Vasculature and lymphatic system imaging and ablation associated with a local bypass

• US 8,285,366 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wattenburg, Willard H., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Zare, Richard N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Jacqueline
• Application Number:
  US11/973,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20090093713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 604/8, 623/1.27
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00491 Surgical glue applicators surgical adhesives A61L24/00; two-component delivery syringes A61M5/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/302 specifically adapted for manipulations within body cavities, e.g. within abdominal or thoracic cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 Micromanipulators

Abstract

Devices, methods, and systems related to imaging and ablation are disclosed. Devices methods, and systems are disclosed herein that include a local bypass, one or more first energy sources configured to function in, or proximal to, a lumen of the local bypass and to provide energy configured to elicit one or more image responses associated with the local bypass lumen; one or more sensors configured to capture the one or more image responses, control circuitry coupled to the one or more sensors, one or more second energy source responsive to the control circuitry, and configured to provide ablation energy to a target area in the local bypass lumen during the expected transit time of the one or more targets through the target area.

Claims

1. An untethered device comprising:

a local bypass configured to function in one or more blood vessel or lymph vessel of a subject;

one or more first energy source configured to function in, or proximal to, a lumen of the local bypass and to provide energy configured to elicit one or more image responses associated with the local bypass lumen;

one or more sensors configured to function in, or proximal to, the local bypass lumen and to capture the one or more image responses;

control circuitry coupled to the one or more sensors, and responsive to at least partially identify one or more targets during an expected transit time of the one or more targets through a detection area in, or proximal to, the local bypass lumen at least partially based on the captured one or more image responses;

one or more closable openings included on each end of the local bypass, the one or more closable openings configured to modulate fluid flow to and from the local bypass lumen at least partially based on the one or more image responses captured by the one or more sensors; and

one or more second energy source responsive to the control circuitry, and configured to provide ablation energy to a target area in the local bypass lumen during the expected transit time of the one or more targets through the target area.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the local bypass is configured with one or more vessel lumen anchors responsive to the control circuitry.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the one or more vessel lumen anchors are configured to attach to the vessel lumen responsive to the control circuitry.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more closable openings are responsive to the control circuitry and are configured to modulate fluid flow to and from the local bypass lumen.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the local bypass is configured with one or more bypass insert responsive to the control circuitry and configured to modulate at least part of a lumen of the local bypass.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more closable openings are responsive to the control circuitry and are configured to modulate fluid flow within the local bypass lumen.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more closable openings include one or more valves for modulating fluid flow to and from the local bypass lumen.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the local bypass is configured with at least one vessel attachment unit.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the at least one vessel attachment unit is configured to attach responsive to control circuitry.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the at least one vessel attachment unit is configured as a mesh sleeve.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the at least one vessel attachment unit includes one or more vessel anchors or vessel clamps.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one location in the local bypass lumen has a circumference such that one or more cells traverse a localized region.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the local bypass is configured with one or more bypass insert responsive to the control circuitry and configured to modulate at least part of a circumference of the local bypass.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more bypass insert is configured to modulate at least part of a circumference of the local bypass at least partially based on one or more image responses captured by the one or more sensors.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more bypass insert is configured to programmably modulate at least part of the circumference of the local bypass.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more bypass insert is configured to modulate cellular flow.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the one or more bypass insert is configured to modulate cellular flow such that movement of one or more potential targets is decreased.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more bypass insert is configured to function external to the local bypass lumen.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more bypass insert is configured to function within the local bypass lumen.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the one or more first energy source is configured to provide energy configured to elicit one or more image responses of fluid flow within the local bypass lumen.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to capture the one or more image responses of fluid flow associated with the local bypass.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the one or more first energy source is configured to provide energy configured to elicit one or more image responses of cellular flow within the local bypass lumen.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to capture one or more fluorescent responses.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is responsive to identify one or more predicted future locations of the one or more targets at least partially based on the one or more image responses.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is responsive to identify the effect of the ablation energy on the one or more targets at least partially based on the one or more image responses.

26. A method comprising:

at least partially diverting fluid flow from and returning fluid to a lumen of one or more blood vessel or lymph vessel of a subject to a local bypass;

locally providing energy selected to elicit image information associated with the fluid flow;

selectively orienting one or more sensors to the energy selected to elicit the image information;

locally capturing the image information with the one or more sensors;

modulating fluid flow, with one or more bypass insert, to and from the local bypass at least partially based on the captured image information;

analyzing the image information to at least partially identify one or more targets in real time;

selecting a target area in the local bypass at least partially based on the one or more identified targets; and

locally providing energy to the target area in real time, the energy having a magnitude selected to at least partially ablate the one or more identified targets.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein locally providing energy selected to elicit the image information associated with the fluid flow comprises:

locally providing electromagnetic energy selected to induce a fluorescent response from the one or more targets.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein locally providing energy selected to elicit the image information associated with the fluid flow comprises:

locally providing electromagnetic energy selected to induce a scattering response from the one or more targets.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein locally providing energy selected to elicit the image information associated with the fluid flow comprises:

locally providing electromagnetic energy selected to induce a absorptive response from the one or more targets.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein locally providing energy selected to elicit the image information associated with the fluid flow comprises:

locally providing energy from an external source, wherein the energy is selected to elicit the image information associated with the fluid flow.

31. The method of claim 26, comprising:

locally modulating fluid flow in the local bypass.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein at least partially diverting fluid flow from and returning fluid to a lumen of one or more blood vessel or lymph vessel of a subject to a local bypass comprises:

controllably diverting fluid flow from and returning fluid to the vessel lumen to the local bypass.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein at least partially diverting fluid flow from and returning fluid to a lumen of one or more blood vessel or lymph vessel of a subject to a local bypass comprises:

programmably diverting fluid flow from and returning fluid to the vessel lumen to the local bypass at predetermined intervals.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein analyzing the image information in real time comprises:

analyzing the image information during a period of residence of the one or more targets in the local bypass.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein locally providing energy to the target area in real time comprises:

locally providing energy to the target area during a period of residence of the one or more targets.

36. The method of claim 26, wherein selecting a target area in the local bypass at least partially based on the one or more identified targets comprises:

selecting the target area in the local bypass at least partially based on a predicted future path of the one or more identified targets.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein selecting a target area in the local bypass at least partially based on the one or more identified targets comprises:

selecting the target area in the local bypass at least partially based on a predicted time of arrival of the one or more identified targets at an identified location.

38. The method of claim 26, wherein the local bypass comprises an intraluminal bypass.

39. The method of claim 38, comprising:

selectively trapping the one or more targets in the intralumenal bypass.

40. An untethered device comprising:

a local bypass configured to function in, or proximal to, one or more blood vessel or lymph vessel of a subject;

one or more first energy source configured to function in, or proximal to, a lumen of the local bypass and to provide energy configured to elicit one or more image responses associated with the local bypass lumen;

one or more sensors configured to function in, or proximal to, the local bypass lumen and to capture the one or more image responses, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to orient to the one or more first energy source;

control circuitry coupled to the one or more sensors, and responsive to at least partially identify one or more targets during an expected transit time of the one or more targets through a detection area in, or proximal to, the local bypass lumen at least partially based on the captured one or more image responses;

one or more second energy source responsive to the control circuitry, and configured to provide ablation energy to a target area in the local bypass lumen during the expected transit time of the one or more targets through the target area; and

wherein the local bypass includes one or more bypass insert responsive to the control circuitry, and configured to modulate at least part of a circumference of the local bypass at least partially based on the one or more image responses captured by the one or more sensors.