Energy delivery devices and related systems and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11832880-B2
Application number	US-201916714063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2019
Priority date	Dec 13, 2018
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

The present invention relates to comprehensive systems, devices and methods for delivering energy to tissue for a wide variety of applications, including medical procedures (e.g., tissue ablation, resection, cautery, vascular thrombosis, treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and dysrhythmias, electrosurgery, tissue harvest, etc.). In certain embodiments, systems, devices, and methods are provided for treating a tissue region (e.g., a tumor) through application of energy using energy delivery devices having a conductive permanent tip encapsulated in a biocompatible material.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system comprising: an energy delivery device having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the energy delivery device comprises: a) an antenna having a proximal end and a distal end and a fixed width and length, wherein the antenna has a linear shape extending from the proximal end to the distal end, wherein the antenna comprises an inner conductor having an inner conductor proximal end and an inner conductor distal end, and coolant channels for circulating carbon dioxide at or near its critical point from the proximal end of the energy delivery device to the distal end of the energy delivery device; and b) a permanent sharp tip positioned at the distal end of the antenna, wherein the permanent sharp tip is encapsulated in a biocompatible material through exposure of the permanent sharp tip to carbon dioxide gas at or near its critical point circulated from the coolant channels thereby rendering the distal end of the energy delivery device non-sharp, wherein the permanent sharp tip encapsulated in the biocompatible material has a width that is not larger than the width of the antenna, wherein the biocompatible material is any material that in the absence of exposure to carbon dioxide gas at or near its critical point will dissolve resulting in a non-encapsulated permanent tip; and a coolant supply in fluid communication with the coolant channels in the energy delivery device, wherein the coolant supply comprises carbon dioxide; and a control processor configured to regulate the exposure of the permanent sharp tip to carbon dioxide gas at or near its critical point circulated from the coolant channels in order to encapsulate the permanent tip in the biocompatible material.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the permanent sharp tip is a conductive permanent sharp tip or a non-conductive permanent sharp tip.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the conductive or non- conductive permanent tip has one or more of the following characteristics:
is cone shaped;
is titanium based;
is coated with a non-stick material;
is fluoropolymer based;
is a beveled needle;
is trifaceted;
is ceramic based;
is high temperature plastic based;
has a diamond like coating;
has micro-serrations;
comprises a trocar.

4. The system of claim 3 ,
wherein said diamond like coating is a dielectric material,
wherein said diamond like coating is less than 20 microns.

5. The system of claim 3 ,
wherein said micro-serrations are in a tri-facet or quad-facet design,
wherein said micro-serrations are 50-100 μm in length.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein said conductive permanent tip features a plurality of scales adjacent to said micro-serrations.

7. The system of claim 2 ,
wherein said inner conductor is not physically coupled to said conductive or non- conductive permanent tip; or
wherein said inner conductor is capactively-coupled to said conductive or non-conductive permanent tip.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein said conductive or non-conductive permanent tip is attached to an insulator, said insulator attached to a distal end of said metal fitting, wherein said insulator comprises a ceramic insulator.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said metal fitting, insulator, and conductive or non-conductive tip are positioned and dimensioned so as to generate a low impedance overlap to transfer energy to said conductive or non-conductive tip when energy is supplied to said inner conductor.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible material is dome shaped or bullet shaped or cylindrically shaped or consistent with the shape of the antenna.

11. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein said antenna comprises a conductive outer conductor surrounding at least a portion of said inner conductor,
wherein said antenna comprises a dielectric material between said inner and outer conductors.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said antenna is a triaxial antenna.

13. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein said inner conductor comprises a first region distal to a second region, said second region distal to a third region,
wherein said third region is contained in a triaxial antenna wherein the inner conductor is enveloped by a dielectric layer, and the dielectric layer is enveloped by an outer conductor,
wherein said second region lacks the outer conductor of said triaxial antenna,
wherein said first region lacks the outer conductor and the dielectric material of said triaxial antenna,
wherein said first region is adhered to and surrounded by a metal fitting, wherein said metal fitting is a brass metal fitting, wherein said metal fitting extends distally beyond the most distal end of said inner conductor, wherein said metal fitting abuts the dielectric layer surrounding the inner conductor in the second region, wherein said second region comprises a proximal portion containing the dielectric layer of said triaxial antenna and a distal portion lacking said dielectric layer of said triaxial antenna, wherein said distal portion of said second region comprises a non-conductive sleeve surrounding said inner conductor, wherein said non-conductive sleeve comprises PTFE.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein said metal fitting is adhered to said inner conductor via an electrically conductive adhesive.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply electrically connected to said device, wherein said power supply generates microwave energy.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control processor further regulates energy delivery from said power supply to said antenna.

Assignees

• Neuwave Medical Inc

Inventors

• Mingione Louie
• Thom Mark

Classifications

• A61B18/1815 Primary

  using microwaves · CPC title

• A61B2018/00017

  with gas · CPC title

• A61B2018/00577

  Ablation · CPC title

• A61B2018/00982

  combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B2018/1838

  Dipole antennas · CPC title