Multiple treatment zone ablation probe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10722305-B2
Application number	US-201815985006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2011
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

An energy delivery probe and method of using the energy delivery probe to treat a patient is provided herein. The energy delivery probe has at least one probe body having a longitudinal axis and at least a first trocar and a second trocar. Each trocar comprises at least two electrodes that are electrically insulated from each other, and each electrode is independently selectively activatable. An insulative sleeve is positioned in a coaxially surrounding relationship to each of the first trocar and the second trocar. The probe also has a switching means for independently activating at least one electrode. The method involves independently and selectively activating the first and second electrodes to form an ablation zone, then repeating the ablation by delivering energy to a second set of electrodes, producing one or more overlapping ablation zone, and eliminating the need to reposition the ablation probes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of treating tissue in a patient, the method comprising:
inserting at least one energy delivery probe into or near a target tissue, the energy delivery probe comprising at least a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein each electrode is configured to be independently selectively activatable; an insulator coaxially surrounding at least a section of the probe, the insulator positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode;
activating the first electrode to deliver an electrical energy to the second electrode;
delivering energy between the first electrode and the second electrode;
switching the activation of the electrodes such that the second electrode is activated to deliver the electrical energy to the first electrode;
delivering electrical energy between the second electrode and the first electrode; and
forming an ablation zone within the target tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one energy delivery probe is bipolar.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of infusing a fluid through the probe; and wherein infusing the fluid through the probe comprises infusing a cooling fluid.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the cooling fluid is delivered through a lumen in the at least one energy delivery probe.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering energy further comprises a pulse parameters comprising a first set of five individual pulses, followed by a first delay of up to 2 seconds, followed by a second set of five pulses, followed by a second delay of at least 3.5 seconds.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pulse parameter further comprises a third set of five individual pulses, followed by a third delay of up to 2 seconds, followed by a fourth set of five pulses, followed by a fourth delay of at least 3.5 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one energy delivery probe is not repositioned during the delivery of energy.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering energy further comprises delivering either electrical energy or radiofrequency (RF) energy.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises delivering electrical energy to the target tissue sufficient to cause irreversible electroporation of the target tissue but insufficient to cause thermal damage to the target tissue.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: inserting a second energy delivered probe into or near the target tissue.

11. A system for treating tissue, the system comprising:
at least one energy delivery probe comprising at least a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein each electrode is independently selectively activatable;
a switching means configured to independently selectively activate at least one of the first electrode and second electrode;
a generator configured to deliver energy to the at least one energy delivery probe;
an insulator coaxially surrounding at least a section of the probe, the insulator positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
the switching means configured to activate the first electrode to deliver an electrical energy to the second electrode the generator configured to deliver energy between the first electrode and the second electrode, the switching means configured to activate the second electrode to deliver the electrical energy to the first electrode the generator configured to deliver electrical energy between the second electrode and the first electrode.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one energy delivery probe is bipolar.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising at least one cooling mechanism to deliver a cooling fluid to the at least one energy delivery probe; and wherein the cooling fluid is delivered to the at least one energy delivery probe through a lumen in the at least one probe.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the generator is configured to deliver energy comprising a pulse parameters of a first set of five individual pulses, followed by a first delay of up to 2 seconds, followed by a second set of five pulses, followed by a second delay of at least 3.5 seconds.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pulse parameter further comprises a third set of five individual pulses, followed by a third delay of up to 2 seconds, followed by a fourth set of five pulses, followed by a fourth delay of at least 3.5 seconds.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one energy delivery probe is not repositioned during the delivery of energy.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein energy delivered from the generator further comprises either electrical energy or radiofrequency (RF) energy.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the electrical energy is configured to cause irreversible electroporation of the target tissue but insufficient to cause thermal damage to the target tissue.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the switching means is configured to be coupled to at least one of the first electrode and second electrode.

Assignees

• Angiodynamics Inc

Inventors

• Moss Kevin L
• Pearson Robert M

Classifications

• A61B18/1487 Primary

  Trocar-like, i.e. devices producing an enlarged transcutaneous opening · CPC title

• A61B18/18 Primary

  by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves · CPC title

• A61B2018/00529

  Liver · CPC title

• A61B2090/036

  abutting on tissue or skin · CPC title

• A61B2018/1467

  using more than two electrodes on a single probe · CPC title