The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 28, 1992
Filed:
Jul. 14, 1989
Robert H Quint, Jamaica, NY (US);
Ciron Corporation, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for performing thermal ablation of the endometrium of a uterus is shown. The apparatus includes a catheter having at least one lumen. An insulating material is positioned around a selected portion of the exterior of the catheter to insulate the same from the walls of the vagina. A thermally conductive inflatable member is operatively coupled to the distal end of the catheter. The inflatable member is capable of expanding from a collapsed position, when filled with a fluid, into an expanded position which approximates the shape and volume of a uterus. The inflatable member is adapted to be placed into the uterus in the collapsed position and is filled through the catheter with a heated fluid to expand the inflatable member into its expanded position and into intimate contact with the endometrium. The heated fluid has a selected temperature and the inflatable member is capable of thermally conducting heat from the fluid to the endometrium for a period of time to thermally ablate selected tissue or ablate tissue to a selected depth. The thermal ablation apparatus may also be used to perform ablation of any mucosa layer in an organ of a body such as the gall bladder or large intestine. A method for using the thermal ablation apparatus in a surgical procedure is also shown.