# US 10,499,973 B2 · Medical system and method of use

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- Number: US 10,499,973 B2
- Document ID: US10499973B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/912,332
- Filed: 2018-03-05
- Published: 2018-07-12
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2010-08-13
- Assignees: Tsunami MedTech, LLC
- Applicants: Tsunami MedTech, LLC
- Inventors: Michael Hoey; John H. Shadduck
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10499973B2

## CPC

- A61B 18/04: by heating (by applying electromagnetic radiation A61B18/18)
- A61B 2017/1648: {as cutting jet}
- A61B 2018/00214: {Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon}
- A61B 2018/0022: {Balloons}
- A61B 2018/00285: {Balloons}
- A61B 2018/00684: {using lookup tables}
- A61B 2018/00702: {Power or energy}
- A61B 2018/00791: {Temperature}
- A61B 2018/00863: {Fluid flow}
- A61B 2018/046: {in liquid form}
- A61B 2018/048: {in gaseous form}
- A61B 2018/1286: {having a specific transformer}
- A61B 2090/064: {for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension}
- A61B 2218/007: Aspiration
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Methods, systems and devices for applying energy to tissue, and more particularly relates to a system for ablating or modifying structures in a body with systems and methods that generate a flow of vapor at a controlled flow rate for applying energy to the body structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for a controlled treatment of a body structure, the method comprising:
positioning a working end of a vapor delivery system at a targeted site in a body;
providing a flow of liquid media at a selected fluid flow rate in the system and converting the liquid media to vapor media in the vapor delivery system where a vapor flow rate corresponds to the selected fluid flow rate and corresponds to a controlled amount of energy using a flow controller and selecting the fluid flow rate on a controller interface wherein the flow controller is programmable to maintain the fluid flow rate at first parameters over a first time interval and maintain the fluid flow rate at second parameters over a second time interval; and
delivering the vapor media to the targeted site for a selected time interval thereby providing the controlled amount of energy to the targeted site.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the selected fluid flow rate is between 0.01 ml/min to 50 ml/min.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the corresponding vapor flow rate is between 1 ml/min to 1500 ml/min.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the energy applied for converting the liquid media to vapor media is between 1 W and 3000 W.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the selected time interval is between 1 sec and 5 minutes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein converting includes actuating an RF source configured to inductively heat a structure having a flow channel that carries the flow of liquid media.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the flow channel within the structure has a diameter ranging from 0.01″ to 0.10″.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the flow channel within the structure has a length ranging from 10 cm and 500 cm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the selected fluid flow rate is maintained at a constant rate over the selected time interval.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting an energy application rate on a controller interface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the time interval on a controller interface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the total calories applied to tissue on a controller interface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the flow controller is programmable to maintain the fluid flow rate at a constant over the selected time interval.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the flow controller is programmable to modulate the fluid flow rate over at least one selected time interval.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, where the controlled amount of energy to the targeted site corresponds to an energy application of between 1 cal/sec to 500 cal/sec.

### Claim 16

A method for a controlled treatment of a body structure, the method comprising:
positioning a working end of a vapor delivery system at a targeted site in a body;
providing a flow of liquid media at a selected fluid flow rate in the system and converting the liquid media to vapor media where a vapor flow rate corresponds to the selected fluid flow rate and corresponds to a controlled amount of energy using a flow controller and selecting a total calories applied to tissue on a controller interface; and
delivering the vapor media to the targeted site for a selected time interval thereby providing the controlled amount of energy to the targeted site.