|Número de publicación||US7004942 B2|
|Tipo de publicación||Concesión|
|Número de solicitud||US 10/351,245|
|Fecha de publicación||28 Feb 2006|
|Fecha de presentación||23 Ene 2003|
|Fecha de prioridad||14 Ene 1998|
|También publicado como||CA2317410A1, DE69941252D1, EP1047347A1, EP1047347A4, EP1047347B1, US6283987, US6533780, US20030135249, WO1999035983A1|
|Número de publicación||10351245, 351245, US 7004942 B2, US 7004942B2, US-B2-7004942, US7004942 B2, US7004942B2|
|Inventores||Robert J. Laird, Frank W. Ingle, Garry L. Carter, Timothy G. Dietz|
|Cesionario original||Solarant Medical, Inc.|
|Exportar cita||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Citas de patentes (109), Otras citas (1), Citada por (94), Clasificaciones (33), Eventos legales (12)|
|Enlaces externos: USPTO, Cesión de USPTO, Espacenet|
This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/925,501 filed on Oct. 23, 2000; now U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,780, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/229,508 filed on Jan. 12, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,987, and further claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/071,324 filed on Jan. 14, 1998, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to medical devices, methods, and systems. More specifically, the present invention provides techniques for selectively heating and shrinking tissues, particularly for the noninvasive treatment of urinary incontinence and hernias, for cosmetic surgery, and the like.
Urinary incontinence arises in both women and men with varying degrees of severity, and from different causes. In men, the condition occurs almost exclusively as a result of prostatectomies which result in mechanical damage to the sphincter. In women, the condition typically arises after pregnancy where musculoskeletal damage has occurred as a result of inelastic stretching of the structures which support the genitourinary tract. Specifically, pregnancy can result in inelastic stretching of the pelvic floor, the external sphincter, and most often, to the tissue structures which support the bladder and bladder neck region. In each of these cases, urinary leakage typically occurs when a patient's intra-abdominal pressure increases as a result of stress, e.g. coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercise, or the like.
Treatment of urinary incontinence can take a variety of forms. Most simply, the patient can wear absorptive devices or clothing, which is often sufficient for minor leakage events. Alternatively or additionally, patients may undertake exercises intended to strengthen the muscles in the pelvic region, or may attempt behavior modification intended to reduce the incidence of urinary leakage.
In cases where such noninterventional approaches are inadequate or unacceptable, the patient may undergo surgery to correct the problem. A variety of procedures have been developed to correct urinary incontinence in women. Several of these procedures are specifically intended to support the bladder neck region. For example, sutures, straps, or other artificial structures are often looped around the bladder neck and affixed to the pelvis, the endopelvic fascia, the ligaments which support the bladder, or the like. Other procedures involve surgical injections of bulking agents, inflatable balloons, or other elements to mechanically support the bladder neck.
Each of these procedures has associated shortcomings. Surgical operations which involve suturing of the tissue structures supporting the urethra or bladder neck region require great skill and care to achieve the proper level of artificial support. In other words, it is necessary to occlude or support the tissues sufficiently to inhibit urinary leakage, but not so much that intentional voiding is made difficult or impossible. Balloons and other bulking agents which have been inserted can migrate or be absorbed by the body. The presence of such inserts can also be a source of urinary tract infections. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved therapy for urinary incontinence.
A variety of other problems can arise when the support tissues of the body have excessive length. Excessive length of the pelvic support tissues (particularly the ligaments and fascia of the pelvic area) can lead to a variety of ailments including, for example, cystocele, in which a portion of the bladder protrudes into the vagina. Excessive length of the tissues supporting the breast may cause the breasts to sag. Many hernias are the result of a strained, torn, and/or distended containing tissue, which allows some other tissue or organ to protrude beyond its contained position. Cosmetic surgeries are also often performed to decrease the length of support tissues. For example, abdominoplasty (often called a “tummy tuck”) is often performed to decrease the circumference of the abdominal wall. The distortion of these support tissues may be due to strain, advanced age, congenital predisposition, or the like.
Unfortunately, many support tissues are difficult to access, and their tough, fibrous nature can complicate their repair. As a result, the therapies now used to improve or enhance the support provided by the ligaments and fascia of the body often involve quite invasive surgical procedures.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved devices, methods, and systems for treating fascia, tendons, and the other support tissues of the body. It would be particularly desirable to provide improved noninvasive or minimally invasive therapies for these support tissues, especially for the treatment of urinary incontinence in men and women. It would further be desirable to provide treatment methods which made use of the existing support structures of the body, rather than depending on the specific length of an artificial support structure.
2. Description of the Background Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,811 describes a method for RF ablation using a cooled electrode. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,458,596 and 5,569,242 describe methods and an apparatus for controlled contraction of soft tissue. An RF apparatus for controlled depth ablation of soft tissue is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,130.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,561 describes an implantable apparatus for localized heating of tissue, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,331 describes an electrosurgical device with a treatment arc of less than 360 degrees. An impedance and temperature generator control is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,312. Bipolar surgical devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,282,799, 5,201,732, and 728,883.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a probe comprising a first electrode having a first electrode surface with a first edge. A second electrode has a second electrode surface with a second edge adjacent the first edge. The first and second surfaces are aligned so as to simultaneously engage a tissue surface. An insulator is disposed between the first and second electrode. The insulator extends beyond the edges so as to avoid edge induced concentration of current flux. The insulator will typically comprise a protruding rib or a film.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a probe comprising a first electrode having a first electrode surface for engaging a tissue surface of a tissue. A second electrode has a second electrode surface which is oriented to engage the tissue surface simultaneously with the first electrode surface. A rib between the first and second electrodes extends beyond the electrode surfaces so as to protrude into the tissue.
The rib will generally be electrically isolated from the first and second electrodes, so that the rib can direct a bi-polar current flux between the electrode surfaces into the tissue beyond the protruding rib. The rib may be adapted to distend the tissue surface (for example, by providing a rounded protruded edge, or by forming the rib from a soft material), or may instead be adapted to incise the tissue surface (for example, by forming the rib with a sharp and/or hard protruding edge). Preferably, a cooling system will be coupled to the first and second electrodes for cooling the engaged tissue surface.
The ribbed probe of the present invention is particularly well adapted for directing current flux through an intermediate tissue and into a collagenous target tissue so as to heat and shrink the collagenous tissue. Cooling of the electrode surfaces can help minimize collateral damage to the intermediate tissue during this process.
In another aspect, the invention provides a probe comprising first and second electrically and thermally conductive tubes. Each of the tubes has an electrode surface and a side surface with an edge therebetween. An electrical insulation film is disposed between the side surfaces of the tubes. The film is thermally conductive and has an exposed cooling surface extending between the electrode surfaces of the tubes, and cooling surface being thermally coupled to a cooling fluid.
Advantageously, the film can avoid electrical current concentrations (and localized overheating) at the edges of the electrode surfaces, while applying cooling contiguously across a pair of separated bipolar electrodes.
The present invention optionally relies on inducing controlled shrinkage or contraction of a support tissue of the body, typically being a collagenous tissue such as fascia, ligament, or the like. For treatment of urinary incontinence, the tissue structure will be one that is responsible in some manner for control of urination, or for supporting a such a tissue. Exemplary tissue structures include the urethral wall, the bladder neck, the bladder, the urethra, bladder suspension ligaments, the sphincter, pelvic ligaments, pelvic floor muscles, fascia, and the like. Treatment of other conditions may be effected by selective shrinking of a wide variety of other tissues, including (but not limited to) the diaphragm, the abdominal wall, the breast supporting ligaments, the fascia and ligaments of the joints, the collagenous tissues of the skin, and the like. Related devices, methods, and system are also described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/910,370, filed Aug. 13, 1997, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Tissue contraction results from controlled heating of the tissue by affecting the collagen molecules of the tissue. Contraction occurs as a result of heat-induced uncoiling and repositioning of the collagen β-pleated structure. By maintaining the times and temperatures set forth below, significant tissue contraction can be achieved without substantial collateral tissue necrosis.
The temperature of the target tissue structure will generally be raised to a value in the range from about 60° C. to 110° C., often being in the range from about 60° C. to 80° C., and will generally effect a shrinkage of the target tissue in at least one dimension of between about 20 and 50 percent. In many embodiments, heating energy will be applied for a period of from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. These heating times will vary with separation between the parallel plate electrodes, with a heat time of about 5 minutes often being appropriate for an electrode separation of about 4 cm. Shorter heat times may be used with smaller electrode separation distances.
The rise in temperature may be quite fast, although there will often be advantages in heating tissues more slowly, as this will allow more heat to be removed from tissues which are not targeted for therapy, thereby minimizing collateral damage. However, if too little heating energy is absorbed by the tissue, blood perfusion will transfer the heat away from the targeted tissue, so that the temperature will not rise sufficiently to effect therapy. Fortunately, fascia and other support tissues often have less blood flow than adjacent tissues and organs; this may help enhance the heating of fascia and minimize necrosis of the surrounding structures.
The total amount of energy delivered will depend in part on which tissue structure is being treated, how much tissue is disposed between the target tissue and the heating element, and the specific temperature and time selected for the protocol. The power delivered will often be in the range from 10 W to 100 W, usually being about 20 W. The temperature will usually not drop instantaneously when the heating energy stops, so that the tissue may remain at or near the therapy temperature for a time from about 10 seconds to about 2 minutes, and will often cool gradually back to body temperature.
While the remaining description is generally directed at devices and methods for treatment of urinary stress incontinence of a female patient, it will be appreciated that the present invention will find many other applications for selectively directing therapeutic heating energy into the tissues of a patient body for shrinking of tissues, for ablation of tissues and tumors, and the like.
The surfaces of electrodes 12, 14 which engage the tissue are cooled by a cooling system 16. The cooling system will typically include a conduit through the electrode for the circulation of a cooling fluid, but may optionally rely on thermoelectric cooling or the like. The temperature of the electrode surface may be regulated by varying the temperature or flow rate of the cooling fluid. Cooling may be provided through the use of an ice bath, by endothermic chemical reactions, by standard surgical room refrigeration mechanisms, or the like. Ideally, the cooling system cools an area which extends beyond the energized electrode surfaces to prevent any hot spots adjacent the tissue surface, and to maximize the heat removal from the tissue without having to resort to freezing the tissue.
Each of the electrodes is separated into a plurality of electrode segments. For example, the electrode includes electrode segments 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, 12 d, and 12 e, each of which is electrically isolated from the others. This allows the electrode segments to be individually energized.
Electrodes 12, 14 are energized by a radiofrequency (RF) power source 18. Multiplexers 20 individually energize each electrode segment, typically varying the power or time each segment is energized to more nearly uniformly heat fascia F. A controller 22 will typically include a computer program which directs the application of cooling flow and RF power through electrodes 12, 14, ideally based at least in part on a temperature signal sensed by a temperature sensor 24. Temperature sensor 24 may sense the temperature of the tissue at the tissue/electrode interface, or may alternatively sense the temperature of the fascia itself.
The use of large cooled plate electrodes to direct an even electrical current flux can be understood with reference to the simplified cross-sectional illustration of
Preliminary work in connection with the present invention has shown that fascia and other collagenated tissues which are heated to a temperature range of between about 60° C. and 110° C., and preferably between about 60° C. and 80° C., will contract. In fact, unstressed fascia will shrink between about 30% and 50% when heated for a very short time, preferably from between about 0.5 seconds to 5 seconds. Such heating can easily be provided by conduction of RF currents through the tissue.
The uniform current flux provided by the large plate electrodes of the present invention will produce a substantially uniform heating of the tissue which passes that current. To selectively target a central portion of the tissue, in other words, to selectively heat a target portion of the tissue separated from electrodes 12, 14, the electrode surfaces are cooled. This cooling maintains a cooled tissue region 28 adjacent each electrode below a maximum safe tissue temperature, typically being below about 45° C. Even though heat generation throughout the gap between the electrodes is uniform, the temperature profile of the tissue between the electrodes can be controlled by removing heat through the electrode surfaces during heating.
Generally, sufficient heating can be provided by a current of between about 0.2 and 2.0 amps, ideally about 1.0 amp, and a maximum voltage of between about 30 and 100 volts rms, ideally being about 60 volts rms. The electrodes will often have a surface area of between about 5.0 and 200 cm2, and the current density in the target tissue will often be between about 1 mA/cm2 and 10 mA/cm2. This will provide a maximum power in the range from about 10W to about 100W, often being about 20 watts. Using such low power settings, if either electrode is lifted away from the engaged tissue, there will be no arcing. Instead, the current will simply stop. This highlights the difference between the electrical tissue heating of the present invention and known electrocautery techniques.
The ideal geometry to provide a true one-dimensional temperature distribution would include large parallel plate electrodes having relatively minimal spacing therebetween. As tissues which are easily accessible for such structures are fairly limited, the present invention can also make use of electrode geometries which vary somewhat from this ideal, particularly through the use of array electrodes. In fact, the use of a single array electrode, in combination with a much larger, uncooled electrode pad may heat tissues disposed near the array, as will be described hereinbelow. Nonetheless, uniform heating is generally enhanced by providing electrode structures having tissue engaging surfaces which are as flat and/or as parallel as practical. Preferably, the parallel electrode surfaces will be separated by between about ⅓ and 1.0 times the width of the electrode surfaces (or of the smaller surface, if they are different).
The use of an array electrode having multiple electrode segments can be understood with reference to
The use of array electrodes provides still further flexibility regarding the selective targeting of tissues between electrodes 12 and 14. As illustrated in
To compensate for electrode structures which are not exactly parallel, varying amounts of electrical current can be provided to the electrode segments. For example, a fairly uniform target zone 32 may be heated between angled electrodes by driving more current through relatively widely spaced electrode segments 12 a, 14 a, and driving less current through more tightly spaced electrode segments 12 e, 14 e, as illustrated in
An exemplary structure for segmented, cooled electrode 12 is schematically illustrated in
The array electrode structures of the present invention will generally include a series of conductive surface segments which are aligned to define a substantially flat electrode surface. The electrode surface segments are separated by an electrically insulating material, with the insulation being much smaller in surface area than the conductive segments. Typically, there will be between 1 and 8 electrode segments, which are separated by a distance of between about 0.25 mm and 1.0 mm.
In some embodiments, the peripheral edges of the electrode segments may be rounded and/or covered by an insulating material to prevent concentrations of the electrical potential and injury to the engaged tissue surfaces.
It should also be understood that while the electrode arrays of the present invention are generally herein described with reference to a linear array geometry, the present invention also encompasses electrodes which are segmented into two-dimensional arrays. Where opposed sides of the tissue are accessible for relatively large array structures, such as along the exposed skin, or near the major cavities and orifices of the body, the electrode surfaces will preferably be separated by a gap which is less than a width (and length) of the electrodes.
In some embodiments, one electrode structure may be disposed within a large body cavity such as the rectum or vagina, while the other is placed in an adjacent cavity, or on the skin so that the region to be treated is between the electrode surfaces. In other embodiments, one or both electrodes may be inserted and positioned laparoscopically. It will often be desirable to clamp the tissue tightly between the electrodes to minimize the gap therebetween, and to promote efficient coupling of the electrode to the tissue.
Referring now to
In general, when two planar electrodes are disposed side-by-side on a flat (or large radius) surface for the application of RF energy, maximum heating will occur at the edges of the electrodes. This non-uniform heating is caused by the concentration of electrical potential at these locations. For this reason, it is often preferable to round the edges of plate electrodes. To further reduce the current density between electrodes, the edges of bi-polar electrodes (or differentially powered electrode segments) will also often be separated by a greater distance than might otherwise be desirable for applying uniform therapeutic heating, such as to shrink collagenated tissue.
To avoid the concentration of heating at the adjacent edges of electrodes 35 and 37, an insulating rib 39 a is positioned roughly perpendicular to, and disposed between, the two plate electrodes. Electrical current very near the surface of an insulator will generally flow parallel to the insulator surface. In contrast, current which is very near a conductor will generally flow perpendicular to the conductor surface. In the absence of rib 39 a, the current density is greatest directly between the two electrodes at their adjacent edges, and will tend to cause a burn at that location.
By providing vertical rib 39 a between the electrode surfaces, the current can be directed away from the electrodes and over the protruding rib. As a result, the rib will tend to induce a region of approximately parallel current flow beyond the end of the protruding rib and roughly perpendicular to the electrode surfaces. Advantageously, rib 39 a directs the greatest current density deep into the tissue, allowing a bi-polar current between the electrodes to heat and shrink fascia F without inducing a burn at the surface of intermediate tissue T. In some embodiments, rib 39 a may distend the engaged tissue surface. Alternatively, a sharpened rib may incise the tissue to direct the heating current flux deeper through the intermediate tissue and into an inaccessible target tissue.
In alternative embodiments, the insulator may comprise a film 39 b as illustrated in
As can be understood with reference to
It will generally be desirable to maintain the temperature of intermediate tissue 36 below a maximum safe tissue temperature to prevent injury to this intermediate tissue, the maximum safe tissue temperature typically being about 45° C. To effect shrinkage of fascia, target zone 32 will typically be heated to a temperature above about 60° C.
There will often be a region of stunned tissue 38 disposed between the safely cooled intermediate tissue 36 and the target zone 32. This stunned tissue will typically be heated in the range from about 45° C. to about 60° C., and may therefore undergo some limited injury during the treatment process. As a result, it is generally desirable to minimize the time this tissue is at an elevated temperature, as well as the amount of stunned tissue.
As illustrated in
Once the tissue has been pre-cooled, the RF current is directed through the tissue between the electrodes to heat the tissue. A temperature sensor can be placed at the center of target zone 32 to help determine when the pre-cooling has been applied for the proper time to initiate RF heating. The current flux applies a fairly uniform heating throughout the tissue between the electrodes, and the electrode surfaces are often cooled throughout the heating process. As target zone 32 has the highest temperature upon initiation of the heating cycle, and as the target zone is farthest from the cooled electrodes, a relatively small amount of heat flows from the target zone into the electrodes, and the target zone is heated to a significantly higher temperature than intermediate tissue 36.
Heat is applied until the target zone is at or above a treatment temperature, typically resulting in a temperature distribution such as that illustrated in
Optionally, RF current may be driven between the two cooled plate electrodes using intermittent pulses of excitation. As used herein, intermittent or pulsed excitation encompasses cyclically increasing and decreasing delivered power, including cyclical variations in RMS power provided by amplitude modulation, waveform shape modulation, pulse width modulation, or the like. Such intermittent excitation will preferably provide no more than about 25% of the RMS power of the pulses during the intervals between pulses. Preferably, the electrodes will be energized for between about 10 and 50% of a total heating session. For example, electrodes 12 and 14 may be energized for 15 secs. and then turned off for 15 secs. and then cycled on and off again repeatedly until the target tissue has been heated sufficiently to effect the desired shrinkage. Preferably, the electrode surfaces (and the surrounding probe structure which engages the tissue) will be cooled throughout the on/off cycles of the heating sessions.
The therapeutic heating and cooling provided by the electrodes of the present invention will often be verified and/or controlled by sensing the temperature of the target tissue and the adjacent tissue directly. Such temperature sensing may be provided using a needle containing two temperature sensors: one at the tip to be positioned at the center of the treatment zone, and the second along the shaft of the needle so as to be positioned at the edge of the desired protection zone. In other words, the second sensor will be placed along the border between the intermediate tissue and the target tissue, typically somewhere along stunned tissue 38. The temperature sensors will preferably sense the tissue temperature during the intervals between pulses to minimize errors induced by the heating RF current flux in the surrounding tissue. The temperature sensors may comprise thermistors, thermocouples, or the like.
The temperature sensing needle may be affixed to or advanceable from a probe supporting the electrode adjacent to or between the electrode segments. Alternatively, two or more needles may be used. Typically, controller 22 will provide signals to cooling system 16 and the electrodes so that the electrodes chill the engaged tissue continually while the RF current is pulsed to increase the temperature of the treatment zone incrementally, ideally in a step-wise manner, until it reaches a temperature of 60° C. or more, while at the same time limiting heating of the intermediate tissue to 45° C. or less per the feedback from the needles.
In alternative embodiments, pre-chilling time, the duration of the heat, the lengths of the heating intervals (and the time between heating intervals) during intermittent heating, and the radiofrequency heating current may be controlled without having direct feedback by using dosimetry. Where the thermal properties of these tissues are sufficiently predictable, the effect of treatment can be estimated from previous measurements.
The pelvic support tissues which generally maintain the position of the urinary bladder B are illustrated in
In women with urinary stress incontinence due to bladder neck hypermobility, the bladder has typically dropped between about 1.0 cm and 1.5 cm (or more) below its nominal position. This condition is typically due to weakening of the pelvic support structures, including the endopelvic fascia, the arcus tendineus fascia pelvis, and the surrounding ligaments and muscles, often as the result of bearing children.
When a woman with urinary stress incontinence sneezes, coughs, laughs, or exercises, the abdominal pressure often increases momentarily. Such pressure pulses force the bladder to descend still further, shortening the urethra UR and momentarily opening the urinary sphincter.
As can be most clearly understood with reference to
Referring now to
A known treatment for urinary stress incontinence relies on sutures S to hold bladder neck N closed so as to prevent inadvertent voiding, as seen in
As shown in
As is more fully explained in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/910,370, filed Aug. 13, 1997, previously incorporated by reference, a wide variety of alternative conditions may also be treated using the methods of the present invention. In particular, selective shrinkage of fascia may effectively treat cystocele, hiatal, and inguinal hernias, and may even be used in cosmetic procedures such as abdominoplasty (through selectively shrinking of the abdominal wall), to remove wrinkles by shrinking the collagenated skin tissues, or to lift sagging breasts by shrinking their support ligaments.
A system for selectively shrinking the endopelvic fascia is illustrated in
The segments of electrode 12 are quite close to each other, and preferably define a substantially flat electrode surface 54. The cooling fluid flows immediately below this surface, the surface material preferably being both thermally and electrically conductive. Ideally, surface 54 is as large as the tissue region to be treated, and a thermocouple or other temperature sensor may be mounted adjacent the surface for engaging the tissue surface and measuring the temperature of the engaged tissue.
Urethral probe 44 includes a balloon 56 supporting a deployable electrode surface. This allows the use of a larger electrode surface than could normally be inserted through the urethra, by expanding the balloon structure within the bladder as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Urethral probe 44 and vaginal probe 42 may optionally be coupleable to each other to facilitate aligning the probes on either side of the target tissue, either mechanically or by some remote sensing system. For example, one of the probes may include an ultrasound transducer, thereby facilitating alignment of the electrode surfaces and identification of the target tissue. Alternatively, the proximal ends of the probes may attach together to align the electrodes and/or clamp the target tissue between the probes.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Transducer 64 optionally includes a needle guide 66. for insertion of a biopsy needle 68 through the view of the transducer and into the fascia. A thermocouple or other temperature sensing element may then be deployed in place of the biopsy needle.
Referring now to
As described above regarding
In single probe system 80, offset target zone 34 is heated by RF energy selectively directed through the segments of electrode 12. The vaginal mucosa VM disposed between vaginal probe 42 and endopelvic fascia EF is protected by cooling the surface of electrode 12, as described above. Bladder B (and the other tissues opposite endopelvic fascia EF relative to vaginal probe 42) are heated significantly less than endopelvic fascia EF due to the divergence of the current as it travels away from electrode 12 and towards electrode pad 82, which may optionally be disposed on the abdomen, back, or thigh. Optionally, cooling water may be circulated through bladder B to further protect these tissues. Multiplexer 20 selectively energizes the electrode segments for differing amounts of time and/or with differing power to help tailor the temperature profile of offset target zone 34 about endopelvic fascia EF for selective uniform heating with minimal collateral damage. Various treatment regimes with alternating heating and cooling cycles can help to focus the heat therapy on the desired tissues. Multiplexer 20 may be disposed outside of the body in a proximal housing, in a separate control unit housing, or the like. The multiplexer can provide electrode segment drive control, optionally with switches for each electrode segment.
Referring now to
The depth of penetration of the bipolar energy is controlled by the spacing and size of the electrode structures. The tissues distant from the cooled electrodes will be heated to a lesser extent than the tissues directly engaged by the electrodes, but will also be cooled to a lesser extent by the cooled electrodes and other cooling surfaces of bipolar probe 84. The tissues close to the electrodes will be heated to a greater extent, and will also be cooled more effectively. Therefore, a controlled regimen of timed pre-cooling and then heating is used to selectively raise the temperature of endopelvic fascia EF (or any other target tissue), while the vaginal mucosa adjacent probe 84 is protected by the cooled probe. Tissues at depths greater than the endopelvic fascia will generally be protected by the dissipation of bipolar current 88.
Since radiofrequency heating generally relies on conduction of electricity through the tissue, one additional mechanism for protecting the tissues at depths greater than the target area would be to inject an insulating fluid 90 into the space surrounding the vaginal wall on the far side of endopelvic fascia EF. Insulating fluid 90 may optionally comprise a gas such as CO2, or may alternatively comprise a liquid such as isotonic Dextran™ in water. Insulating fluid 90 will electrically insulate the adjacent organs and prevent heating of tissues that might otherwise be in contact with the vaginal fascial outer lining. Insulating fluid 90 is here injected using a small needle incorporated into bipolar probe 84, the needle preferably being 22 ga or smaller.
Referring now to
Microwave power having a frequency of about 2250 MHz is most often used for heating. However, the use of extremely high frequency microwaves would permit constructive interference at the intersection of microwave energy streams by control of the microwave frequency, phase, and electrode spacing. Such constructive interference of microwaves may be used to enhance the heating of the target tissue relative to the heat produced in the intermediate tissue between microwave probe 94 and endopelvic fascia EF (in this example). Injection of an electrically insulating fluid, such as Dextran™, may be used to absorb microwave energy and protect tissues beyond the target zone. In some embodiments, injection of a liquid contrast medium might be used to enhance visualization of the treatment region, increasing the visibility and clarity of the vagina V, bladder B, the other adjacent organs, and the spaces therebetween. Such a contrast medium will typically be highly visible under ultrasonic or fluoroscopic imaging modalities.
An alternative form of energy which may be used in a probe schematically similar to that illustrated in
A cross-section of a grasping bipolar probe 100 is illustrated in
A kit 110 includes vaginal probe 42 and instructions 112 for use of the probe to shrink tissues, the probe and instructions disposed in packaging 114. The instructions may set forth the method steps for using probe 42 described hereinabove for selectively shrinking pelvic support tissues as a therapy for urinary incontinence, or may alternatively recite any of the other described methods. Additional elements for system 10 (see
Instructions 112 will often comprise printed material, and may be found in whole or in part on packaging 114. Alternatively, instructions 112 may be in the form of a recording disk or other computer-readable data, a video tape, a sound recording, or the like.
The present invention further encompasses methods for teaching the above-described methods by demonstrating the methods of the present invention on patients, animals, physical or computer models, and the like.
Exemplary cooled bipolar electrode structures having a protruding film are illustrated in more detail in
The structure of electrodes 114, 116 can be seen in more detail in the cross-section of
Film 118 will preferably be electrically insulating and thermally conducting so as to provide cooling along the exposed film surface between first and second electrodes 114, 116. Film 118 may comprise a variety of materials, such as Kapton™ tape, Mylar™ tape, a PTFE tape such as Teflon™, and anodization. Film 118 may be applied as a tape, a fluid (such as a paint or an adhesive), a plating, or the like, and will generally have sufficient thickness to act as an electrical insulator and a thermal conductor. Further alternative insulation film materials may comprise polyimide, spray-on ceramics, electroplated insulation, photoimageable polymers, epoxy, and urethanes. In the exemplary embodiment, the exposed electrode surfaces 120 have a width in a range from about 3 mm to 10 mm, while the exposed cooling surface of film 118 disposed between the electrodes also has a width in a range from about 3 mm to about 10 mm. The electrode need not be limited to a one or two dimensional array. In fact, electrode widths and separation may be easily varied along the axes of the tubes by applying film 118 over a curving area.
It should be noted that a wide variety of alternative electrode configurations might be used within the scope of the present invention. For example, a three electrode probe 130 includes three tubular electrodes 132, 134, 136 mounted in a plastic probe body 112, with electrodes and film structures substantially similar to those of
Still further related cooled probe structures are illustrated in
Several factors will alter the heating depth profile for the bipolar probes of the present invention. First, the width of the insulation provided by film 118 between the exposed electrodes is related to the maximum treatment depth. Second, both the width of the active exposed electrodes and the width of the electrically insulated separation distance between the electrodes determine the maximum depth of the intervening tissue which can be thermally cooled and effectively protected while treating the target tissue. Third, reducing the separation gap between electrodes will eventually result in localized hot spots at the surface of the inside edges of the powered electrodes. The minimum interelectrode separation can be decreased by multiplexing or alternating the bipolar power between three or more electrodes as described above. An electrically insulating film extends to, and preferably over and beyond the electrode edge, and/or a protruding insulating rib may also reduce localized hot spots.
Still further alternative electrode tube/film structures are illustrated in
While the exemplary embodiments have been described in some detail, by way of example and for clarity of understanding, a variety of modifications, adaptations, and changes will be obvious to those who skill in the art. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is limited solely by the appended claims.
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|Clasificación cooperativa||A61B18/1485, A61B2018/00023, A61B2018/1253, A61B2018/00601, A61B2018/00553, A61B2018/1472, A61B2018/0022, A61B2018/0016, A61B2019/5278, A61B2017/00084, A61B2018/00791, A61B2017/003, A61B2018/00654, A61B2018/1273, A61B2018/126, A61B2218/002, A61B2018/00517, A61B18/1815, A61N7/02, A61B2018/00011, A61B2018/1467, A61B2018/00523|
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Effective date: 20150929