Device for neurocryo analgesia and anesthesia
OwnerRonald J. Carrollinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A catheter system and method for selectively cooling or freezing target neuronal tissue to induce lesions along the neuroaxis and produce cryoanalgesia by impairing nerve conduction of the targeted neuronal tissue. The system includes a catheter that has cryogenic capability for variable cooling or freezing of neuronal tissue. The catheter also includes temperature sensing and electrodiagnostic capabilities. A pressurized fluid source is included for inflating a portion of the catheter body. The system includes electrodiagnostic equipment for stimulating and monitoring sensory evoked potentials in the patient. The method involves placement of the catheter tip in the subarachnoid space of the spinal canal and location of the tip on the neuronal target using imaging and electrodiagnostic techniques.
Claims26
A catheter for cooling or freezing neuroaxis structure targets, said catheter comprising:
- a. a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end and a dorsal side and a ventral side wherein said catheter body is a tube having an interior and a septum formed in said tube interior, said septum dividing said tube interior into a dorsal chamber on said dorsal side and a ventral chamber on said ventral side and wherein neither chamber is disposed within the other chamber;
- b. an expandable portion located at the distal end of the dorsal chamber that can be transitioned from a first state to a second state in order to secure the distal end of said catheter body in position adjacent to a neuroaxis structure target;
- c. a delivery tube disposed within said ventral chamber for internally delivering a coolant fluid to the ventral chamber of said ventral side of said distal end of said catheter body and wherein said septum prevents said coolant from entering said dorsal side and returns said coolant fluid to said proximal end of said catheter body without said coolant fluid coming into direct contact with said neuroaxis structure targets;
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- d. wherein said cooling or freezing effect is adapted to be delivered to neuroaxis structure targets located on the ventral side of said catheter and not to tissues located on the dorsal side of said catheter and wherein the angle of said distal end of said catheter can be changed relative to the body of the catheter.
A catheter system for cooling or freezing neuroaxis structure targets, said catheter system comprising:
- a. a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end and a dorsal side and a ventral side, said catheter body being sized and dimensioned for insertion into the subarachnoid space of a patient and wherein said catheter body is a tube having an interior and a septum formed in said tube interior, said septum dividing said tube interior into a dorsal chamber on said dorsal side and a ventral chamber on said ventral side wherein neither chamber is deposed within the other chamber;
- b. a tip member formed on said ventral side of said catheter body, at said distal end thereof;
- c. an expandable portion formed at the distal end of said dorsal side of said catheter body for holding the distal end of said catheter body in position adjacent to a neuroaxis structure target;
- d. a delivery tube disposed within said ventral chamber suitable for carrying coolant to said tip member for moving a cooling fluid from said proximal end of said catheter to said distal end of said catheter through said delivery tube and returns said coolant fluid to said proximal end of said catheter without said coolant fluid coming into direct contact with said neuroaxis structure targets;
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- e. wherein said cooling or freezing effect is adapted to be delivered to neuroaxis structure targets located on the ventral side of said catheter and not to tissues located on the dorsal side of said catheter and wherein the angle of said distal end of said catheter can be changed relative to the body of the catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.