Wit IP Corporation

Acmi Corporation

Elmedical Ltd.

Argomed Ltd.

Jacob Lazarovitz

Uzi Eshel

Iulian Cioanta

Richard Barry Klein

J Graham Crabtree

A method of treating a bladder condition is provided. The method is effected by circulating a volume of heated fluid through a urinary bladder of a subject in need and gradually increasing the volume of fluid up to a predetermined fluid volume and or pressure.

Method and system for treating bladder conditions

An indwelling catheter for insertion into a patient's urinary tract is provided that includes first and second tubular members that enable drainage of physiological fluids. An inflatable balloon is attached to the second tubular member. The first and second tubular members are interconnected by a connecting tube forming a gap between the first and second tubular members. The connecting tube is in fluid communication with the balloon to enable the balloon to be inflated via the connecting tube. When the balloon is anchored within the urinary bladder the second tubular member is located within the prostatic urethra with one end in close proximity to the sphincter and the other end protruding into the urinary bladder. The first tubular member is located within the penile urethra with one end in close proximity to the sphincter so that the connecting tube traverses the sphincter permitting voluntary control of the sphincter.

Urethral catheter and guide

A temperature-setting device for providing a predetermined temperature to a quantity of fluid circulating therethrough, a thermal treatment apparatus including such device for selectively treating a targeted tissue adjacent a subject's body cavity, and techniques using such thermal treatment apparatus are provided. The temperature-setting device comprises: an electrically conducting tubular element, a housing element for receiving the tubular element; and a transformer electrically connectable to the housing element. The tubular element functions as a resistor and heats the fluid circulating therethrough. Alternatively, the housing element comprises a thermal conducting member disposed within a bath of a cooling substance, the thermal conducting member having a recess for receiving the tubular element. The tubular element may alternately be placed in a housing element functioning as a heater and a housing element functioning as a cooler, thereby alternately heating or cooling the fluid circulating therethrough. The thermal treatment apparatus comprises: a temperature-setting device according to the present invention; a catheter insertable into a subject's body cavity, the catheter including a thermal treating section for thermally treating a targeted tissue; a pump; thermal sensor assemblies; and an air trapping element.

Thermal treatment apparatus

Medical devices that are configured for insertion into a body lumen, such as the male urethra, are provided with one or more inflatable balloons having elastic sleeves, wherein each elastic sleeve is adapted to inflate in response to inflation of a respective balloon, and to deflate in response to deflation of the respective balloon. When a balloon is in a deflated condition, a respective elastic sleeve exerts a circumferentially compressive force against the balloon to cause a smooth, reduced cross-sectional profile of the balloon along an axial extent thereof. This smooth, reduced cross-sectional profile can facilitate passage of the medical device through a body lumen during both insertion and extraction of the medical device. A thin layer of fluid may be disposed between a treatment balloon and a respective elastic sleeve to facilitate heat transfer from a treatment balloon to a surrounding elastic sleeve or to administer a therapeutic agent to localized tissue.

Low thermal resistance elastic sleeves for medical device balloons

Flexible treatment catheters are configured to be inserted into a body lumen or cavity to deliver heated fluid through at least one fluid lumen therein to thermally treat or ablate a targeted site in a biological subject. The flexible treatment catheters can include improved thermally insulated regions comprising a mixture formed of liquid elastomeric (such as a polyurethane) mixture (which transitions to a solid state) and miniaturized hollow plastic bodies positioned between the outer wall of the treatment catheter and the fluid lumen. The thermally insulated region is configured such that, measured ex vivo, the treatment catheter can present a maximum temperature of below about 45&deg; C. on the external surface of the outer wall of the treatment catheter when the treatment catheter circulates fluid having an inlet temperature of above or between about 60&deg;-62&deg; C. Alternatively or additionally, the treatment catheter can include an elongated insert positioned in a catheter fluid lumen to inhibit the closure of the lumen after exposure to fluids in the treatment catheter at temperatures sufficient to thermal ablate targeted tissue over a thermal ablation treatment period. The treatment catheter can include a urinary drainage lumen with an elongated insert frictionally engaged therewith, the drainage lumen and insert are configured to provide a fluid volume throughput through the drainage lumen of greater than about 20-25 ml/min during and after (for about 12-72 hours after) a thermal ablation session.

Treatment catheters with thermally insulated regions

A prostatic stent is configured as a unitary body, which is adapted to reside above the sphincter when in position in a subject and allow normal functioning of the sphincter. The stent includes and elongated and substantially narrow conduit, which extends through the sphincter and outside the body of the subject. The conduit is sized and constructed to allow normal operation of the sphincter. The stent also includes and upper and/or an intermediate inflatable portions and may include a second conduit for the introduction of medication to the stent.

Prostatic stent with localized tissue engaging anchoring means and methods for inhibiting obstruction of the prostatic urethra

A catheter for insertion into a patient's urethra is provided, comprising: (a) first and second tubular members having such a diameter for enabling drainage of physiological fluids therethrough, the first and second tubular members being interconnected by means of a connecting tube of substantially smaller diameter; (b) an inflatable balloon attached to the second tubular member, the inflatable balloon being in fluid communication with the connecting tube. The inflatable balloon is inserted to the patient's urinary bladder so as to locate the second tubular member substantially within the patient's prostatic urethra such that the connecting tube is held by the patient's sphincter. Further according to the present invention there is provided a guiding element for insertion through the catheter, including: (a) a substantially elongated tubular member having a hollow, the elongated tubular member having a closed end for insertion through the patient's urethra and an open end for connection to an external inflating element; (b) an inflatable balloon attached to the elongated tubular member, the inflatable balloon being in fluid communication with the hollow of the tubular element, the inflatable balloon for inflation against the catheter so as to effectively fix the guiding element to the catheter.

Growing community of inventors

Hod Hasharon, Israel

Jacob Lazarovitz