Medical instrument and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016113706-A1
Application number	US-201614990610-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 7, 2016
Priority date	Nov 14, 2011
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A medical for removing tissue from a patient includes an elongated probe with a working end. A pair of jaws is provided at the working end. The jaws may be closed for cutting and treatment of the tissue. Cutting may be effective through a sharpened cutting blade, and RF cutting blade, and similar cutting edges. The tissue may be remodeled using heat generated from passive heating elements on the jaws, active heating elements on the jaws, a PTCR heating element carried by the jaws, or resistive heaters on the jaws.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . Apparatus for treating tissue, comprising:
an introducer having a first and a second jaw; an actuator for moving said jaws between open and closed positions to clamp tissue therebetween; a cutting element disposed on at least one jaw; and a remodeling element disposed on at least one jaw; wherein the cutting element is configured to cut said tissue as the jaws are closed over said tissue and said remodeling element is configured to heat and remodel said tissue after the jaws have been closed over the tissue.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting element comprises a sharp edge at a first perimeter of at least one jaw.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting element comprises an RF electrode edge at a first perimeter of at least one jaw.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the remodeling element is further configured to apply pressure over said tissue after the jaws have been closed over the tissue.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the remodeling element comprises a Joule heating and/or a passive conductive heating element.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said remodeling element comprises first and second opposing polarity electrodes carried by the at least one jaw for passing RF current therebetween.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the first and second opposing polarity electrodes are carried in the first and second jaws, respectively.

8 . The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the remodeling element comprises a PTCR (positive temperature coefficient of resistance) material for passing current therethrough.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one jaw has a channel for capturing cut tissue therein.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the channel extends through the introducer for transporting the cut tissue in a proximal direction therethrough.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the channel is configured to be connected to a pressure source to transport cut tissue under the influence of pressure.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the pressure source is a negative pressure source connected to pull the tissue proximally.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the pressure source is a positive pressure connected to push the tissue proximally.

14 . A medical device for resecting and remodeling tissue, said device comprising:
an elongated probe with a working end; openable-closeable first and second jaws operatively connected to the working end of the probe, wherein at least one jaw has a first surface portion carrying a tissue cutting element and at least one jaw has a second surface portion outward of the first surface portion carrying a heat emitter for applying thermal energy for remodeling tissue.

15 . The medical device of claim 14 wherein the tissue cutting element comprises a blade edge.

16 . The medical device of claim 14 wherein the tissue cutting element comprises an RF electrode.

17 . The medical device of claim 14 wherein the heat emitter comprises at least one RF electrode.

18 . The medical device of claim 14 wherein the heat emitter comprises a PTCR material.

19 . The medical device of claim 14 wherein the heat emitter comprises a resistive heater.

20 . The medical device of claim 14 , wherein the heat emitter comprises a first tapered surface on one jaw and a second tapered surface on another jaw, wherein the tapered surfaces diverge in a laterally outward direction from the jaws so that the tissue is reformed to the inwardly tapered tissue margins after the tissue is cut and heated by the device.

21 . A medical device for removing tissue from a patient's body, said device comprising:
an elongated probe with a working end; openable-closeable first and second jaws wherein the jaws in the closed position define a interior tissue extraction channel, and first and second electrode configured for explosive vaporization of fluid within the channel to apply fluidic pressure to cut tissue captured within the channel.

Assignees

• Relign Corp

Inventors

• Truckai Csaba
• Germain Aaron
• Shadduck John H

Classifications

• A61B18/08

  by means of electrically-heated probes · CPC title

• A61B2018/00172

  Connectors and adapters therefor · CPC title

• A61B18/1445 Primary

  at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod · CPC title

• A61B2018/146

  Scissors · CPC title

• A61B18/085

  Forceps, scissors · CPC title