Expandable device for thermal therapy
AssigneeSeacoast Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDonald J. Larnard, Dan Sachs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and expandable device for thermally affecting tissue in which there is a fluid conduit. An expandable element includes a wall defining an inner volume. The wall has a tissue contact region which is non-coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the fluid conduit. The tissue contact region is operable to have a first contact surface area and a second contact surface area in which the second contact surface area is larger than the first contact surface area. A port is formed through the wall and is in fluid communication with the fluid conduit.
Claims32
An expandable device for thermally affecting tissue, comprising:
- a fluid conduit having a longitudinal axis;
- and
- an expandable element, the expandable element including:
- a wall defining an inner volume, the wall having a tissue contact region, the tissue contact region being non-coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the fluid conduit, the tissue contact region being operable to have a first contact surface area and a second contact surface area, the second contact surface area being larger than the first contact surface area.
An expandable element for thermally affecting tissue, comprising:
- a port, the port having a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a wall defining an inner volume, the wall having a tissue contact region, the tissue contact region being non-coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the port, the tissue contact region being operable to have a first contact surface area and a second contact surface area, the second contact surface area being larger than the first contact surface area;
- the port being formed through the wall.
A method of using an expandable element to affect a thermal energy change in tissue of a patent's body, comprising:
- creating an opening in the patient's body;
- inserting at least a portion of the expandable element into the opening and into a region between an outer barrier of the patent's body and the tissue, the expandable element being in fluid communication with a fluid conduit, the expandable element having a tissue contact region, the tissue contact region being non-coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the fluid conduit, the tissue contact region being operable to have a first contact surface area and a second contact surface area, the second contact surface area being larger than the first contact surface area;
- operating the tissue contact region to the second contact surface area;
- and
- infusing a thermally transmissive fluid into the expandable element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.