Method of treating biological tissue

• US 20050234445A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avanos Medical Sales, LLC (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baylis Medical Company Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Shan, Krishan, Godara, Neil, Leung, Mark, Baylis, Frank, Pyshnov, Elizabeth, Martyn, Amanda, Chandran, Subashini, Conquergood, Laura
• Granted Patent: US 8,043,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320758 with a rotating cutting instrument, e.g. motor driven A61B17/320725, A61B17/32075 and A61B17/320783 take precedence; for removing intra-ocular material A61F9/00763; endoscopic rotatable cutting instruments A61B17/32002
• 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 2017/00261 Discectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00685 Archimedes screw
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320775 Morcellators, impeller or propeller like means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0044 Spinal cord
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/032 pressure limiting, e.g. hydrostatic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/06 Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A treatment method is disclosed for treating a bodily tissue utilizing one or more steps of removal of material as well as one or more steps of energy delivery in order to effectively treat the bodily tissue. These mechanisms of treatment may beneficially be used to induce separate treatment effects, for example to treat both the symptoms and the underlying cause of a specific pathological condition. In addition, a specific application of the inventive method is described for using the inventive method to treat an intervertebral disc.

Claims

1. A treatment procedure for treating bodily tissue having one or more treatment sites, comprising the steps of:

(i) percutaneously inserting a tissue removal apparatus into at least one of said one or more treatment sites;

(ii) activating said tissue removal apparatus to remove tissue;

(iii) percutaneously inserting an energy delivery apparatus into at least one of said one or more treatment sites; and

(iv) delivering energy via said energy delivery apparatus;

wherein said energy delivery apparatus comprises at least two probes and wherein the step of inserting the probes comprises inserting said at least two probes into spaced apart treatment sites and wherein said energy is delivered in a bipolar fashion between said at least two probes.

2. The treatment procedure of claim 1, wherein said bodily tissue comprises an intervertebral disc.

3. The treatment procedure of claim 1, wherein said energy delivery apparatus further comprises a means of cooling said probes.

4. The treatment procedure of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(v) measuring a parameter selected from the group consisting of a temperature and an electrical impedance; and

(vi) controlling the delivery of energy in response to a measured parameter.

5. The treatment procedure of claim 1, wherein at least one of said energy delivery apparatus and said tissue removal apparatus comprises a marker selected from the group consisting of a radiopaque marker, a visual marker and a tactile marker.

6. The treatment procedure of claim 1, further comprising a step of measuring a tissue parameter in order to determine the efficacy of said treatment procedure.

7. The treatment procedure of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(v) measuring the pressure exerted by said bodily tissue on said tissue removal apparatus; and

(vi) controlling the removal of tissue in response to a measured pressure.

8. A treatment procedure for treating bodily tissue having one or more treatment sites, comprising the steps of:

(i) percutaneously inserting a tissue removal apparatus into at least one of said one or more treatment sites;

(ii) activating said tissue removal apparatus to remove tissue;

(iii) percutaneously inserting an energy delivery apparatus into at least one of said one or more treatment sites; and

(iv) delivering energy via said energy delivery apparatus;

wherein said tissue removal apparatus comprises a mechanical conveyance apparatus and wherein said mechanical conveyance apparatus is structured to mechanically convey material to a location external to a patient'"'"'s body.

9. The treatment procedure of claim 8, wherein said bodily tissue comprises an intervertebral disc.

10. The treatment procedure of claim 8, wherein energy is delivered in a mode selected from the group consisting of a monopolar mode, a bipolar mode, a triphasic mode and a multi-polar mode.

11. The treatment procedure of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

(v) measuring a parameter selected from the group consisting of a temperature and an electrical impedance; and

(vi) controlling the delivery of energy in response to a measured parameter.

12. The treatment procedure of claim 8, wherein at least one of said energy delivery apparatus and said tissue removal apparatus comprises a marker selected from the group consisting of a radiopaque marker, a visual marker and a tactile marker.

13. The treatment procedure of claim 8, further comprising a step of measuring a tissue parameter in order to determine the efficacy of said treatment procedure.

14. The treatment procedure of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

(v) measuring the pressure exerted by said bodily tissue on said tissue removal apparatus; and

(vi) controlling the removal of tissue in response to a measured pressure.

15. A treatment procedure for treating an intervertebral disc having one or more treatment sites, comprising the steps of:

(i) percutaneously inserting a first apparatus structured to remove material into at least one of said one or more treatment sites of said intervertebral disc;

(ii) activating said first apparatus to remove tissue from said intervertebral disc;

(iii) percutaneously inserting a second apparatus structured to deliver energy into at least one of said one or more treatment sites of said intervertebral disc; and

(iv) delivering energy via said second apparatus to said intervertebral disc;

wherein tissue is removed via a mechanical conveyance.

16. The treatment procedure of claim 15, wherein energy is delivered in a mode selected from the group consisting of a monopolar mode, a bipolar mode, a triphasic mode and a multi-polar mode.

17. The treatment procedure of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

(v) measuring a parameter selected from the group consisting of a temperature and an electrical impedance; and

(vi) controlling the delivery of energy in response to a measured parameter.

18. The treatment procedure of claim 15, wherein at least one of said first apparatus and said second apparatus comprises a marker selected from the group consisting of a radiopaque marker, a visual marker and a tactile marker.

19. The treatment procedure of claim 15, further comprising a step of measuring a tissue parameter in order to determine the efficacy of said treatment procedure.

20. The treatment procedure of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

(v) measuring the pressure exerted by said bodily tissue on said first apparatus; and

(vi) controlling the removal of tissue in response to a measured pressure.