Endovenous ablation mechanism with feedback control

• US 6,964,661 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Rioux, Robert F., DiCarlo, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US10/406,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 606 27- 34, 606 41- 52, 607/101, 607/102, 600/486, 600/488, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12 for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels, umbilical cord specially adapted for vas deferens or fallopian tubes A61F6/20; materials for ligaturing blood vessels A61L17/00
• 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 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00504 Tissue welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00513 Tissue soldering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00778 Operations on blood vessels A61B2017/22097, A61B2017/320741 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00345 Vascular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00619 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00738 Depth, e.g. depth of ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance

Abstract

A vessel occlusion system includes one or more ablation elements that, when activated, is configured for at least partially closing a vessel segment of a patient. The vessel occlusion system further includes a sensor assembly that is configured for generating feedback indicative of a state of closure of the vessel segment, and an automated longitudinal translator configured for longitudinally translating the one or more ablation elements based on the feedback from the sensor assembly. The one or more ablation elements may be associated with a catheter member that slides within the catheter sheath.

Claims

1. A method of occluding a vessel, comprising:

ablating an endothelial wall of a vessel segment by activating one or more ablation elements;

sensing a closing of the vessel segment by measuring a pressure applied by the endothelial wall of the vessel segment; and

generating feedback indicating a state of closure of the vessel segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vessel is a blood vessel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more ablation elements is a plurality of ablation elements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the endothelial vessel wall is ablated using radio frequency (RE) energy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the endothelial vessel wall is ablated using laser energy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the endothelial vessel wall is ablated using a chemical solution.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the closing of the vessel segment is sensed by sensing a strain.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the sensed vessel segment closure state to a closed vessel threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising comparing the sensed vessel segment closure state to an open vessel threshold.

10. A method of occluding a vessel, comprising:

ablating an endothelial wall of a vessel segment by activating one or more ablation elements;

sensing a closing of the vessel segment;

generating feedback indicating a state of closure of the vessel segment;

automatically longitudinally translating the one or more ablation elements relative to the vessel segment based on the feedback.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vessel is a blood vessel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more ablation elements is a plurality of ablation elements.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the endothelial vessel wall is ablated using radio frequency (RF) energy.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the endothelial vessel wall is ablated using laser energy.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the endothelial vessel wall is ablated using a chemical solution.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the closing of the vessel segment is sensed by sensing a strain.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more ablation elements is translated in the proximal direction.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing the sensed vessel segment closure state to a closed vessel threshold, wherein the one or more ablation elements is translated in a proximal direction when the vessel segment closure state equals the closed vessel threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising comparing the sensed vessel segment closure state to an open vessel threshold, wherein the longitudinal translation of the one or more ablation elements in the proximal direction is ceased when the vessel segment closure state equals the vessel open threshold.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more ablation elements is translated to another vessel segment, and the endothelial wall ablation, vessel segment closure sensing, feedback generation, and automatic longitudinal translation are repeated to provide a longitudinal occlusion of the vessel.