Methods and systems for focused bipolar tissue ablation
AssigneeRadio Therapeutics Corporation
InventorsRobert S. Behl, Morton Grosser, Alexander L. Huang
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Abstract
Large tissue regions are treated using pairs of electrode arrays. The electrode arrays may be concave and disposed in tissue so that their concave portions are opposed to each other. Axial conductors may be provided extending from the arrays and toward each other in order to increase the heating of tissues lying along the axis between the deployed electrode arrays. By properly spacing the electrode arrays apart and selecting the diameters of the arrays, desired volumes of tissue may be treated, typically with a bipolar, radiofrequency current.
Claims64
A probe for deploying electrode arrays, said probe comprising:
- a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end;
- a first array of electrodes mounted on the shaft to shift between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration having a concave face;
- a second array of electrodes mounted on the shaft at a location spaced-apart proximally from first array of electrodes, wherein the second electrode array shifts between a retracted and a deployed configuration having a concave face, wherein the first electrode array and the second electrode array are electrically isolated from each other;
- a first connector coupled to the shaft for connecting the first electrode array to one pole of a power supply;
- and a second connector coupled to the shaft for connecting the second array to a second pole of a power supply;
- wherein the concave face of the first array faces the concave face of the second array when the arrays are deployed.
A method for treating a treatment region in tissue, said method comprising:
- deploying a first array of electrodes in tissue on one side of the treatment region, wherein said first electrode array has a concave face;
- deploying a second array of electrodes in tissue along an axis with the first array on another side of the treatment region, wherein said second electrode array has a concave face and wherein the concave face of the first electrode array faces the concave face of the second electrode array when said arrays are deployed;
- and
- coupling one pole of a radiofrequency power supply to the first electrode array and another pole of the radiofrequency power supply to the second electrode array and energizing the power supply to apply electrical current between the first and second electrode arrays.
A method as in any of claims 15-1718, wherein the first and second electrode arrays each span a planar area in the range between 3 cm2 to 20 cm2, and wherein the first and second arrays are spaced-apart along a line between their respective centers by a distance in the range between 2 cm to 10 cm.
A method for bipolar radiofrequency necrosis of tissue, said method comprising:
- deploying a first array of electrodes in tissue on one side of a treatment region, wherein said first array has a concave face and an axial conductor extending in an axial direction from the concave face;
- deploying a second array of electrodes in tissue on another side of the treatment region, wherein said second array has a concave face and an axial conductor extending in an axial direction opposed to the axial conductor on the first electrode array and wherein the concave face of the first array faces the concave face of the second array when the arrays are disposed, and
- applying bipolar radiofrequency current to the tissue between the first and second electrode arrays.
A probe for deploying electrode arrays, said probe comprising:
- a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end;
- a first array of electrodes mounted on the shaft to shift between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration having a concave face;
- and
- a second array of electrodes mounted on the shaft at a location spaced-apart proximally from the first array of electrodes, wherein the second electrode array shifts between a retracted and a deployed configuration having a concave face;
- wherein the first array is electrically isolated from the second array to permit the arrays to be connected to a power supply for bipolar operation and wherein the concave face of the first array faces the concave face of the second array when the arrays are deployed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.