Hyperthermia treatment and probe therefor
First Claim
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1. A method for effecting treatment in a patient comprising:
- identifying a volume in the patient the whole of which volume is to be heated to a required temperature, the volume being defined by a peripheral surface of the volume;
heating the volume within the patient by;
inserting a probe having a longitudinal axis and a distal end into the patient such that the distal end is in the volume;
sending laser energy through the probe;
deflecting the laser energy from the distal end of the probe at an angle from the longitudinal angle greater than zero, such that a heating effect of the probe lies in a disk-shaped area surrounding the axis;
directing the heat to define a heating zone that forms a limited angular orientation of heating within the disk-shaped area such that as the probe is rotated, the probe causes heating of different angular segments of the volume within the disk-shaped area;
with the probe at a fixed axial position, rotating the probe about the axis so that the heating zone lies in a selected segment;
wherein applying heat to the selected segment causes heat to be transferred from the segment into parts of the volume outside the segment surrounding the end of the probe; and
cooling the end of the probe so as to extract heat from the parts surrounding the probe by conduction of heat therefromwherein cooling the distal end of the probe so as to extract heat from the parts surrounding the probe by conduction of heat therefrom comprises;
directing fluid to the distal end of the probe through a supply duct in the probe;
vaporizing the fluid in an expansion zone of reduced pressure in the distal end of the probe;
retrieving the gas from the probe through a return duct in the probe that is between 200 and 250 times larger in cross-sectional area than the supply duct.
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Abstract
This surgical device uses a laser beam to coagulate tissue. The elongate device carries the beam through an optical fiber that has a chamfered end for deflecting the beam out of a distal end of the device at an angle. Tissue coagulation is monitored using a magnetic resonance imaging system that provides periodic tissue temperature data. A small fluid supply duct provides cooling fluid that expands to a gas near the distal end of the device, thereby cooling the tip.
81 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for effecting treatment in a patient comprising:
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identifying a volume in the patient the whole of which volume is to be heated to a required temperature, the volume being defined by a peripheral surface of the volume; heating the volume within the patient by; inserting a probe having a longitudinal axis and a distal end into the patient such that the distal end is in the volume; sending laser energy through the probe; deflecting the laser energy from the distal end of the probe at an angle from the longitudinal angle greater than zero, such that a heating effect of the probe lies in a disk-shaped area surrounding the axis; directing the heat to define a heating zone that forms a limited angular orientation of heating within the disk-shaped area such that as the probe is rotated, the probe causes heating of different angular segments of the volume within the disk-shaped area; with the probe at a fixed axial position, rotating the probe about the axis so that the heating zone lies in a selected segment; wherein applying heat to the selected segment causes heat to be transferred from the segment into parts of the volume outside the segment surrounding the end of the probe; and cooling the end of the probe so as to extract heat from the parts surrounding the probe by conduction of heat therefrom wherein cooling the distal end of the probe so as to extract heat from the parts surrounding the probe by conduction of heat therefrom comprises; directing fluid to the distal end of the probe through a supply duct in the probe; vaporizing the fluid in an expansion zone of reduced pressure in the distal end of the probe; retrieving the gas from the probe through a return duct in the probe that is between 200 and 250 times larger in cross-sectional area than the supply duct. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for effecting treatment in a patient comprising:
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identifying a volume in the patient to be heated to a required temperature; inserting a distal end of a probe into the volume using a position control system; heating the volume by directing energy out the distal end of the probe into the volume; and cooling the distal end of the probe by directing cooling fluid to an expansion zone in the distal end of the probe through a supply duct defined by the probe; allowing the cooling fluid to undergo a phase change to gas in the expansion zone; and retrieving the gas through a return duct defined by the probe wherein heating the volume by directing energy out the distal end of the probe into the volume comprises directing laser energy through an optical fiber contained within the probe and deflecting the laser energy off of a chamfered end of the optical fiber located in the expansion zone. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification