Device and method for the ablation of fibrin sheath formation on a venous catheter
AssigneeAngioDynamics, Inc.
InventorsEamonn P. Hobbs, William C. Hamilton, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An indwelling venous catheter and method capable of destroying undesirable cellular growth is provided. The catheter includes a shaft having at least one lumen and adapted to be placed inside a vein for long term use. A plurality of electrodes are positioned near a distal section of the shaft and are adapted to receive from a voltage generator a plurality of electrical pulses in an amount sufficient to cause destruction of cells in the undesirable cellular growth that have grown around the shaft. In one aspect of the invention, a probe is configured to be removably insertable into the at least one lumen and the electrodes are positioned near the distal section of the probe.
Claims10
A method of treating undesirable cellular growth on an indwelling venous catheter comprising:
- connecting a voltage generator to a plurality of electrodes that are positioned on a shaft of the indwelling venous catheter;
- applying a predetermined schedule of electrical pulses generated by the voltage generator between the plurality of connected electrodes while the shaft of the indwelling venous catheter is positioned inside a vessel the predetermined schedule of electrical pulses being of an amount sufficient to prevent the undesirable cellular growth around the shaft of the indwelling venous catheter and to electroporate cells of the undesirable cellular growth that may have formed around the shaft of the indwelling venous catheter;
- and
- introducing a therapeutic agent into the electroporated cells of the undesirable cellular growth;
- wherein the therapeutic. agent is formulated to cause cell death in the electroporated cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.