Electrical ablation devices and methods
First Claim
1. An ablation apparatus, comprising:
- a housing extending along a housing axis;
a first electrode supported in the housing, wherein the first electrode extends along a first axis, and wherein the first axis is substantially parallel to the housing axis; and
a second electrode supported in the housing, wherein the second electrode extends along a second axis, wherein the second axis is substantially parallel to the housing axis, and wherein the second electrode is laterally-offset from the first electrode;
wherein the first and second electrodes are coupled to an energy source operative to generate and deliver a first sequence of electrical pulses and a second sequence of electrical pulses to tissue having a necrotic threshold, and wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses delivers a first energy dose that is less than the necrotic threshold to induce thermal heating in the tissue intermediate the laterally-offset first and second electrodes and the second sequence of electrical pulses delivers a second energy dose equal to or greater than the necrotic threshold to induce cell necrosis in the tissue intermediate the laterally-offset first and second electrodes by irreversible electroporation;
wherein the first electrode is electrically coupled to a first polarity of the energy source, wherein the second electrode is electrically coupled to a second polarity of the energy source, wherein the second polarity is opposite to the first polarity, and wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses and the second sequence of electrical pulses are transmitted laterally between the laterally-offset first and second electrodes substantially transverse to the first and second axes.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical ablation device may generally comprise first and second electrodes coupled to an energy source operative to generate and deliver a first sequence of electrical pulses and a second sequence of electrical pulses to tissue having a necrotic threshold, wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses delivers a first energy dose that is less than the necrotic threshold to induce thermal heating in the tissue and the second sequence of electrical pulses delivers a second energy dose equal to or greater than the necrotic threshold to induce cell necrosis in the tissue by irreversible electroporation. The first sequence of electrical pulses may each be independently characterized by a first amplitude, a first pulse width, and a first frequency. The second sequence of electrical pulses may be characterized by a second amplitude, a second pulse width, and a second frequency.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An ablation apparatus, comprising:
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a housing extending along a housing axis; a first electrode supported in the housing, wherein the first electrode extends along a first axis, and wherein the first axis is substantially parallel to the housing axis; and a second electrode supported in the housing, wherein the second electrode extends along a second axis, wherein the second axis is substantially parallel to the housing axis, and wherein the second electrode is laterally-offset from the first electrode; wherein the first and second electrodes are coupled to an energy source operative to generate and deliver a first sequence of electrical pulses and a second sequence of electrical pulses to tissue having a necrotic threshold, and wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses delivers a first energy dose that is less than the necrotic threshold to induce thermal heating in the tissue intermediate the laterally-offset first and second electrodes and the second sequence of electrical pulses delivers a second energy dose equal to or greater than the necrotic threshold to induce cell necrosis in the tissue intermediate the laterally-offset first and second electrodes by irreversible electroporation; wherein the first electrode is electrically coupled to a first polarity of the energy source, wherein the second electrode is electrically coupled to a second polarity of the energy source, wherein the second polarity is opposite to the first polarity, and wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses and the second sequence of electrical pulses are transmitted laterally between the laterally-offset first and second electrodes substantially transverse to the first and second axes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20)
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17. An ablation apparatus, comprising:
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a housing having a distal end, a proximal end, and a body extending along a longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end; a first electrode supported in the housing, wherein the first electrode extends along a first axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first electrode is electrically coupled to a first polarity of an energy source; a second electrode supported in the housing, wherein the second electrode extends along a second axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second axis is laterally-offset from the first axis, wherein the second electrode is electrically coupled to a second polarity of the energy source, wherein the second polarity is opposite to the first polarity, wherein the energy source is configured to generate and deliver a first sequence of electrical pulses and a second sequence of electrical pulses to tissue having a necrotic threshold, wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses and the second sequence of electrical pulses are transmitted laterally between the first and second electrodes substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis; and at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor positioned within the housing and configured to detect a property of the tissue; wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses delivers a first energy dose that is less than the necrotic threshold to induce thermal heating in the tissue and the second sequence of electrical pulses delivers a second energy dose equal to or greater than the necrotic threshold to induce cell necrosis in the tissue by irreversible electroporation; wherein the energy source is configured to generate and deliver the first sequence until at least one of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure is detected in the tissue by the at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor; and wherein the energy source is configured to generate and deliver the second sequence when at least one of the predetermined temperature and the predetermined pressure is detected in the tissue by the at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An ablation apparatus, comprising:
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a housing having a distal end, a proximal end, and a body extending along a longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end; a sensor positioned at the distal end; a first electrode supported in the housing, wherein the first electrode extends along a first axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first electrode is electrically coupled to a first polarity of an enerqy source; a second electrode supported in the housing, wherein the second electrode extends along a second axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second electrode is laterally-offset from the first electrode, wherein the second electrode is electrically coupled to a second polarity of the enerqy source, wherein the second polarity is opposite to the first polarity, wherein the energy source is configured to generate and deliver a first sequence of electrical pulses and a second sequence of electrical pulses to tissue having a necrotic threshold, wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses and the second sequence of electrical pulses are transmitted laterally between the laterally-offset first and second electrodes substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis; and a feedback generator in communication with the sensor; wherein the first sequence of electrical pulses delivers a first energy dose that is less than the necrotic threshold to induce thermal heating in the tissue and the second sequence of electrical pulses delivers a second energy dose equal to or greater than the necrotic threshold to induce cell necrosis in the tissue by irreversible electroporation.
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Specification