Method and devices for coagulation of tissue

• US 9,956,036 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atricure, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atricure, Inc.
• Inventors: Whayne, James G., Fleischman, Sidney D., Sicvol, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Downey, John R
• Application Number:
  US15/136,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20170079713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/06 caused by chemical reaction , e.g. moxaburners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/08 by means of electrically-heated probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• 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 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/201 with beam delivery through a hollow tube, e.g. forming an articulated arm through a flexible conduit A61B18/22; Hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00809 measured thermochromatically
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 bipolar

Abstract

Methods and devices described herein facilitate improved treatment of body organs.

Claims

1. A method of creating a treatment pattern in a target tissue, where the target tissue comprises a first tissue surface and a second tissue surface, where the second tissue surface is on an opposite side of the first tissue surface, the method comprising:

positioning a first medical treatment device with suction adjacent to the first tissue surface;

forming an incomplete treatment pattern along the first tissue surface using the medical treatment device such that the incomplete treatment pattern includes a gap that allows for an electrical impulse to flow in the target tissue through the gap;

positioning a second medical device having at least one energy source adjacent to the second tissue surface;

applying energy adjacent to the second tissue surface using the energy source;

positioning the second medical device adjacent to the gap on the second tissue surface by identifying a location of the energy source through the target tissue; and

forming a second portion of the incomplete treatment pattern on the second tissue surface using the second medical device to such that the first portion of the incomplete treatment pattern and the second portion of the incomplete treatment pattern form the completed treatment pattern across the gap.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first medical treatment device comprises a first coagulation device.

3. The method of claim 2, where the second medical treatment device further includes at least one coagulation source.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising advancing a second coagulation device to the target location to create the second coagulation lesion.

5. The method of claim 2, where the first coagulation device and the second medical device comprise opposite poles of an RF energy supply, and where energy flows between the first coagulation device and second medical device during application of the RF energy supply.

6. The method of claim 1, where the first medical treatment device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of an RF energy device, a laser device, an infrared heating device, a chemical ablation device, a cryogenic device, a microwave energy device, and a resistive heating device.

7. The method of claim 1, where the energy source comprises an energy selected from the group consisting of visible light, coherent light, ultraviolet light, magnetic energy, and electrical energy.

8. The method of claim 1, where identifying the energy source through the target tissue from the first tissue surface comprises placing a sensor device adjacent to the first tissue surface where the sensor device measures the energy to determine a proximity between the second device and the sensor device.

9. The method of claim 1, where the first tissue surface comprises an epicardial surface and the second tissue surface comprises an endocardial surface.

10. The method of claim 1, where the first tissue surface comprises an endocardial surface and the second tissue surface comprises an epicardial surface.

11. The method of claim 2, where the first coagulation device is advanced through a port or trocar positioned in a body and where the second device is advanced through a vascular path in the body.

12. The method of claim 11, where the port or trocar is located in an abdominal wall of the body and the first coagulation device is advanced through the diaphragm.

13. The method of claim 12, where no ports or trocars are positioned in a chest wall of the body.

14. The method of claim 12, where the first coagulation device is positioned adjacent to the first cardiac surface without requiring deflation of a lung.

15. The method of claim 12, where the port or trocar is located in a chest wall of the body and the first coagulation device is advanced through the diaphragm.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising advancing a scope into a body where the scope comprises at least one visualization element and where identifying the location of the energy source through the target tissue from the first tissue surface to locate the second device comprises using the visualization element to identify the location of the electromagnetic energy.