Apparatus and method for accurately delimited cryoablation

A method for minimizing damage to tissues surrounding a cryoablation target when cryoablating said target, comprising

• (a) defining a three-dimensional shape as a border of a cryoablation target;
• (b) inserting into a patient a plurality of probes each comprising at least one treatment module;
• (c) positioning said probes so that a first set of said treatment modules is inside said cryoablation target, and a second set of said treatment modules is exterior to said target and surrounds at least a portion of said target;
• (d) cooling said first set of treatment modules to cryoablation temperatures, thereby ablating tissues within said target;
• and
• (e) heating said second set of treatment modules during cooling of said first set of treatment modules, thereby preventing cooling of tissues surrounding said cryoablation target,
• thereby minimizing damage to tissues surrounding said cryoablation target while cryoablating said target.

A method for real-time visualization of a border of a cryoablation volume during cryoablation of a cryoablation target, comprising

• (a) creating a cryoablation volume having a well-defined delimitation surface, by
• (i) inserting into a cryoablation target a plurality of probes each having a treatment module operable to cool tissues to cryoablation temperatures;
• (ii) inserting into a patient around said cryoablation target a plurality of probes each having a treatment module operable to heat tissues;
• and
• (iii) heating those of said treatment modules positioned outside said target while cooling to cryoablation temperatures those of said treatment modules positioned inside said target, thereby creating a cryoablation volume having a delimited surface extending between said plurality of heated modules and said plurality of cooled modules, and thereby having a known positional relationship to said treatment modules of said probes;
• and
• (b) utilizing visualization modalities to display to an operator positions of at least some of said cooling and heating treatment modules,
• thereby enabling an operator, seeing a display of said positions of said cooling and heating modules, to accurately infer a position of said delimited cryoablation border.

A method for accurately delimited cryoablation of a target, comprising

• (a) inserting into a patient a plurality of cryoprobes, each of said cryoprobes comprising at least one treatment module and at least some of said cryoprobes comprising a plurality of treatment modules;
• (b) positioning said cryoprobes so that a first plurality of said treatment modules are positioned within said target and a second plurality of said treatment modules are positioned exterior to, but adjacent to, said target;
• and
• (c) warming said second plurality of treatment modules while cooling said first plurality of treatment modules to cryoablation temperatures, thereby creative a warming envelope around said target while cryoablating said target, thereby effecting accurately delimited cryoablation of said target.

A method for cryoablating a target while minimizing damage to tissues surrounding said target, comprising:

• (a) introducing into said target a plurality of first treatment modules operable to perform cryogenic cooling;
• (b) surrounding said target with a plurality of second treatment modules operable to heat tissues;
• (c) utilizing said first treatment modules to cool tissues of said target to cryoablation temperatures;
• and
• (d) utilizing said second treatment modules to heat tissues surrounding said target during cooling of said first treatment modules,
• thereby surrounding said target with an envelope of heated tissues during cryoablation of said target,
• thereby cryoablating said target while minimizing damage to tissues surrounding said target.

A method for accurately localizing a border of a cryoablation volume at a desired locus, comprising

• (a) positioning a first treatment module within a cryoablation target;
• (b) positioning a second treatment module in a vicinity of said first treatment module and outside said cryoablation target;
• (c) determining or estimating distances of said first and said second treatment modules from said desired locus of a border of said cryoablation volume;
• (d) calculating temperatures and durations for cooling of said first treatment module and for heating of said second treatment module, such as will create a cryoablation volume surrounding said first treatment module, which cryoablation volume will extend up to, and not beyond, said desired locus;
• and
• (e) cooling said first treatment module and heating said second treatment module according to said calculated temperatures and durations,
• thereby creating a cryoablation volume having an accurately localized border positioned at said desired locus.