Cryogen, Inc.

Adagio Medical, Inc.

Endocare, Inc.

Alcon Research, Ltd.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Novartis Ag

Xiaoyu Yu

Kambiz Ghaerzadeh

John Daniel Dobak, Iii

Alexei V Babkin

Steven W Kovalcheck

Jack Robert Auld

Christopher L McCollam

Sanford D Damasco

Terry L Brown

Lingfeng Yu

Eugene J Jung

Jay J Eum

Eric A Schultheis

John D Dobak

Dennis M Bui

David J Battles

James Q Dinh

Christopher Mccollam

An endovascular near critical fluid based cryoablation catheter for creating an elongated lengthwise-continuous lesion in tissue can comprise an elongated shaft, a flexible distal tissue treatment section, and a distal tip. A plurality of flexible tubes can extend through the distal treatment section to transport a near critical fluid to and from the distal tip. The distal treatment section can also include a flexible fluid-sealed cover or barrier layer surrounding the delivery tubes. The cover and tubes can collectively define a space which is filled with a fluidic thermally conductive media. The thermally conductive media, fluid delivery tubes, and the cover can be arranged such that a flow of the near critical fluid through the tube bundle transfers heat between a target tissue and the distal treatment section of the catheter thereby creating the elongated lengthwise-continuous lesion in the tissue.

Endovascular near critical fluid based cryoablation catheter and related methods

A fluid injection line compensation assembly for an intravascular catheter system including a balloon catheter having a guidewire lumen and a cryoballoon, includes a fluid injection line, a proximal fluid injection line stop, and a distal fluid injection line stop. The fluid injection line has a fluid discharge region positioned within the cryoballoon. The fluid discharge region includes a fluid port so that cryogenic fluid can be distributed from the fluid injection line to within the cryoballoon. The fluid discharge region is not affixed to the guidewire lumen. The proximal fluid injection line stop is positioned adjacent to the guidewire lumen, the proximal fluid injection line stop being positioned within the cryoballoon. The distal fluid injection line stop is positioned adjacent to the guidewire lumen so that the fluid discharge region is positioned between the proximal fluid injection line stop and the distal fluid injection line stop.

Compensation assembly for fluid injection line of intravascular catheter system

An endovascular near critical fluid based cryoablation catheter for creating an elongate lengthwise-continuous lesion in tissue comprises an elongate shaft, a flexible distal tissue treatment section, and a distal tip. A plurality of flexible tubes extend through the distal treatment section to transport a near critical fluid to and from the distal tip. The distal treatment section is controllably deployed to match the contour of an anatomical region to be treated. In embodiments the distal treatment section includes a superelastic material and can assume a plurality of different shapes based on the distance ejected from an outer sleeve member. When the catheter is activated, heat is transferred between a target tissue and the distal treatment section of the catheter thereby creating the elongate lengthwise-continuous lesion in the tissue.

Endovascular near critical fluid based cryoablation catheter having plurality of preformed treatment shapes

An articulating optical surgical probe includes a handle sized to fit in a single hand and a single rigid cannula extending from the handle having a diameter of 20 Ga or less. The probe further includes a slotted tip at a distal end of the cannula and at least one optical fiber extending through the handle, the single rigid cannula and the slotted tip, and a pull-wire secured to the slotted tip. When the pull-wire exerts tension on the slotted tip, the slotted tip will deviate from straight to a bend angle controlled by the tension in the pull-wire. The slotted tip is formed from a resilient material that will restore to the straight position when the tension exerted by the pull-wire is released.

Articulating ophthalmic surgical probe

An optical scanning probe comprises a handle to receive a light beam from a light guide; a cannula, extending from a distal end of the handle; a fiber, positioned partially inside the handle and partially inside the cannula, to guide the received light beam toward a distal end of the cannula; a rotating scanner, rotatably positioned at least partially inside the cannula and configured to house a proximal portion of the fiber; and a deflecting scanner, movably coupled to a distal end of the rotating scanner, configured to deflect a distal portion of the fiber, wherein the distal portion of the fiber is configured to emit and scan the guided light in a target region.

Two dimensional forward scanning probe

The malleable cryosurgical probe includes a cryostat assembly and a cryoprobe assembly. The cryostat assembly includes an elongated shaft assembly having at least one malleable segment thereof and a closed distal end. The shaft assembly includes at least one freezing portion, at least one thermally insulated portion and a thermally insulating element positioned about the thermally insulated portion. A cryostat is operably associated with the elongated shaft assembly. It includes a cryostat inlet for receiving gas entering the cryostat, a cryostat outlet and a heat exchanger positioned between the cryostat outlet and the cryostat inlet. The heat exchanger receives gas from the cryostat inlet and provides heat transfer between gas flowing within the cryostat and fluid exterior thereto. At least one Joule-Thomson nozzle is in fluid communication with the cryostat outlet. The at least one Joule-Thomson nozzle expands gas expelled therefrom. The expanded cold fluid communicates with the freezing portion to provide cooling thereof. The cryoprobe assembly includes a handle assembly for supporting the cryostat assembly and a fluid supply line assembly connectable to a fluid source at one end and to the cryostat inlet at a second end. The heat exchanger is positioned at a location longitudinally spaced from the freezing portion(s).

