Electrosurgical fibroid ablation system and method

• US 9,198,719 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Murdeshwar, Nikhil M., Nelson, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoklosa, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ram, Jocelyn D
• Application Number:
  US14/041,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20150094712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3415 for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06
• 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 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00559 Female reproductive organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00714 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00744 Fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing

Abstract

Electrosurgical fibroid ablation systems and methods utilize a probe having at least two electrodes to perform bipolar ablation. The probe is inserted into a uterine fibroid so as to enter the fibroid along the major-axis direction of an ellipsoidal fibroid (a direction that is substantially parallel to the uterine wall). Inserting the probe in this direction facilitates ablation of the fibroid with a single probe penetration because the area of ablation tends to progress within a volume having an ellipsoidal shape that is aligned with the ellipsoidal shape of the fibroid. Furthermore, any scar left by the procedure tends to extend in a direction that is parallel to the uterine wall, and thus is less likely to propagate and cause rupture of the uterine wall during pregnancy.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical fibroid ablation system comprising:

a catheter having (i) a sharp distal tip configured to pierce tissue, (ii) a hollow interior, (iii) a sideward-facing exit hole adjacent to the distal tip, and (iv) a guide member adjacent to the exit hole, at least a portion of the guide member being located within the hollow interior of the catheter; and

a flexible probe movably disposed within the hollow interior of the catheter and having a distal end that can be extended outward of the catheter through the exit hole so as to enter a fibroid when the exit hole of the catheter is positioned adjacent to the fibroid, the distal end of probe being flexible and including at least two electrodes to perform bipolar ablation,

wherein the guide member deflects the distal end of the probe when the probe is advanced through the catheter so that the distal end of the probe exits the exit hole at a predefined angle relative to the catheter, and

wherein the guide member is a pivoting plate that is movably mounted to a pivot point within the catheter to pivot about the pivot point so that the guide member is adjustable to adjust the predefined angle at which the distal end of the probe exits through the exit hole.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the probe can be retracted through the exit hole so as to reside entirely within the hollow interior of the catheter.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predefined angle to which the guide member is adjustable to includes approximately a right angle.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting plate resides entirely within the hollow interior of the catheter.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the flexible distal end of the probe includes a plurality of segments that are movably linked to each other.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the catheter is flexible.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the catheter is rigid.

8. An electro surgical fibroid ablation system comprising:

a catheter having (i) a sharp distal tip configured to pierce tissue, (ii) a hollow interior, (iii) a sideward-facing exit hole adjacent to the distal tip, and (iv) a guide member adjacent to the exit hole, at least a portion of the guide member being located within the hollow interior of the catheter; and

a flexible probe movably disposed within the hollow interior of the catheter and having a distal end that can be extended outward of the catheter through the exit hole so as to enter a fibroid when the exit hole of the catheter is positioned adjacent to the fibroid and the distal end of the probe can be retracted through the exit hole so as to reside entirely within the hollow interior of the catheter, the distal end of probe being flexible and including at least two electrodes to perform bipolar ablation,

wherein the guide member deflects the distal end of the probe when the probe is advanced through the catheter so that the distal end of the probe exits the exit hole at a predefined angle relative to the catheter,

wherein the guide member is a pivoting plate that is movably mounted to a pivot point within the catheter to pivot about the pivot point so that the guide member is adjustable to adjust the predefined angle at which the distal end of the probe exits through the exit hole.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the guide member can be retracted through the exit hole so as to reside entirely within the hollow interior of the catheter.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the catheter is flexible.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the catheter is rigid.