Polymer composites for biomedical applications and methods of making
AssigneeDFine, Inc.
InventorCsaba Truckai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A biomedical polymer composite that exhibits ultra-low thermal conductivity properties. In a preferred embodiment, the biomedical polymer composite comprises a base polymer component with a dispersed thermally non-conductive filler component consisting of glass or ceramic nanospheres or microspheres that have a thermal conductivity of less than 5 W/m-K, and preferably less than 2 W/m-K. In one embodiment, the polymer composite has an electrically conductive filler and can be used in a filament for treating arteriovascular malformations. In another embodiment, the polymeric composite can be used as an energy-coupling means to apply energy to tissue.
Claims10
A method of thermally treating tissue in a body, comprising:
- selecting a targeted portion of a tissue structure to be ablated using transmitted energy;
- identifying a nearby insulation portion of tissue to be insulated from the transmitted energy;
- introducing a flowable material into a delivery lumen of an elongate introducer, such that the flowable material flows through the delivery lumen, exits out a distal opening of the elongate introducer, and is deposited onto the insulation portion of tissue, thereby forming an insulative layer on the insulation portion of tissue;
- electrically coupling a radiofrequency (RF) energy source to a conductive liquid or gel electrode contacting the targeted portion of the tissue structure;
- transmitting RF energy from the RF energy source to the targeted portion of the tissue structure via the conductive liquid or gel electrode to thereby treat at least a portion of the targeted portion of the tissue structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.