Electrosurgical device for treatment of tissue
DCFirst Claim
1. A medical probe assembly for delivering energy to a patient'"'"'s body, the probe assembly comprising:
- an elongate member having a distal region and a proximal region, said distal region comprising an electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion;
an electrically conductive energy delivery device extending distally from said electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body, said energy delivery device having a conductive outer circumferential surface and an internal lumen configured for internal longitudinal flow of a cooling fluid to a distal end of said energy delivery device; and
an electrically conductive protrusion extending from said distal end of said energy delivery device and having a diameter than is less than a diameter of said energy delivery device, said electrically conductive protrusion being electrically coupled to said energy delivery device for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body and comprising a temperature sensing element, said electrically conductive protrusion protruding distally beyond said lumen such that said cooling fluid does not flow into said electrically conductive protrusion and said temperature sensing element being located within said protrusion such that said cooling fluid does not contact said temperature sensing element, thereby allowing for a more accurate indication of the temperature of tissue proximate to said energy delivery device.
9 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
A novel medical probe assembly, system, and methods for the use thereof to treat tissue are described. The system optionally comprises an energy source, two probe assemblies, and one or more cooling devices to provide cooling to at least one of the probe assemblies. The probe assemblies may be configured in a bipolar mode, whereby current flows preferentially between the probe assemblies. The probe assemblies and system described herein are particularly useful to deliver radio frequency energy to a patient'"'"'s body. RF energy delivery may be used for various applications, including the treatment of pain, tumor ablation and cardiac ablation.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A medical probe assembly for delivering energy to a patient'"'"'s body, the probe assembly comprising:
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an elongate member having a distal region and a proximal region, said distal region comprising an electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion; an electrically conductive energy delivery device extending distally from said electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body, said energy delivery device having a conductive outer circumferential surface and an internal lumen configured for internal longitudinal flow of a cooling fluid to a distal end of said energy delivery device; and an electrically conductive protrusion extending from said distal end of said energy delivery device and having a diameter than is less than a diameter of said energy delivery device, said electrically conductive protrusion being electrically coupled to said energy delivery device for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body and comprising a temperature sensing element, said electrically conductive protrusion protruding distally beyond said lumen such that said cooling fluid does not flow into said electrically conductive protrusion and said temperature sensing element being located within said protrusion such that said cooling fluid does not contact said temperature sensing element, thereby allowing for a more accurate indication of the temperature of tissue proximate to said energy delivery device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for delivering energy to a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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an energy source; and an elongate member having a distal region with an electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion and a proximal region, an electrically conductive energy delivery device extending distally from said electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body and having an electrically conductive outer circumferential surface and a longitudinally extending internal lumen for receiving a cooling fluid flow to a distal end of said energy delivery device, and an electrically conductive protrusion having a diameter less than a diameter of said energy delivery device and extending distally from and being electrically coupled to said energy delivery device for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body and comprising a temperature sensing element, said electrically conductive protrusion protruding beyond said lumen such that said cooling fluid does not flow into said electrically conductive protrusion, said temperature sensing element being located within said protrusion such that said cooling fluid does not contact said temperature sensing element. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method of treating tissue of a patient'"'"'s body, the method comprising:
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providing an energy source and first and second probe assemblies, wherein each of the probe assemblies comprises an elongate member having a distal region with an electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion and a proximal region, an electrically conductive energy delivery device extending distally from said electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body and having an electrically conductive outer circumferential surface and an internal longitudinally extending lumen for receiving a cooling fluid flow to a distal end of said energy delivery device, and an electrically conductive protrusion having a diameter that is less than a diameter of said energy delivery device extending distally from and being electrically coupled to said energy delivery device for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patients body and comprising a temperature sensing element, said electrically conductive protrusion protruding beyond said lumen such that said cooling fluid does not flow into said electrically conductive protrusion, said temperature sensing element being located within said protrusion such that said cooling fluid does not contact said temperature sensing element; inserting said energy delivery devices of said first and second probe assemblies into spaced-apart treatment sites for said tissue; delivering energy from said energy source to said tissue through said energy delivery devices; and measuring a temperature suing at least one of the temperature sensing elements. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A medical probe assembly for delivering energy to a patient'"'"'s body, the probe assembly comprising:
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an elongate member having a distal region and a proximal region, said distal region comprising an electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion; an electrically conductive energy delivery device extending distally from said electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body, said energy delivery device having an electrically conductive outer circumferential surface and an internal longitudinally extending lumen configured for receipt of an internal cooling fluid along the length of said energy delivery device; and an electrically conductive protrusion having a diameter less than a diameter of said energy delivery device and extending from a distal end of said energy delivery device and being electrically coupled to said energy delivery device for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body and comprising a temperature sensing element, said electrically conductive protrusion protruding beyond said lumen such that said cooling fluid does not flow into said electrically conductive protrusion; said temperature sensing element protruding beyond said energy delivery device said that it is not affected by the cooling fluid flowing within the lumen.
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22. A medical probe assembly for delivering energy to a patient'"'"'s body, the probe assembly comprising:
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an elongate member having a distal region and a proximal region, said distal region comprising an electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion; an electrode extending distally from said electrically non-conductive outer circumferential portion for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body, said electrode having an electrically conductive outer circumferential surface and a longitudinally extending internal lumen configured for receipt of an internal cooling fluid along the length of said electrode; and an electrically conductive protrusion having a diameter that is less than a diameter of said energy delivery device extending from a distal end of and being electrically coupled to said electrode for delivering one of electrical and rf energy to the patient'"'"'s body and comprising a temperature sensing element, said electrically conductive protrusion protruding beyond said lumen such that said cooling fluid does not flow into said electrically conductive protrusion, the protrusion comprising an electrically conductive tube and said temperature sensing element comprising a thermocouple junction formed within the tube by joining an inner surface of the tube to a wire made from a dissimilar metal, whereby said thermocouple junction is positioned within said protrusion and is separated from said cooling fluid.
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Specification