Devices and methods for treating lung tumors
AssigneesTau Medical Inc., Pusan National University Technology Holdings Co., Ltd.
InventorJune Hong Kim
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Abstract
An RF (radiofrequency) ablation catheter device having a flexible shaft, a distal end, an inflatable balloon mounted on the shaft, having a portion of the flexible shaft that is distal to the inflatable balloon and an RF electrode located on the distal segment of the shaft. A device and method of treating a tumor in a patient having a liquid conductive material, inserting an ablation catheter device into a body organ, advancing the ablation catheter device to a passageway at a target site in the body organ, instilling a volume of the liquid conductive material into the passageway; and applying an RF current to the liquid conductive material.
Claims11
A method of treating a tumor in a patient, comprising:
- having a liquid metal that comprises gallium;
- filling and containing a volume of the liquid metal within the bronchial airway such that the liquid metal forms an electrically continuous metallic body;
- electrically coupling an RF energy source directly to the liquid metal such that the liquid metal forms the active RF electrode for ablating the lung tumor;
- applying an RF current to the liquid metal;
- and
- removing the liquid metal from the bronchial airway after ablation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.