Needle and tine deployment mechanism
AssigneeGynesonics, Inc.
InventorsBrian Placek, Robert K. Deckman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A needle electrode deployment shaft includes a central member and a plurality of needle electrodes. The central member has a plurality of needle advancement channels formed therein. The needle electrodes are disposed within the advancement channels and each advancement channel terminates in a ramp portion which deflects the needles radially outwardly as they are axially advanced. The ramps may be spirally or acutely configured in order to increase the distance through which the needles may be bent as they are axially advanced. Additionally, the central member may have a radially reduced distal tip in order to decrease tissue insertion forces.
Claims36
A needle electrode deployment shaft comprising:
- a central member having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis therebetween, an outer surface, and a plurality of needle electrode advancement channels, each channel having an axially aligned proximal portion and an outwardly directed distal ramp portion;
- and
- a plurality of peripheral needle electrodes having tissue penetrating tips slidably received in said channels;
- wherein each proximal portion of each channel is straight and wherein each ramp portion of each channel follows a spiral path relative to the longitudinal axis and has (1) a ramp entrance located at a first angular orientation relative to the longitudinal axis and at a preselected radial distance between the longitudinal axis of the central member and the ramp entrance and (2) a ramp exit located at a second angular orientation angularly offset from the first angular orientation and on an outer surface of the central member.
A needle electrode deployment shaft comprising:
- a central member having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis therebetween, an outer surface, and a plurality of needle electrode advancement channels, each channel having an axially aligned proximal portion and an outwardly directed distal ramp portion wherein the proximal portion is straight and parallel to the longitudinal axis and wherein the ramp portion follows a spiral path relative to the longitudinal axis;
- a plurality of needle electrodes having tissue penetrating tips slidably received in said channels;
- and
- a spike having a sharpened tip extending from the distal end of the central member, said spike having a diameter less than that of the central member in order to reduce the insertion force required to advance the shaft in tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.