Methods for treating the thoracic region of a patient's body

• US 9,364,281 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lefler, Amy, Godara, Neil, Harrison, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): ROANE, AARON F
• Application Number:
  US12/199,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20090054962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,848 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 606 20- 49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/148 having a short, rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously, e.g. for neurosurgery or arthroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1482 having a long rigid shaft for accessing the inner body transcutaneously in minimal invasive surgery, e.g. laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0044 Spinal cord
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00815 measured by a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1497 Electrodes covering only part of the probe circumference
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/007 Aspiration

Abstract

A method is disclosed for the treatment of a thoracic region of a patient'"'"'s body. Embodiments of the method comprise positioning an energy delivery portion of an electrosurgical device to face a segment of a thoracic vertebra at a distance from the segment; and cooling the energy delivery portion and delivering energy through the energy delivery portion.

Claims

1. A method of treatment of a thoracic region of a patient'"'"'s body, the method comprising:

inserting an introducer apparatus into the patient'"'"'s body at an upstanding angle relative to an anterior-posterior axis of the patient'"'"'s body in a cranial direction, the apparatus comprising a cannula and an obturator disposed within a lumen of the cannula, the obturator protruding from a distal end of the cannula;

positioning the apparatus such that a distal tip of the obturator abuts the superolateral aspect of the transverse process of the thoracic vertebra;

removing the obturator from within the cannula;

inserting an energy delivery portion of an electrosurgical device into the cannula;

positioning the energy delivery portion of the electrosurgical device at the superolateral aspect of the transverse process of the thoracic vertebra at a distance from the superolateral aspect of the transverse process; and

cooling the energy delivery portion and delivering energy through the energy delivery portion to the superolateral aspect of the transverse process such that a lesion is formed at least distal to the energy delivery portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling and the delivering energy cooperate to form a lesion at a location at least between the energy delivery portion and the superolateral aspect of the transverse process of the thoracic vertebra.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance between the energy delivery portion and the superolateral aspect of the transverse process of the thoracic vertebra is 0.5 mm to 4 mm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance between the energy delivery portion and the superolateral aspect of the transverse process of the thoracic vertebra is 2 mm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the upstanding angle of the electrosurgical device comprises an angle of between 15°

and 60°

relative to an anterior-posterior axis of the patient'"'"'s body in the cranial direction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the upstanding angle of the electrosurgical device comprises an angle of 45°

relative to an anterior-posterior axis of the patient'"'"'s body in the cranial direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the upstanding angle of the electrosurgical device comprises an angle of 15°

relative to an anterior-posterior axis of the patient'"'"'s body in the cranial direction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy delivery portion is positioned at a location in the region bounded by:

a superior margin of the transverse process,

an inferior margin of a superjacent transverse process,

an anterior margin of the transverse process and an anterior margin of the superjacent transverse process,

a posterior margin of a spinous process of the thoracic vertebra,

an inferior articular process of the thoracic vertebra and a superior articular process of a superjacent thoracic vertebra, and

a lateral margin of the transverse process and a lateral margin of the superjacent transverse process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the superolateral aspect of the transverse process of the thoracic vertebra comprises a centroid region of a transverse process.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the introducer apparatus within an intertransverse space, prior to inserting the electrosurgical device within the cannula.

11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

placing a depth stopper on the cannula adjacent to the surface of the patient'"'"'s skin and partially withdrawing the apparatus prior to moving the apparatus; and

advancing the apparatus until the depth stopper is adjacent to the patient'"'"'s skin, after moving the apparatus.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the introducer apparatus within the intertransverse space comprises:

moving the apparatus from the centroid region in a cranial direction until the intertransverse space is reached.