Malleable cryosurgical probe

Cryosurgical probe

The malleable cryosurgical probe includes a cryostat assembly and a cryoprobe assembly. The cryostat assembly includes an elongated shaft assembly having a bellows portion thereof and a closed distal end. The shaft assembly includes at least one freezing portion comprising the bellows portion, at least one thermally insulated portion and a thermally insulating element positioned about the thermally insulated portion. A cryostat is operably associated with the elongated shaft assembly. It includes a cryostat inlet for receiving gas entering the cryostat, a cryostat outlet and a heat exchanger positioned between the cryostat outlet and the cryostat inlet. The heat exchanger receives gas from the cryostat inlet and provides heat transfer between gas flowing within the cryostat and fluid exterior thereto. At least one Joule-Thomson nozzle is in fluid communication with the cryostat outlet. The at least one Joule-Thomson nozzle expands gas expelled therefrom. The expanded cold fluid communicates with the freezing portion to provide cooling thereof. The cryoprobe assembly includes a handle assembly for supporting the cryostat assembly and a fluid supply line assembly connectable to a fluid source at one end and to the cryostat inlet at a second end. The heat exchanger is positioned at a location longitudinally spaced from the freezing portion(s).

Cryosurgical probe with bellows shaft

A miniature refrigeration system and method of operation. A primary refrigerant is pressurized by a compressor to a relatively low pressure, for safety reasons. The compressed primary refrigerant is passed through a primary-to-secondary heat exchanger, to precool the gas mixture. The secondary side of the primary-to-secondary heat exchanger is cooled by a secondary refrigeration system. The primary refrigerant exiting the primary outlet of the primary-to-secondary heat exchanger passes to a primary Joule-Thomson expansion element where the high pressure gas is expanded to a lower temperature. This low temperature gas cools a heat transfer element mounted in the outer wall of the catheter or cryoprobe, to cool surrounding tissue. Return gas can flow back through a distal primary-to-primary heat exchanger to further cool the incoming high pressure gas mixture. A proximal primary-to-primary heat exchanger can be added between the primary-to-secondary heat exchanger and the primary compressor.

Precooling system for Joule-Thomson probe

A sheath for use on a closed loop Joule-Thomson cryosurgical probe, and the combination of the and the closed loop probe. The sheath is slipped over the probe, thereby separating the probe from the environment. The sheath has a grip which fits over the handle of the cryosurgical probe, and an extendible shroud which can be longitudinally extended to cover tubing and which are attached to the handle. The sheath has a hollow multi-lumen catheter shaped and sized to fit snugly over the cannula of the cryosurgical probe. The catheter is not thermally conductive, preventing transfer of heat from the ambient to the gas mixture, and preventing the freezing of tissues at undesired locations along the catheter. A thermally conductive cap or tip is attached to the distal end of the hollow catheter. The thermally conductive cap or tip fits snugly over the cold tip on the probe, and it efficiently transfers heat from the target tissue to the cold tip, which in turn transfers heat to the expanded gas mixture. Various forms of auxiliary instrumentation can be mounted on the catheter or conductive tip, such as a temperature sensor, a heater, an ultrasonic transducer, or an optical element of a viewing, illumination, or laser system. Connections between the instrumentation near the distal end of the catheter and the probe are made via a plurality of lumens passing longitudinally through the wall of the catheter.

Cryosurgical probe with sheath

A disposable, sterilizable sheath for use on a closed loop Joule-Thomson cryosurgical probe, and the combination of the disposable sheath and the closed loop probe. The sheath is slipped over the probe, thereby separating the probe from the environment. The sheath has a grip which fits over the handle of the cryosurgical probe, and an extendible shroud which can be longitudinally extended to cover tubing and which are attached to the handle. The sheath has a hollow multi-lumen catheter shaped and sized to fit snugly over the cannula of the cryosurgical probe. The catheter is not thermally conductive, preventing transfer of heat from the ambient to the gas mixture, and preventing the freezing of tissues at undesired locations along the catheter. A thermally conductive cap or tip is attached to the distal end of the hollow catheter. The thermally conductive cap or tip fits snugly over the cold tip on the probe, and it efficiently transfers heat from the target tissue to the cold tip, which in turn transfers heat to the expanded gas mixture. Various forms of auxiliary instrumentation can be mounted on the catheter or conductive tip, such as a temperature sensor, a heater, an ultrasonic transducer, or an optical element of a viewing, illumination, or laser system. Connections between the instrumentation near the distal end of the catheter and the probe are made via a plurality of lumens passing longitudinally through the wall of the catheter.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Xiaoyu Yu