Vibratory treatment method and apparatus

Claim 1

A method for treating urethral strictures comprising providing a vibration source; inserting said vibration source into a urethra; using said vibration source to apply vibratory stimulation to the wall of the urethra at a selected position; selecting said position in the urethra by inserting said vibration source into the urethra to a point substantially at the stricture point; wherein said vibratory stimulation includes alternating expansion and contraction of the vibration source at a single predetermined frequency to cause alternating expansion and contraction of the urethra to massage and stimulate adjacent tissue; and said predetermined frequency is between five and 60 Hz.

Claim 2

A method for treating urethral strictures comprising providing a vibration source; inserting said vibration source into a urethra; using said vibration source to apply vibratory stimulation to the wall of the urethra at a selected position; selecting said position in the urethra by inserting said vibration source into the urethra to a point substantially at the stricture point; wherein said vibratory stimulation includes alternating expansion and contraction of the vibration source at a single predetermined frequency to cause alternating expansion and contraction of the urethra to massage and stimulate adjacent tissue; and said predetermined frequency is between five and 60 Hz.

Claim 3

A method for treating urinary incontinence comprising providing a vibrating source; inserting said vibration source into a urethra; using said vibration source to apply vibratory stimulation to the walls of the urethra at a selected position; wherein said vibratory stimulation includes alternating expansion and contraction of the vibration source at a single predetermined frequency to cause alternating expansion and contraction of the body cavity to massage and stimulate adjacent tissue; and said predetermined frequency is between 60 and 90 Hz.

Claim 4

A method for treating urinary incontinence comprising providing a vibrating source; inserting said vibration source into a urethra; using said vibration source to apply vibratory stimulation to the walls of the urethra at a selected position; wherein said vibratory stimulation includes alternating expansion and contraction of the vibration source at a single predetermined frequency to cause alternating expansion and contraction of the body cavity to massage and stimulate adjacent tissue; and said predetermined frequency is between 60 and 90 Hz.

Claim 5

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and a means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expandable probe portion for a predetermined time, thereby alternately applying the radially outwardly directed force at said point while holding another portion of the body cavity stationary and holding said point stationary while applying the radially outwardly directed force to said other portion of the body cavity; and removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time.

Claim 6

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and a means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expandable probe portion for a predetermined time, thereby alternately applying the radially outwardly directed force at said point while holding another portion of the body cavity stationary and holding said point stationary while applying the radially outwardly directed force to said other portion of the body cavity; and removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time.

Claim 13

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expand probe portion for a predetermined time; removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time, wherein said means for actuating has a plurality of reciprocating elements and a means for actuating said reciprocating elements, said probe having a plurality of flexible elements attached to said reciprocating elements equal in number to the number of reciprocating elements, said reciprocating elements each being capable of moving independently of the other reciprocating elements to flex and unflex the flexible element to which it is attached, thereby expanding and contracting said expandable portion of the probe.

Claim 14

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expand probe portion for a predetermined time; removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time, wherein said means for actuating has a plurality of reciprocating elements and a means for actuating said reciprocating elements, said probe having a plurality of flexible elements attached to said reciprocating elements equal in number to the number of reciprocating elements, said reciprocating elements each being capable of moving independently of the other reciprocating elements to flex and unflex the flexible element to which it is attached, thereby expanding and contracting said expandable portion of the probe.

Claim 17

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expand probe portion for a predetermined time; removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time, wherein said means for actuating has a plurality of reciprocating elements and a means for actuating said reciprocating elements, said probe having a plurality of flexible elements attached to said reciprocating elements equal in number to the number of reciprocating elements, said reciprocating elements each being capable of moving independently of the other reciprocating elements to flex and unflex the flexible element to which it is attached, thereby expanding and contracting said expandable portion of the probe, said method including the step of actuating each reciprocating element separately at a predetermined frequency such that each flexible element flexes separately at the same predetermined frequency.

Claim 18

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expand probe portion for a predetermined time; removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time, wherein said means for actuating has a plurality of reciprocating elements and a means for actuating said reciprocating elements, said probe having a plurality of flexible elements attached to said reciprocating elements equal in number to the number of reciprocating elements, said reciprocating elements each being capable of moving independently of the other reciprocating elements to flex and unflex the flexible element to which it is attached, thereby expanding and contracting said expandable portion of the probe, said method including the step of actuating each reciprocating element separately at a predetermined frequency such that each flexible element flexes separately at the same predetermined frequency.

Claim 21

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expand probe portion for a predetermined time; removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time, in which said probe has a plurality of flexible elements bound together at a first end of each element, and said means for actuating comprises a handle and a core in contact with said flexible elements, said core having means for expanding said flexible elements when said core is rotated, wherein said actuation step comprises alternately rotating said handle and core in a first direction and in a second direction to expand and contract said flexible elements.

Claim 22

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expand probe portion for a predetermined time; removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time, in which said probe has a plurality of flexible elements bound together at a first end of each element, and said means for actuating comprises a handle and a core in contact with said flexible elements, said core having means for expanding said flexible elements when said core is rotated, wherein said actuation step comprises alternately rotating said handle and core in a first direction and in a second direction to expand and contract said flexible elements.

Claim 31

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expand probe portion for a predetermined time; removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time, in which said probe comprises a plurality of flexible elements bound together at a first end of each element, one of said flexible elements having threads formed on its surface at a second end, and said means for actuating comprises a sleeve formed with threads that cooperate with the threads on the one flexible element, wherein said actuation step comprises alternately rotating said sleeve in a first direction and in a second direction to expand and contract said flexible elements.

Claim 32

A method for applying a radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with an expandable portion and means for actuating said probe; inserting said probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of said probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to alternately expand and contract said expand probe portion for a predetermined time; removing said probe from the body cavity at the end of said predetermined time, in which said probe comprises a plurality of flexible elements bound together at a first end of each element, one of said flexible elements having threads formed on its surface at a second end, and said means for actuating comprises a sleeve formed with threads that cooperate with the threads on the one flexible element, wherein said actuation step comprises alternately rotating said sleeve in a first direction and in a second direction to expand and contract said flexible elements.

Claim 48

A method for applying radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with a cam, an expandable portion and a means for actuating the probe; inserting the probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of the probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to move the cam with respect to the expandable portion alternately in a first direction and in a second direction, thereby alternately expanding and contracting the expandable probe portion at a predetermined frequency; and removing the probe from the body cavity at the end of a predetermined time.

Claim 49

A method for applying radially outwardly directed force to the inside surface of a body cavity comprising the steps of providing an instrument having a probe with a cam, an expandable portion and a means for actuating the probe; inserting the probe into the body cavity; placing the expandable portion of the probe at the point at which the radially outwardly directed force will be applied; actuating the means for actuating to move the cam with respect to the expandable portion alternately in a first direction and in a second direction, thereby alternately expanding and contracting the expandable probe portion at a predetermined frequency; and removing the probe from the body cavity at the end of a predetermined time.