System and method for electrically ablating tissue of a patient

• US 9,700,368 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AngioDynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Pearson, Robert M., Callas, Peter, Warden, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wehrheim, Lindsey G
• Application Number:
  US13/273,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 606 27, 606 32, 606 34, 606 41, 607 27, 607 32, 607 34, 607 41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0016 Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00613 Irreversible electroporation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/143 multiple needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems

Abstract

System for electrically ablating tissue of a patient through a plurality of electrodes includes a memory, a processor and a treatment control module stored in the memory and executable by the processor. The treatment control module generates an estimated treatment region based on the number of electrical pulses to be applied.

Claims

1. A system for planning a treatment of non-thermally and electrically ablating tissue of a patient through a plurality of electrodes comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory;

a display device connected to the processor, the display device displaying a user interface, the user interface allowing the user to input and change at least one treatment parameter;

a treatment control module stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the treatment control module adapted to;

receive parameters for a target ablation region;

select a number of electrical pulses based on the target ablation region and the positions of the electrodes; and

generate an estimated treatment region based on the number of electrical pulses to be applied through the electrodes the generated estimated treatment region displayed on the display prior to a treatment procedure, the estimated treatment region being a non-thermally ablated tissue region, altering the generated estimated treatment region by changing at least one treatment parameter on the user interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module further generates the estimated treatment region based on the number and positions of electrodes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module further generates the treatment region based on the positions of the electrodes.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module displays on the display device a target ablation region superimposed with the generated estimated treatment region.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module:

generates a plurality of estimated treatment regions based on different numbers of pulses to be applied; and

selects an optimal number of pulses to be applied based on the generated treatment regions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module:

generates a plurality of estimated treatment regions based on different numbers of pulses to be applied and different numbers of electrodes; and

selects an optimal number of electrodes to be applied and an optimal number of electrodes based on the generated treatment regions.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module selects a pulse width based on a target ablation region.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes at least three electrodes (E1, E2 and E3), the system further comprising a pulse generator adapted to deliver, in sequence, at least one pulse to a first pair of electrodes (E1-E2), at least one pulse to a second pair of electrodes (E2-E3) and at least one other pulse to the first pair of electrodes (E1-E2).

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes at least three electrodes (E1, E2 and E3), the system further comprising a pulse generator, under the control of the treatment control module, adapted to deliver, in sequence, a set of pulses to a first pair of electrodes (E1-E2), a set of pulses to a second pair of electrodes (E2-E3), a set of pulses to a third pair of electrodes (E3-E1), and then repeat the same sequence of pulse delivery.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module further generates the estimated treatment region using a Cassini oval equation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein treatment control module:

further generates the estimated treatment region using the following Cassini oval equation or its equivalent Cartesian equation;

r2=a2 cos(2*theta)+/−

sqrt(b4−

a4 sin 2(2*theta))

wherein a is the distance from the origin to each electrode and b is a constant; and

adjusts the constant b based on the number of pulses to be applied.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module further generates the estimated treatment region according to a predetermined positive relationship between the number of pulses and the size of the ablation region.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module further generates the estimated treatment region according to a predetermined positive non-linear relationship between the number of pulses and the size of the ablation region.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module further generates the estimated treatment region according to a tissue conductivity of a tissue region of a patient to be treated.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the treatment control module controls a pulse generator to generate two or more sequences of pulses in which an inter-sequence delay is greater than an inter-pulse delay within one sequence.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one treatment parameter changed is the depth of the plurality of electrodes.