Hand held cyrosurgical probe system

A portable cryosurgical probe system comprising:

• a hand held cryoprobe apparatus comprising an elongated body having on one end thereof a cryoprobe coupling member for changeably mounting a cryoprobe member, a first coupling for removably mounting a container of cryogen along one elongated side of said elongated body, a second coupling for removably connecting said cryoprobe apparatus to a second source of cryogen on an end of said elongated body opposite said one end, a handle extending away from said body along an elongated side of said elongated body opposite said one elongated side, flow passageways within said elongated body to convey cryogen from said container to said cryoprobe member and from said second source of cryogen to said cryoprobe member, and control valves in combination with said flow passageways to control flow of cryogen through said cryoprobe apparatus;
• at least one container of cryogen removably mountable to said first coupling on said elongated body;
• and
• at least one cryoprobe member removably mountable to said cryoprobe coupling member to receive cryogen flow;
• whereby cryogen may be introduced to said cryoprobe coupling member from said container or from said second source or simultaneously therefrom and whereby said container is removable from said body and replaceable while said system is in use.

A method of conducting a cryosurgical procedure on selected tissue in the human body using a hand held, self-contained cryosurgical apparatus comprising,

• providing said hand-held cryosurgical apparatus comprising a body of thermally insulative material having a first coupling for quickly connecting and disconnecting to a first source of cryogen, a second coupling for quickly connecting and disconnecting to a second source of cryogen, a third coupling for quickly connecting and disconnecting to a cryoprobe member, a first flow passageway extending from said first coupling and a second flow passageway extending from said second coupling, said first and second flow passageways joining adjacent to said third coupling and connecting to said third coupling as a single passageway, said first and second flow passageways each having separately controllable valves therein, and a cryoprobe member connectable to said third coupling and having means to receive and circulate said cryogens therethrough;
• whereby said first and second flow passageways are adapted to convey cryogen from said first and second sources to said cryoprobe member and said valves are adapted to separately control the flow of cryogen from each of said first and second sources to thereby provide individual flow of cryogen from either said first or said second source or combined flow thereof;
• providing a cryoprobe member and mounting said member to said cryosurgical apparatus via said third coupling;
• providing a cylinder of pressurized cryogen, said cylinder having a body and a neck portion wherein said neck portion has a structure to cooperatively seal with said first coupling and connecting said cylinder to said first coupling whereby said cylinder comprises said first source of cryogen and whereby said cylinder is sized to be removably supported by said cryosurgical apparatus;
• positioning said cryoprobe member at said selected tissue and activating said valve in said first flow passageway to cause cryogen to flow from said cylinder into said cryoprobe member and to generate freezing temperatures therein, said freezing temperature being transferred to said tissue, and continuing said procedure until cryogen in said container is depleted and connecting at least one new source of cryogen to at least one of said first and second coupling to thereby allow said procedure to continue uninterrupted until said tissue is destroyed.