Method for ablating target tissue of a patient

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10335280-B2
Application number	US-201615098494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 19, 2000
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A method for treating a human patient includes emitting ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer positioned remotely from target tissue of the patient. The ultrasound transducer is positioned at a desired location relative to the patient and target tissue using location and imaging techniques. The method further includes focusing the ultrasound energy such that one or more focal points are directed to the target tissue of the patient and ablating the target tissue at each focal point. The target tissue is ablated via the focused ultrasound energy without ablating non-target tissue through which the ultrasound energy passes between the ultrasound transducer and the one or more focal points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for treating a human patient, the method comprising:
emitting ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer positioned remotely from target tissue of the patient, wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned at a desired location relative to the patient and target tissue using location and imaging techniques;
focusing the ultrasound energy such that one or more focal points are directed to the target tissue of the patient; and
ablating the target tissue at each focal point with the focused ultrasound energy without ablating non-target tissue through which the ultrasound energy passes between the ultrasound transducer and the one or more focal points.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising steering the focused ultrasound energy to a plurality of discrete focal points throughout the target tissue to be ablated.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises a phased array of ultrasound transducer elements, and wherein steering the focused ultrasound energy comprises electronically steering the focused ultrasound energy via microprocessor control of the phased array of ultrasound transducer elements.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein steering the focused ultrasound energy of the phased array of ultrasound transducer elements comprises electronically controlling each individual ultrasound transducer element to focus the ultrasound energy at the one or more focal points.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein steering the focused ultrasound energy comprises physically moving the ultrasound transducer relative to the patient and the target tissue.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned at the desired location relative to the patient and target tissue using fluoroscopy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned at the desired location relative to the patient and target tissue using magnetic resonance imaging.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned at the desired location relative to the patient and target tissue using direct visualization.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound transducer is positioned at the desired location relative to the patient and target tissue using mapping technology.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises a phased array of ultrasound transducer elements, and wherein emitting ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer positioned remotely from target tissue of the patient comprises emitting ultrasound energy from a first set of the ultrasound transducer elements while a second set of the ultrasound transducer elements are turned off.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises a phased array of ultrasound transducer elements, and wherein emitting ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer positioned remotely from target tissue of the patient comprises emitting ultrasound energy having a first phase and a first amplitude from a first set of ultrasound transducer elements, and emitting ultrasound energy having a second phase and a second amplitude from a second, different set of ultrasound transducer elements.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein emitting ultrasound energy from an ultrasound transducer positioned remotely from target tissue of the patient comprises emitting high frequency ultrasound (HIFU) energy.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein ablating the target tissue comprises ablating a non-linear area of tissue of the patient.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein ablating the target tissue comprises creating a plurality of non-linear, non-contiguous lesions within the target tissue.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a parameter of the ultrasound transducer and/or target tissue within the patient before and during delivery of the ultrasound energy.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein monitoring a parameter comprises monitoring changes in mechanical properties of the target tissue, and wherein the method further comprises altering delivery of the ultrasound energy in response to the monitored parameter.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein ablating the target tissue comprises ablating target nerve tissue within the patient.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein ablating the target tissue comprises ablating nerves of the patient such that neural communication along the nerves is inhibited or blocked.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Keogh James R
• Ryan Timothy R
• Eberhardt Carol E
• Stewart Mark T
• Skarda James R
• Laske Timothy G
• Hill Alexander J
• Lemmon Jack D
• Francischelli David E

Classifications

• A61B2090/378

  using ultrasound · CPC title

• A61F2210/009

  magnetic · CPC title

• A61B18/1442

  Probes having pivoting end effectors, e.g. forceps · CPC title

• A61B5/6853

  with a balloon · CPC title

• A61B5/1076

  for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters (A61B3/1005 takes precedence) · CPC title