Device and method for destruction of cancer cells

• US 7,722,606 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LaZure Scientific Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lazure Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Azure, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US11/855,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 606 27- 31, 606 38- 42, 606 45- 50, 607/101, 607/102, 607/115, 607/116, 604 20- 22, 435/173.6, 435/285.2
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1477 Needle-like probes
• 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 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1425 Needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/143 multiple needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 for high-frequency therapy

Abstract

The present invention provides devices and systems, as well as methods, of electric field delivery and non-thermal or selective ablation of target tissue regions, including selective ablation of cancerous cells and solid tumors. A method of the present invention includes delivering an electric field to a tissue, including positioning an electrode within a target tissue region comprising cancerous cells, and applying an alternating electrical current to the target tissue so as to non-thermally ablate cancerous cells of the target tissue region around the electrodes.

Claims

1. A method of delivering an electric field to a tissue, comprising:

positioning an electrode within a target tissue region comprising cancerous cells; and

applying an alternating electrical current flowing through the target tissue so as to non-thermally ablate cancerous cells of the target tissue region around the electrode, the current comprising a frequency of less than about 300 kHz.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning comprises identifying a central area of the target tissue region and disposing the electrode at or proximate to the identified central area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-thermal ablation comprises low-power ablation and elevations in temperature of the target tissue region are less than about 10 degrees C. above body temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current comprises a low current intermediate frequency current.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current provides a voltage field less than about 50 V/cm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current comprises a frequency between about 50 kHz and about 300 kHz.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying current to the target tissue provides an electric field extending radially outward from the electrode and in a plurality of different directions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning a plurality of secondary electrodes around the electrode within the target tissue region to define an ablation volume.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the target tissue region comprises a tumor.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a characteristic of tissue of the target tissue region, the characteristic comprising temperature or impedance.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying the applied electric current at least partially based on a change in a detected characteristic.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the applied alternating electrical current is selected so as to preferentially destroy cancerous cells relative to non-cancerous cells of the target tissue.

13. A method of delivering an electric field to a tissue, comprising:

positioning a plurality of electrodes within a target tissue comprising cancerous cells, the plurality comprising a first electrode and a plurality of secondary electrodes, the secondary electrodes at least partially defining an ablation volume and the first electrode positioned in the volume; and

applying an alternating electrical current to the volume to provide an electric field extending radially outward from the first electrode so as to selectively destroy cancerous cells of the target tissue.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrical current provides a voltage field less than about 50 V/cm and a frequency between about 50 kHz and about 300 kHz.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first electrode is positioned substantially within the center of the ablation volume.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field provides low-power, tissue ablation comprising tissue heating of less than about 10degrees C. above body temperature.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field is substantially aligned with division axes of a dividing cancerous cells of the target tissue region.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field disrupts mitosis or cell cycle progression of dividing cancerous cells.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field disrupts cellular membrane integrity of cancerous cells.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the applied electric field provides necrosis of cancerous cells of the target tissue region.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the cancerous cells are substantially disposed within the ablation volume.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the target tissue region comprises a tumor.

23. A method of delivering an electric field to a tissue for destruction of cancerous cells, the method comprising:

positioning a plurality of electrodes within a target tissue comprising cancerous cells, the plurality comprising a first electrode and one or more secondary electrodes spaced from the first electrode, the secondary electrodes at least partially defining an ablation volume and the first electrode positioned in the volume; and

applying an alternating electrical current to the volume so as to preferentially destroy cancerous cells relative to non-cancerous cells of the target tissue disposed within the ablation volume, the applied current establishing current flow between the first electrode and one or more secondary electrodes and providing an electric field extending radially outward from the first electrode or in a plurality of different directions through the ablation volume.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the electrical current provides a voltage field less than about 50 V/cm.

25. The method of claim 23, the applied alternating current having a frequency from about 50-300 kHz and tissue heating comprising about 2degrees C. to less than about 10 degrees C. increase in average tissue temperature within the ablation volume.