Flow rate monitor for fluid cooled microwave ablation probe
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorJoseph D. Brannan
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Abstract
A microwave ablation system includes an antenna assembly configured to deliver microwave energy from a power source to tissue and a coolant source operably coupled to the power source and configured to selectively provide fluid to the antenna assembly via a fluid path. The system also includes a controller operably coupled to the power source and a sensor operably coupled to the fluid path and the controller. The sensor is configured to detect fluid flow through the fluid path and the controller is configured to control the energy source based on the detected fluid flow.
Claims16
A microwave ablation system, comprising:
- an antenna assembly configured to deliver microwave energy from a power source to tissue;
- a coolant source operably coupled to the power source and configured to selectively provide fluid to the antenna assembly via a fluid path;
- a controller operably coupled to the power source;
- a signal processing circuit operably coupled to the controller, comprising:
- at least one sensor disposed in a resonant feedback loop with an amplifier configured to generate output to a band pass filter centered on a resonant frequency consistent with fluid flow through the fluid path;
- a sample-and-hold peak detector operably coupled to the output of the band pass filter,
- wherein the at least one sensor is operably coupled to the fluid path and the signal processing circuit, the at least one sensor configured to detect fluid flow through the fluid path, wherein the signal processing circuit causes the controller to control the power source based on the detected fluid flow during delivery of microwave energy from the power source to tissue.
A microwave ablation system, comprising:
- an antenna assembly configured to deliver microwave energy from a power source to tissue;
- a coolant source operably coupled to the power source and configured to selectively provide fluid to the antenna assembly via a fluid path;
- a controller operably coupled to the power source;
- a signal processing circuit operably coupled to the controller, comprising:
- a capacitive device disposed in a resonant feedback loop with an amplifier configured to generate output to a band pass filter centered on a resonant frequency consistent with fluid flow through the fluid path;
- a sample-and-hold peak detector operably coupled to the output of the band pass filter,
- wherein the capacitive device is operably coupled to the fluid path and the signal processing circuit, the capacitive device configured to detect fluid flow through the fluid path based on a capacitance of the capacitive device, wherein the signal processing circuit causes the controller to control the power source based on the detected fluid flow during delivery of microwave energy from the power source to tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.