Ablation probe with deployable electrodes
First Claim
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1. A method of delivering an electric field to a target tissue, comprising:
- advancing an ablation probe comprising a delivery member into a tissue of a patient, the delivery member having a long axis;
deploying a plurality of electrodes at least partially around a current flow center to substantially define a treatment volume, wherein defining the treatment volume comprises;
(i) deploying a guide microtube from a sidewall opening of the delivery member that penetrates into tissue along a guide tissue penetration path, the guide path curving in a first direction, wherein curving of the guide in the first direction directs advancement of the guide distally and away from the delivery member long axis, the guide microtube comprising a resilient, shape memory material configured to direct microtube advancement along the guide tissue penetration path;
(ii) deploying an electrode from the guide microtube along an electrode tissue penetration path, the electrode path curving in a second direction, wherein curving of the electrode in the second direction directs advancement of the electrode distally, and parallel to or toward the delivery member long axis; and
establishing current flow extending within the target tissue in a plurality of different directions through the treatment volume using the deployed electrode.
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Abstract
The present invention provides systems, devices and related methods for applying electric fields for cancerous cell destruction and tissue ablation. A method can include advancing an ablation probe into a patient; deploying a guide from the delivery member along a guide tissue penetration path, deploying an electrode from the guide along an electrode tissue penetration path, and establishing current flow within the target tissue.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of delivering an electric field to a target tissue, comprising:
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advancing an ablation probe comprising a delivery member into a tissue of a patient, the delivery member having a long axis; deploying a plurality of electrodes at least partially around a current flow center to substantially define a treatment volume, wherein defining the treatment volume comprises; (i) deploying a guide microtube from a sidewall opening of the delivery member that penetrates into tissue along a guide tissue penetration path, the guide path curving in a first direction, wherein curving of the guide in the first direction directs advancement of the guide distally and away from the delivery member long axis, the guide microtube comprising a resilient, shape memory material configured to direct microtube advancement along the guide tissue penetration path; (ii) deploying an electrode from the guide microtube along an electrode tissue penetration path, the electrode path curving in a second direction, wherein curving of the electrode in the second direction directs advancement of the electrode distally, and parallel to or toward the delivery member long axis; and establishing current flow extending within the target tissue in a plurality of different directions through the treatment volume using the deployed electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of delivering an electric field to a target tissue, comprising:
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positioning a distal portion of an ablation probe in a tissue of a patient, the distal portion having a long axis; deploying a plurality of outer electrodes from the probe to define an ablation volume having a current flow center disposed at a location substantially along the long axis, wherein deploying an electrode of the plurality comprises deploying a microtube from a delivery member sidewall opening of the probe along a guide path curving in a first direction, wherein curving of the microtube in the first direction directs advancement of the guide distally and away from the current flow center; and
deploying an electrode from a lumen of the microtube such that the electrode is advanced along an electrode tissue penetration path in a second direction, wherein deploying the electrode along the electrode penetration path directs advancement of the electrode distally, and parallel to or toward the delivery member long axis, and further circumferentially about the current flow center;positioning an inner electrode substantially within the ablation volume and at the current flow center; establishing current flow between the inner electrode and outer electrodes and through the ablation volume to provide one or more electric fields extending through the volume in a plurality of different directions, wherein establishing current flow comprises applying an alternating current so as to preferentially destroy cancerous cells within the ablation volume compared to non-cancerous cells within the ablation volume.
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11. A device for delivering an electric field to a tissue to destroy cells therein, the device comprising:
a probe having a plurality of electrodes positionable in a target tissue region and having a deployed arrangement to at least partially define a treatment volume having a current flow center, the probe comprising a delivery member and a plurality of microtubes deployable from sidewall openings of the delivery member, each of the electrodes being deployable from an associated one of the microtubes so that the electrodes will induce electric fields extending through the volume, a first microtube comprising a deployed position where the microtube extends from the delivery member along a microtube penetration path curving in a first direction extending distally and away from a long axis of the delivery member; and
a first electrode deployable from the first microtube, the first electrode comprising a deployed position where the first electrode extends along a first electrode path curving in a second direction distally, and parallel to or toward the long axis of the delivery member, the first microtube configured to resiliently direct the first microtube along the microtube penetration path in advance of first electrode deployment.- View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for tissue ablation, comprising:
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probe comprising a delivery member having a long axis, a plurality of microtubes deployable from the delivery member, and a plurality of electrodes deployable from the microtubes, the microtubes and electrodes defining a treatment volume having a current flow center when deployed, the microtubes comprising a first microtube having a deployed position where the microtube extends out from a sidewall opening of the delivery member along a first microtube penetration path curving in a first direction extending distally and away from the delivery member long axis; and
a first electrode deployable from the first microtube, the first electrode comprising a deployed position where the first electrode extends along a first electrode path curving in a second direction distally, and parallel to or toward the delivery member long axis, the first microtube configured to resiliently direct first microtube deployment along the microtube penetration path in advance of the first electrode deployment;an energy source coupled to the probe to establish a target tissue ablating current flow extending through the volume. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification