Delivery devices with coolable energy emitting assemblies

• US 9,931,162 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvaira, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nuvaira, Inc.
• Inventors: Mayse, Martin L., Dimmer, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Giuliani, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/601,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20150141985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 606 41, 606 46, 606 47
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2676 Bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1485 having a short rigid shaft for accessing the inner body through natural openings
• 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 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00017 with gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00023 closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00541 Lung or bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0212 using an instrument inserted into a body lumen, e.g. catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0262 using a circulating cryogenic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0043 intra-cavitary

Abstract

Systems, delivery devices, and methods to treat to ablate, damage, or otherwise affect tissue. The treatment systems are capable of delivering a coolable ablation assembly that ablates targeted tissue without damaging non-targeted tissue. The coolable ablation assembly damages nerve tissue to temporarily or permanently decrease nervous system input.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

delivering an ablation device within an airway of a bronchial tree of a patient, the ablation device including a deployable element movable from a collapsed state to an expanded state, an energy emitter assembly having a tissue-contacting portion, and a cooling assembly including a pressure reducing element and an expansion chamber, wherein the deployable element is in the collapsed state;

expanding the deployable element from the collapsed state to the expanded state so as to place the tissue-contacting portion of the energy emitter assembly into contact with a wall of the airway, wherein the tissue-contacting portion is elongated at least partially circumferentially about a longitudinal axis of the deployable element and is configured to move with respect to an underlying surface of the deployable element in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the deployable element when the deployable element is in the expanded state;

causing energy to be delivered from the energy emitter assembly to ablate targeted tissue in or along the airway wall; and

causing a working fluid to be delivered through the pressure reducing element to reduce a temperature of the working fluid so as to cool the tissue-contacting portion of the energy emitter assembly, thereby cooling tissue between the tissue-contacting portion of the energy emitter assembly and the targeted tissue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ablation device further comprises an elongate body coupled to the energy emitter assembly and in fluid communication with the cooling assembly, the elongate body configured to deliver the working fluid to the pressure reducing element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the working fluid is configured to be delivered through the pressure reducing element so as to undergo at least one of a change from a liquid to a gas or a pressure change from a first pressure to a second pressure lower than the first pressure to cool the tissue-contacting portion of the energy emitter assembly.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a magnitude of the reduction in temperature across the pressure reducing element is represented by

T₁−

T₂=μ

(P₁−

P₂),

wherein T₁ is an initial temperature of the working fluid, T₂ is a reduced temperature of the working fluid, P₁ is an initial pressure of the working fluid, P₂ is a reduced pressure of the working fluid in the expansion chamber, and μ

is a Joule-Thomson coefficient of the working fluid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling assembly further comprises a discharge vent, wherein the working fluid is configured to discharge from the expansion chamber via the discharge vent, wherein a pressure in the expansion chamber is greater than a pressure outside of the expansion chamber such that the working fluid undergoes a second reduction in temperature when exiting the expansion chamber through the discharge vent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure reducing element is selected from the group consisting of a nozzle valve, a needle valve, a Joule-Thomson throttle, a throttle element, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ablation device is configured to deliver a liquid working fluid to the pressure reducing element.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the working fluid undergoes an endothermal phase change through the pressure reducing element such that at least a portion of the working fluid changes from a liquid to a gas.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ablation device is configured to deliver a gaseous working fluid to the pressure reducing element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue-contacting portion of the energy emitter assembly includes a first electrode and a second electrode configured to contact a different portion of the airway wall.