonsil and to end at an ending margin located below the external tissue surface of the one tonsil;
withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity; and
surgically removing the ablated tissue area.
-
-
18. A method of thermal ablation of a tonsil comprising the steps of
introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity; -
positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent the mucosa of one of the tonsils of the patient;
actuating selected ones of a plurality of ultrasound emitting elements of the ultrasound emitting member to emit ultrasound energy;
emitting ultrasound energy from the selected ultrasound emitting elements into the one tonsil;
focusing the ultrasound energy in the one tonsil at a plurality of spaced focusing zones corresponding to the selected ultrasound emitting elements, respectively;
ablating the tissue of the one tonsil with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated;
withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity; and
allowing the lesions to be replaced with scar tissue so that the stiffness of the one tonsil is increased. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
-
-
19. A method of thermal ablation of a tonsil comprising the steps of
introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity; -
positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent the mucosa of one of the tonsils of the patient;
actuating selected ones of a plurality of ultrasound emitting elements of the ultrasound emitting member to emit ultrasound energy;
emitting ultrasound energy from the selected ultrasound emitting elements into the one tonsil;
focusing the ultrasound energy in the one tonsil at a plurality of spaced focusing zones corresponding to the selected ultrasound emitting elements, respectively;
ablating the tissue of the one tonsil with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated, said step of ablating including forming the ablated tissue area in substantially the entire one tonsil;
withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity; and
surgically removing the ablated tissue area to thereby remove the entire one tonsil without the capsule thereof.
-
-
23. A method of thermal ablation of a tonsil comprising the steps of
introducing an ultrasound emitting member in a patient'"'"'s oral cavity; -
positioning the ultrasound emitting member adjacent an external tissue surface of one of the patient'"'"'s tonsils;
emitting ultrasound energy from the ultrasound emitting member into the tissue of the one tonsil;
focusing the ultrasound energy at a plurality of focusing zones contained in a target area in the one tonsil;
heating the tissue of the one tonsil at the focusing zones with the focused ultrasound energy to form an ablated tissue area at the target area containing unablated tissue of the one tonsil and a plurality of lesions at the focusing zones, respectively, at which the tissue of the one tonsil is ablated;
withdrawing the ultrasound emitting member from the oral cavity; and
allowing the ablated tissue area to remain in the patient'"'"'s body so that the one tonsil is rendered more resistant to germs.
-
Specification