Patent US3325706A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0519958B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for the surgical treatment of prostate tissue by thermal effect, using a urethral microwave probe
Assignee: Technomed Medical Systems SA
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Filing: 1991-03-08
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Granted: 1994-10-19
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Expires: 2011-03-08
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for the surgical treatment of tissues by thermal effect, in particular prostate, is disclosed comprising a urethral emitting probe having a front end and a rear end, capable of being inserted in the urethra, provided with microwave antenna means located intermediate or in the vicinity of said front end, said microwave antenna means being connected to an external microwave generating device, and working at a frequency and at a power effective to heat said tissues to a predetermined temperature for a period of time sufficient to treat said tissues by thermal effect.
Inventors
- 👤 Muriel Cathaud
- 👤 François Lacoste
- 👤 Marian Devonec
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 02:39
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/1815; A61B2018/00005; A61B2018/00011; A61B2018/00053; A61B2018/00059; A61B2018/00089; A61B2018/00101; A61B2018/00166; A61B2018/00214; A61B2018/0022; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00547; A61B2018/00571; A61B2018/00577; A61B2018/00636; A61B2018/00642; A61B2018/00696; A61B2018/00702; A61B2018/00744; A61B2018/00773; A61B2018/00791; A61B2018/183; A61B90/00; A61B90/36; A61B90/37; A61B2090/378; A61B2090/3782
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
148 words
An apparatus (10) for the surgical treatment of prostate tissues by thermal effect, comprising an urethral emitting probe (16) adapted to be inserted in the urethra, having a front end and a rear end, said emitting probe comprising a microwave antenna means (18) located intermediate or in the vicinity of said front end, said microwave antenna means being connected to an external microwave generating device (M.W.G.), said urethral emitting probe comprising cooling means (32, 36, 38, 40, 42) fed with a cooling medium, and being capable of preventing burns on the walls of the prostatic urethra in contact with the urethral probe means, said external microwave generating device comprises means for generating microwaves at a frequency of 1300 MHz ± 50 MHz, and a power effective to heat permanently said tissues to a predetermined temperature for a period of time sufficient to treat said tissues by thermal effect.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cooling means (32, 36, 38, 40, 42) are extending up to the full length of the microwave antenna means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein an inflatable balloon means (26) is located between said microwave antenna means (18) and said front end (20a), and means for inflating said balloon means (28), said balloon means reaching the bladder when said urethral probe is positioned in the urethra.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for inflating said balloon means comprise an electroconductive liquid forming a radio reflecting screen capable of reflecting the microwaves emitted by said microwave antenna means, thereby protecting the bladder from being damaged by said microwaves.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 1 to 3, wherein said power is effective to treat said tissues by heat energy at a temperature higher than 45°C and preferably ranging about 45°C and not more than 85°C, during a period of time sufficient to reach a necrosis of the tissues submitted to the thermal effect, to perform thermotherapy.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 1 to 3, wherein said power is effective to treat said tissues by heat energy at a temperature range lower than 45°C and generally of 40°C-43°C to perform a hyperthermia treatment.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
158 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 1 to 6 comprising: a) a urethral emitting probe (20) having a front end and a rear end, capable of being inserted in the urethra, said urethral emitting probe comprising a microwave antenna means located intermediate or in the vicinity of said front end, said microwave antenna means being connected to an external microwave generating device (M.W.G.); b) a rectal probe means (82) comprising control means (80) for controlling the positioning of the urethral probe means; c) a central control device (86) receiving the information provided by the control means for controlling the positioning of the urethral probe means, d) correcting means for correcting the positioning of the urethral probe means, and e) said external microwave generating device being capable of generating microwaves at said frequency and at a power effective to heat said tissues to a predetermined temperature, for a period of time sufficient to treat said tissues by thermal effect.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said rectal probe comprises an echographic probe (82) connected to a image forming device (84) to facilitate the positioning of the urethral probe means, thereby having an echographic control of the surgical treatment of said tissues.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
133 words
The apparatus of claims 7 or 8, wherein said urethral probe comprises at least one urethral temperature sensor (100) located in the vicinity of the microwave antenna means for detecting urethral temperature, - said rectal probe comprises at least one rectal temperature sensor (98) for detecting the rectal temperature at the level of the rectal wall facing the tissues to be treated, and transmission means to transmit said temperature data recorded by said urethral and rectal temperature sensors to a thermometry device and to said central control device (86), - said central control device comprises power and cooling temperature adjusting means to adjust one or both of the power of the microwaves and of the cooling temperature of the cooling means, when the temperature detected is not conform to a pretermined temperature range.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said rectal probe comprises liquid medium feeding means (96) for feeding a liquid medium, capable of providing heat protection of the rectal walls.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 9 or 10, wherein said rectal probe is provided with radio reflecting means (94) to protect the rectal walls from heat.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 9 to 11, wherein said urethral temperature sensor comprises a plurality of strands of optical fibers placed in radially and/or longitudinally offset fashion in the longitudinal direction of the urethral emitting probe, preferably said urethral temperature sensor being located within a longitudinal slot provided in the external surface of the probe means.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of anyone of the preceding claims wherein the urethral probe means comprises at least two cooling conducts (36, 38), communicating with each other at the front end (20a) of the probe means via a connection conduct and at a rear end respectively with a supply tube (40) and a discharge tube (42) with the cooling medium.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
80 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 1 to 13, wherein the microwave antenna means comprises an inner conductor (52) comprising a metallic cable coaxial to the urethral probe covered by an electrically insulating sleeve over its whole length, and an outer conductor (54) extending over part of the length of the inner conductor, the emitting microwave antenna means being defined by the front part (52a) of the inner conductor, which ends to an intermediate level of the emitting probe means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the front part of the inner conductor ends up under the balloon means (26).
Claim 16
Independent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of anyone of claims 9 to 15, comprising safety devices including a thermometry feed-back system which maintains the temperature at not more than 44.5°C at the level of the urethra walls as measured by the urethral thermosensors, and at not more than 42.5°C, at the level of the rectal walls as measured by the rectal thermosensor, said power being adjustable up to 100 watts.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
82 words
The apparatus of claims 1 to 16, wherein the urethral probe comprises dilation means for temporary or intermittently increasing the outside diametre of the urethral probe, said means being disposed relatively to the probe in such a manner as to enable the dilation of the urethral walls, at least at the level where the tissues are treated, and when so desired ; in particular, said dilation means comprise at least one dilation balloon having means for filling and/or emptying the dilation balloon.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4311154A
Cited
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