Bipolar needle with adjustable electrode for geometrically controlled thermal ablation of biological tissue
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsRamin N. Tehrani, Christopher A. Benning, George Wilfred Duval
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods, apparatuses and systems for ablation therapy. A configurable ablation probe includes at least two electrodes, the surface areas of which can be manipulated and then fixed by the user. Some methods include adjusting the relative surface areas during a sequence of ablation steps to preferentially create lesions closer to one electrode or the other. Some methods include adjusting the position of one of the electrodes during therapy delivery to create elongated lesions.
Claims20
A method of ablating a tissue region using a therapy probe having a shaft with proximal and distal ends, and a plurality of therapy delivery electrodes at the distal end thereof, the method comprising:
- inserting the therapy probe to place the distal end of the shaft at a desired location, the distal end of the shaft including a shaft electrode having an exposed portion proximal of the distal end of the shaft, a surface area of the exposed portion of the shaft electrode being adjustable;
- advancing a needle electrode from the shaft to a desired position and manipulating a needle electrode sheath that adjustably exposes a portion of the needle electrode to thereby control a surface area of the exposed portion of the needle electrode;
- delivering a first therapy while a surface area of the exposed portion of the needle electrode exceeds a surface area of the exposed portion of the shaft electrode, to thereby develop a first lesion adjacent the shaft electrode;
- and
- delivering a second therapy while a surface area of the exposed portion of the shaft electrode exceeds the surface area of the exposed portion of the needle electrode, to thereby develop a second lesion adjacent the needle electrode.
A method of ablating a tissue region using an ablation probe having a shaft with proximal and distal ends, and a plurality of therapy delivery electrodes at the distal end thereof, the method comprising:
- inserting the ablation probe to place the distal end of the shaft at a desired location, the distal end of the shaft including a shaft electrode having an exposed portion proximal of the distal end of the shaft, a surface area of the exposed portion of the shaft electrode being adjustable;
- advancing a needle electrode from the shaft to a desired position and manipulating a needle electrode sheath that adjustably exposes a portion of the needle electrode to thereby control a surface area of the exposed portion of the needle electrode;
- delivering a first therapy while a surface area of the exposed portion of the shaft electrode exceeds the surface area of the exposed portion of the needle electrode, to thereby develop a first lesion adjacent the needle electrode and, during delivery of the first therapy, withdrawing the needle electrode from the desired position and into the shaft while maintaining the exposed surface area of the needle electrode, to thereby extend the first lesion in a longitudinal direction relative to an axis of the needle electrode.
A system for ablation, comprising:
- an ablation probe having a proximal end and a distal end, the ablation probe comprising:
- an outer sheath of a non-conductive material;
- an inner sheath of a non-conductive material;
- a shaft electrode disposed between the inner and outer sheaths;
- a needle electrode disposed within the inner sheath;
- a first locking hub configured for selectively locking a relative position of the outer sheath to the shaft electrode;
- a second locking hub configured for selectively locking a relative position of the shaft electrode to the inner sheath;
- a third locking hub configured for selectively locking a relative position of the inner sheath to the needle electrode;
- and
- means to indicate electrically a change in exposed surface area of at least one of the shaft and needle electrodes and/or means to indicate electrically a change in a distance between the shaft and needle electrodes;
- and
- a signal generator adapted for electrical connection to each of the needle electrode and the shaft electrode, the signal generator configured to sense the distance between the electrodes and the surface area of the electrodes by linking to the locking hubs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.