Transurethral systems and methods for ablation treatment of prostate tissue
First Claim
1. A method of delivering an electric field to destroy cancerous cells of a prostate tissue of a patient including positioning of an elongate urethral probe comprising a proximal end and a distal portion having an expandable member, and one or more conductive electrode elements disposed on an outer surface of the expandable member, the method comprising:
- advancing the distal portion of the probe through the patient'"'"'s urethra so as to position the expandable member at a target location in the patient'"'"'s urethra;
expanding the expandable member at the target location so as to position the conductive electrode elements in contact with an inner surface of the patient'"'"'s urethra at the target location;
positioning one or more secondary electrodes such that a current transfer region of each of the one or more secondary electrodes is disposed within or adjacent to the prostate tissue and spaced from the electrode elements of the expandable member, thereby at least partially defining a treatment volume; and
establishing an alternating electrical current flow between the electrode elements of the expandable member and the one or more secondary electrodes by delivering electrical current from at least one of (a) at least one of the one or more conductive electrode elements and (b) at least one of the one or more current transfer regions, and through tissue of the treatment volume, so as to preferentially destroy cancerous cells of the prostate tissue in the treatment volume relative to non-cancerous cells in the treatment volume.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Transurethral systems and methods for delivering electrical energy and controlled, mild heating to a prostate tissue of a patient for destruction of cancerous and/or hyperplastic tissue. A method includes positioning an elongate urethral probe having an expandable member with electrode elements at a target location in the patient'"'"'s urethra, and inflating or expanding at the target location. Secondary electrodes are positioned within or adjacent to the prostate tissue and spaced from the electrode elements of the expandable member, and an alternating electrical current flow is established between the electrode elements of the expandable member and the one or more secondary electrodes. Current delivery can be selected so as to destroy or ablate cancerous cells of the prostate tissue.
196 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of delivering an electric field to destroy cancerous cells of a prostate tissue of a patient including positioning of an elongate urethral probe comprising a proximal end and a distal portion having an expandable member, and one or more conductive electrode elements disposed on an outer surface of the expandable member, the method comprising:
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advancing the distal portion of the probe through the patient'"'"'s urethra so as to position the expandable member at a target location in the patient'"'"'s urethra; expanding the expandable member at the target location so as to position the conductive electrode elements in contact with an inner surface of the patient'"'"'s urethra at the target location; positioning one or more secondary electrodes such that a current transfer region of each of the one or more secondary electrodes is disposed within or adjacent to the prostate tissue and spaced from the electrode elements of the expandable member, thereby at least partially defining a treatment volume; and establishing an alternating electrical current flow between the electrode elements of the expandable member and the one or more secondary electrodes by delivering electrical current from at least one of (a) at least one of the one or more conductive electrode elements and (b) at least one of the one or more current transfer regions, and through tissue of the treatment volume, so as to preferentially destroy cancerous cells of the prostate tissue in the treatment volume relative to non-cancerous cells in the treatment volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of delivering an electric field to destroy cancerous cells of a prostate tissue of a patient including positioning of an elongate urethral probe comprising a proximal end and a distal portion having an expandable member, the expandable member comprising one or more conductive electrode elements, the method comprising:
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advancing the distal portion of the probe through the patient'"'"'s urethra to position the expandable member of the urethral probe at a target location in the patient'"'"'s urethra; expanding the expandable member of the urethral probe at the target location so as to position the conductive electrode elements in contact with an inner surface of the patient'"'"'s urethra at the target location; positioning a second probe in a rectal cavity of the patient, the second probe comprising one or more conductive electrode elements disposed on a surface of an expandable member, the second probe positioned such that the conductive electrode elements of the expandable member contact an inner surface of the patient'"'"'s rectal wall near the prostate; and establishing an alternating electrical current flow between the conductive electrode elements of the urethral probe and the conductive electrode elements of the second probe by delivering electrical current from at least one of (a) at least one of the one or more conductive elements of the urethral probe and (b) at least one of the one or more conductive elements of the second probe so as to preferentially destroy cancerous cells of the prostate tissue relative to non-cancerous cells of the tissue disposed between the urethral probe expandable member and the second probe expandable member. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of delivering an electric field to destroy cancerous cells or hyperplastic cells of a prostate tissue of a patient including positioning of an elongate urethral probe comprising a proximal end and a distal portion having one or more conductive electrode elements deployable therefrom, the method comprising:
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advancing the distal portion of the probe through the patient'"'"'s urethra to position the distal portion of the urethral probe at a target location in the patient'"'"'s urethra; deploying one or more electrodes from the distal portion of the probe so as to penetrate through the urethral wall and into the prostate tissue such that a current transfer region of each of the deployed electrodes is spaced laterally from the urethral probe distal portion so as to at least partially define a treatment volume; and establishing an alternating electrical current flow between the deployed electrode elements of the urethral probe by delivering electrical current from at least one of the one or more current transfer regions so as to preferentially destroy cancerous cells of the prostate tissue of the treatment volume disposed between the electrodes relative to non-cancerous cells of the treatment volume. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of delivering an electric field to destroy cancerous cells of a target tissue of a patient including positioning of an elongate probe in a body lumen of the patient, the probe comprising a proximal end and a distal portion having an expandable member, and one or more conductive electrode elements disposed on an outer surface of the expandable member, the method comprising:
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advancing the distal portion of the probe through the patient'"'"'s body lumen so as to position the expandable member at a target location in the lumen; expanding the expandable member at the target location so as to position the conductive electrode elements in contact with an inner surface of the patient'"'"'s lumen at the target location; positioning one or more secondary electrodes such that a current transfer region of each of the one or more secondary electrodes is disposed within or adjacent to the target tissue and spaced laterally from the electrode elements of the expandable member so as to at least partially define a treatment volume; and establishing an alternating electrical current flow between the electrode elements of the expandable member and the one or more secondary electrodes by delivering electrical current from at least one of (a) at least one of the one or more conductive electrode elements and (b) at least one of the one or more current transfer regions so as to preferentially destroy cancerous cells of the target tissue within the treatment volume relative to non-cancerous cells within the treatment volume. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification