Boston Scientific Corporation

Assurance Medical, Inc.

Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Target Therapeutics, Inc.

Uromed Corporation

Troy William Roberts

Charles D Lennox

Michael A Cundari

Bruce H Diamond

Alan Irving West

David Raymond Widder

Brian D Noble

Thomas Swyst

William Joseph Shaw

Andrew P Tosh

Alan D Ball

Susan M Ropiak

Philip C Walker

Stephen F Moreci

Stephen P Beaudet

Timothy E Last

Timothy Last

The invention features an assembly for taking a biopsy sample from a site within the body of a patient. The assembly includes a resecting device having a cutter near its distal end for resecting and containing a tissue sample and a sheath exterior to the resecting device and sized to be present within the body with the resecting device. The sheath includes an electrode element electrically isolated from the resecting device and disposed on the sheath's outer surface for cauterizing tissue. The electrode element may reside on the outer sheath, the distal end or both the outer sheath and the distal end of the assembly. The resecting device and the sheath cooperate to permit sequential resecting of a tissue sample from a resecting site and cauterizing of the site with the cutter sufficiently spaced from the electrode element to avoid heat damage to the tissue sample.

Biopsy sampler

The invention features an assembly for taking a biopsy sample from a site within the body of a patient. The assembly includes a resecting device having a cutter near its distal end for resecting and containing a tissue sample and a sheath exterior to the resecting device and sized to be present within the body with the resecting device. The sheath includes an electrode element electrically isolated from the resecting device and disposed on the sheath's outer surface for cauterizing tissue. The resecting device and the sheath cooperate to permit sequential resecting of a tissue sample from a resecting site and cauterizing of the site with the cutter sufficiently spaced from the electrode element to avoid heat damage to the tissue sample.

A layer of material is provided for covering a plurality of sensors when using those sensors to examine tissue. The layer material is used with a tissue examination device that has a plurality of pressure sensors that produce signals in response to pressure imposed on the sensor as the sensors are pressed against tissue. The device also has a processor for processing those signals to detect whether an underlying tissue structure is present in the tissue being examined. The layer of material is configured to be disposed over the sensors and to distribute the imposed pressure in a selected manner. The processor can also process the signals to generate an image representative of the underlying tissue structure and a display then can display that image.

Layer of material for use with tissue examination device

This invention concerns performing clinical tissue examination with a device that includes sensors which produces signals in response to pressure imposed on the sensors as the sensors are pressed against the tissue. The sensors generate signals in response to pressure imposed on the sensors when pressed against a selected region of tissue. That pressure varies in accordance with properties of underlying tissue structures. An image of the region of tissue is generated based on the signals generated by the sensors. The image is then displayed. The image represents the pressure imposed on the sensors. The image that is displayed may be a three dimensional image of the region of tissue. The signals produced by the sensors can also be processed to detect an underlying tissue structure in the region of tissue. A location or a map of the detected underlying tissue structure relative to a reference point is generated and displayed. The results of a current examination are compared to those of a previous examination.

Clinical tissue examination

Hand-held tissue examination device

A device is provided for diagnosis and treatment of tissue with instruments, specifically locating a tissue structure and positioning an instrument relative to that tissue structure. The device which includes a plurality of sensors for generating signals in response to pressure imposed on the sensors as the sensors are pressed against the tissue. The device which includes a member which is configured to be pressed against tissue and the sensors are disposed on the member, for detection of an underlying tissue structure in the tissue. The device also includes a locating device, arranged at a selected position with respect to the sensors, for indicating a location of the underlying tissue structure. An image based on the sensors may be displayed. The method of using the device includes positioning the locating device, which may be an instrument guide, over an underlying tissue structure based on the image. The method further includes using the locating device to direct an instrument for treating or diagnosing a tissue structure towards that tissue structure.

Diagnosis and treatment of tissue with instruments

Apparatus for treating an aneurysm in a vessel that isolates a volume around the aneurysm, evacuates that volume and heats the aneurysmal wall. A catheter includes one or more inflatable balloons for defining the isolated volume and occluding and preventing any blood flow through the volume. Suction applied through the catheter to the isolated volume withdraws any blood in the isolated volume and displaces the tissue for contact with a thermal source that heats the aneurysmal wall. When the treatment is completed, the balloons are deflated and the catheter is removed from the vessel.

Apparatus for treating aneurysms with a thermal source

The invention features a bipolar electro-surgical apparatus having a first electrode that has a relatively large surface area for creating a diffuse current sufficient to heat a region of tissue to coagulation temperatures and a second electrode that has a relatively small surface area for creating a concentrated current region sufficient to heat tissue adjacent to the second electrode to resection temperatures. The first and second electrodes are relatively positioned along a treatment path, such that tissue is coagulated and resected as the electro-surgical apparatus is disposed along the path. The invention also features a method for bipolar electro-surgical tissue removal including positioning a pair of bipolar electrodes along a treatment path, flushing the treatment path with an ionic fluid, and imposing a voltage differential to cause current to flow through tissue between the electrodes, where the current flowing through the tissue is sufficient to heat and cause coagulation of the tissue. The invention also features a method for bipolar electro-surgical tissue removal including attaching a power connector adaptor to a resectoscope that is configured for use with a monopolar electro-surgical device and inserting a bipolar electro-surgical device having bipolar electrodes into a working channel of the resectoscope, where the bipolar electro-surgical device is sized to fit within the working channel. The method further including electrically coupling the bipolar electrodes to the power connector adaptor.

Electro-surgical tissue removal

Methods and devices are described for calibrating the pressure sensors of a tissue examination device to enable the sensors to produce signals that accurately indicate whether an underlying tissue structure is present in tissue being examined. In general, the calibration is performed using a substance configured to apply a selected amount of pressure to the sensors when engaged in a selected way by the tissue examination device. The sensors are calibrated based on levels of the signals produced in response to the selected amount of pressure imposed by the substance. The tissue examination device may be pressed against the substance, or the substance may be pressed against the sensors. Preferably, the substance applies the selected amount of pressure substantially uniformly to the sensors. A wide variety of substances can be used, such as a foam pad, a rubber pad, a gel, a fluid-containing balloon, and pressurized air. The calibration methods and devices are simple to perform--and in fact are preferably performed during device power up so as to be transparent to the user--while accurately compensating for variations in the signals produced by the sensors as a group, as well as for individual (i.e., sensor to sensor) variations.

Calibrating pressure sensors

A balloon catheter is provided that includes a catheter shaft constructed for insertion into a blood vessel, an inflatable balloon mounted on a distal portion of the catheter shaft, a heating device mounted on the distal portion of the catheter arranged for heating tissue in contact with the balloon while the balloon is inflated, and an ablation electrode. The catheter shaft and the balloon are sized and constructed to permit the distal portion of the catheter shaft to be inserted into an atrium or ventricle of a heart while the balloon is deflated. The distal portion of the catheter is positioned within the atrium or ventricle and adjacent to a wall of the atrium or ventricle. The balloon is inflated with fluid while the balloon is within the atrium or ventricle, and while the balloon is inflated it is engaged in direct contact with a wall of the atrium or ventricle. Tissue surrounding the balloon is heated through use of the heating device while the balloon is inflated. In one embodiment the balloon disposed is annularly around a distal tip of the catheter shaft, and the electrode is located on the distal tip of the catheter for directly contacting tissue while the balloon is pressed against the tissue in an axial direction. In other embodiments, a suction port is located at the distal tip of the catheter, and a tissue-engagement device surrounds the distal port and is constructed to engage tissue with suction when the port is placed adjacent to the tissue.

Ablation catheters

An elongated, rigid implement having a sharp distal end is insertable into a solid mass within the body of a living being through a puncture site in the solid mass created by the sharp distal end. An elongated sleeve, which engages the elongated, rigid implement, is insertable into the solid mass through the puncture site in the solid mass. Fluid is provided to an expandable chamber located in the vicinity of a distal end of the elongated sleeve through at least one channel located within the elongated sleeve, to inflate the chamber while the chamber is positioned interstitially within the solid mass. A heating device located within the expandable chamber is powered, through at least one elongated conductor located within the elongated sleeve, to heat fluid within the chamber while the chamber is filled with the fluid and is positioned interstitially within the solid mass. The inflation of the chamber while the chamber is positioned interstitially within the solid mass causes compressive ischemia of tissue surrounding the chamber, and the compressive ischemia of the tissue surrounding the chamber reduces a heat sink effect of the tissue during powering of the heating device.

Interstitial heating of tissue

An apparatus and method for treating an aneurysm in a vessel that isolates a volume around the aneurysm, evacuates that volume and heats the aneurysmal wall. A catheter includes one or more inflatable balloons for defining the isolated volume and occluding and preventing any blood flow through the volume. Suction applied through the catheter to the isolated volume withdraws any blood in the isolated volume and displaces the tissue for contact with a thermal source that heats the aneurysmal wall. When the treatment is completed, the balloons are deflated and the catheter is removed from the vessel.

Growing community of inventors

Pepperell, MA, United States of America

Troy William Roberts