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:
Apr. 19, 1994
Filed:
Jan. 21, 1992
John A DeFord, Lafayette, IN (US);
Joseph F Ely, West Lafayette, IN (US);
Neal E Fearnot, West Lafayette, IN (US);
MED Institute, Inc., West Lafayette, IN (US);
Abstract
A catheter, system, and method for selectively ablating prostatic tissue about the prostatic urethra. The catheter includes an elongated member having distal, proximal, and intermediate portions, the intermediate portion being shaped and sized for intimate contact with the prostatic urethra. The distal and proximal portions of the catheter include fixation and cooling balloons having an annular recess therein for positioning the internal and external sphincters therein and for maintaining the longitudinal position of the catheter in the prostatic urethra. A thermally conducted, heat-emitting element is positioned in the intermediate portion for producing a thermally conductive heat distribution to ablate the prostatic tissue. The catheter also includes irrigation and aspiration passageways therein for communicating with the interior of the distal and proximal cooling balloons. A circulating pump of the ablation system circulates coolant through the balloons to maintain the temperature of the sphincters below an injurious temperature. Sensors are positioned about the heat-emitting element as well as in the cooling balloons for supplying information to the controller of the system. The controller in response to the temperature information and the energy supplied to the heat-emitting element controls the supply of energy to the catheter as well as the pump circulating the coolant.