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US 7,604,631 B2Granted
Efficient controlled cryogenic fluid delivery into a balloon catheter and other treatment devices
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorByron Reynolds
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices, systems, and methods efficiently dilate and/or cool blood vessels and other body tissues. Controlled cooling with balloon catheters and other probes may be effected by a change in phase of a cryogenic fluid, often after measuring a minimum pulse width for actuating an individual solenoid valve along the cooling fluid path, with the measured pulse width allowing gradual inflation of a balloon without excessive venting of cooling fluid.
Claims9
A system for treating a tissue of an individual patient, the system comprising:
- a probe having a fluid path constructed and arranged for the flow of a fluid and a tissue treatment surface coupled thereto, the fluid path couplable to a fluid source;
- a valve disposed along the fluid path of the probe;
- a sensor disposed along the fluid path of the probe;
- a controller coupled to the valve and to the sensor, the controller configured to actuate the valve, the sensor configured to measure the pressure of the fluid along the fluid path, wherein the controller is configured to determine a performance characteristic of the valve in response to the measured pressure, the controller also configured to determine a treatment protocol in response to the determined valve performance characteristic and to implement the treatment protocol by actuating the valve so as to treat the tissue, wherein the fluid path comprises a cooling fluid path, wherein the treatment protocol comprises cryogenic cooling of the tissue by vaporization of the fluid in thermal contact with the treatment surface, the treatment surface comprising a heat transfer surface, wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve, and wherein the valve performance characteristic comprises a minimum electrical command pulse width for actuating the valve.
1 more element
A system for treating a tissue of an individual patient, the system comprising:
- a probe having a cooling fluid path constructed and arranged for the flow of fluid, the cooling fluid path couplable to a fluid source;
- a tissue treatment surface coupled to the probe;
- a valve disposed along the cooling fluid path, the valve comprising a solenoid valve having a valve performance characteristic, the valve performance characteristic comprising a minimum electrical command pulse width for actuating the valve;
- a pressure sensor disposed along the cooling fluid path;
- and
- a controller coupled to the valve and to the sensor;
- the controller being configured to determine the valve performance characteristic by actuating the valve and monitoring the fluid along the path with the pressure sensor, the controller also configured to determine a treatment protocol in response to the valve performance characteristic and to implement the treatment protocol by actuating the valve so as to treat the tissue, wherein the controller is also configured to determine the minimum electrical command pulse width for actuating the valve by sequentially assessing candidate electrical pulse widths through comparing a pressure along the cooling fluid path to a threshold pressure.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.