Cryoneedle
AssigneeGalil Medical Ltd.
InventorsSatish Ramadhyani, Andrew Kevin Zachman, Mordechay Bleiwies, Mark Timothy Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cryoneedle comprises an outer tube having a distal section with a generally central gas supply line placed within the outer tube. The gas supply line supplies a cryogas for forming an iceball on an outer surface of the outer tube over the distal section. The gas supply line terminates in an expansion chamber placed within the distal section. The cryoneedle comprises a heat exchange helix contacting the inner surface of the outer tube. The heat exchange helix has an increasing surface area per unit distance of the distal section such that the iceball has a generally symmetric shape.
Claims22
A cryoneedle comprising:
- an outer tube having a distal section placed at or near a target area of a patient's anatomy and a longitudinal axis;
- a gas supply line positioned within the outer tube, the gas supply line configured to supply a cryogas for forming an ice ball on an outer surface of the outer tube over the distal section;
- an expansion chamber located within the distal section such that the gas supply line terminates in the expansion chamber;
- a heat exchange helix contacting the inner surface of the outer tube;
- and
- a return gas flow lumen defined annularly between the heat exchange helix and the gas supply line adapted to carry cryogas from the expansion chamber along a return flow path,
- the heat exchange helix adapted to provide generally uniform rate of heat transfer in the distal section such that the iceball formed on the outer surface of the outer tube is generally symmetric in shape along the longitudinal axis of the outer tube.
A cryoneedle comprising:
- an outer tube having a distal section placed at or proximal to a target area of a patient's anatomy;
- a gas supply line placed within the outer tube, the gas supply line configured to supply a cryogas for forming an iceball on an outer surface of the outer tube proximal to the distal section;
- an expansion chamber placed within the distal section such that the gas supply line terminates in the expansion chamber;
- a heat exchange helix contacting the inner surface of the outer tube, the heat exchange helix having an increasing surface area per unit distance of the distal section such that the iceball has a generally symmetric shape;
- and
- a return gas flow lumen defined annularly between the heat exchange helix and the gas supply line adapted to carry cryogas from the expansion chamber toward a proximal section, the return gas lumen providing a helical return path for the cryogas from the expansion chamber toward the proximal section.
A method of forming ice balls having a symmetric shape during cryosurgery, the method comprising:
- providing a cryosurgery system comprising a cryoneedle, comprising:
- an outer tube having a distal section placed at or proximal to a target area of a patient's anatomy,
- a gas supply line placed within the outer tube,
- an expansion chamber placed within the distal section such that the gas supply line terminates in the expansion chamber;
- a heat exchange helix contacting the inner surface of the outer tube, the heat exchange helix having an increasing surface area per unit distance of the distal section, and
- a return gas flow lumen defined annularly between the heat exchange helix and the gas supply line along a return flow path;
- supplying a cryogas through the gas supply line;
- expanding the cryogas at the expansion chamber;
- providing a helical return path for cryogas in the distal section, the cryogas flowing in the return gas flow lumen in a direction from the expansion chamber toward a proximal section;
- and
- forming an iceball on an outer surface of the outer tube proximal to the distal section such that the iceball has a generally symmetric shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.