Heating and cooling of cryosurgical instrument using a single cryogen
First Claim
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1. A cryosurgical system, comprising:
- a cryosurgical instrument including a tip that is cooled by a cryogen in a fluid state and warmed by a same type of cryogen in a heated gaseous state;
a fluid cryogen source that supplies a liquid cryogen to the cryosurgical instrument;
a gaseous cryogen source that supplies a gaseous cryogen to the cryosurgical instrument; and
a heating element that selectively heats the gaseous cryogen, wherein the gaseous cryogen and the fluid cryogen are not supplied to the cryosurgical instrument simultaneously but rather are supplied sequentially, such that wherein said fluid cryogen source is in fluid communication with the cryosurgical instrument, said gaseous cryogen source is not in fluid communication with the cryosurgical instrument; and
such that wherein said gaseous cryogen source is in fluid communication with the cryosurgical instrument, said fluid cryogen source is not in fluid communication with the cryosurgical instrument, andwherein the gaseous cryogen source and the liquid cryogen source supply a same type of cryogen.
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Abstract
A cryosurgical system featuring both cooling and heating utilizing a single type of cryogen but from two different sources. The liquid cryogen cools the tip of a cryosurgical instrument in the cryosurgical system, such as a cryoprobe or cryocatheter. The gaseous cryogen is further heated by a heating element, preferably an electrical heating element, supplying the heating needed for the thaw and release parts of the cryo treatment procedure. Thus, the cryosurgical system supports the freeze/thaw cycle of the operation of the cryosurgical instrument.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A cryosurgical system, comprising:
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a cryosurgical instrument including a tip that is cooled by a cryogen in a fluid state and warmed by a same type of cryogen in a heated gaseous state; a fluid cryogen source that supplies a liquid cryogen to the cryosurgical instrument; a gaseous cryogen source that supplies a gaseous cryogen to the cryosurgical instrument; and a heating element that selectively heats the gaseous cryogen, wherein the gaseous cryogen and the fluid cryogen are not supplied to the cryosurgical instrument simultaneously but rather are supplied sequentially, such that wherein said fluid cryogen source is in fluid communication with the cryosurgical instrument, said gaseous cryogen source is not in fluid communication with the cryosurgical instrument; and
such that wherein said gaseous cryogen source is in fluid communication with the cryosurgical instrument, said fluid cryogen source is not in fluid communication with the cryosurgical instrument, andwherein the gaseous cryogen source and the liquid cryogen source supply a same type of cryogen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A cryosurgical system, comprising:
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a first source of a cryogen, the first source providing the cryogen is a gaseous phase; a second source of the cryogen, the second source providing the cryogen in a liquid phase; a cryogen heating section that selectively heats provided gaseous phase cryogen; and a cryosurgical instrument having a tip and receiving provided cryogen in a two-phase state, wherein the provided cryogen in the liquid phase cools the tip, wherein the provided cryogen, after being heated by the heating section, warms the tip, and wherein the heating and cooling of the tip are achieved using only the provided cryogen.
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14. A system, comprising:
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a cryosurgical instrument having a tip; a first container storing a cryogen in a gaseous state; second container storing the cryogen in a liquid state; and a gaseous cryogen heater that selectively heats the gaseous cryogen as it travels from the first container to the cryosurgical device, wherein the heated gaseous cryogen is joined with liquid cryogen as it travels to the cryosurgical device, and wherein the liquid cryogen and heated gaseous cryogen cooperate to selectively heat and/or cool the tip.
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15. A cryosurgical system, comprising:
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a cryosurgical instrument having a tip that is warmed by heated gaseous cryogen and cooled by liquid cryogen; means for supplying a cryogen in a gaseous phase; means for supplying the cryogen in a liquid phase; means for mixing together supplied gaseous cryogen and supplied liquid cryogen so as to deliver to the cryosurgical instrument a two phase cryogen that includes cryogen in both liquid and gaseous phases; and means for selectively heating the gaseous cryogen.
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Specification