US5807309A
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Transurethral needle ablation device and method for the treatment of the prostate
Assignee: Medtronic Vidamed Inc
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Filing: 1997-01-29
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Granted: 1998-09-15
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Expires: 2017-01-29
Abstract
Abstract A transurethral needle ablation device for use with the human hand for radio frequency ablation of a target volume in the tissue of a prostate of a human male having a bladder with a base and a penis with a urethra therein formed by a urethral wall extending into the base of the bladder along a longitudinal axis with the tissue of the prostate surrounding the urethra near the base of the bladder. The device comprises a bridge having proximal and distal extremities and having a passage therein extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity. A sheath having proximal and distal extremities is secured to the bridge and has a passageway therein in communication with the passage in the bridge. The sheath is sized so that it can enter the urethra and has a length so that when its distal extremity is in the vicinity of the prostate, the proximal extremity is outside the urethra. A disposable needle assembly having proximal and distal extremities is removably mounted in the passage in the bridge and extends through the passageway in the sheath. The needle assembly includes at least one needle electrode and an insulating sleeve coaxially disposed on the needle electrode. The proximal extremity of the needle assembly is caused to be moved sideways at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis to face the urethral wall. A mechanism is carried by the proximal extremity of the needle assembly and the bridge for causing advancement of the needle electrode and the insulation sleeve thereon through the urethral wall and into the target volume in the tissue of the prostate with a portion of the electrode being free of the insulation but with the insulation extending through the urethral wall.
Inventors
- 👤 Ingemar H. Lundquist
- 👤 Stuart D. Edwards
- 👤 James A. Baker, Jr.
- 👤 Christopher S. Jones
- 👤 Phillip R. Sommer
- 👤 Kee S. Lee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 20:52
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B10/00; A61B10/02; A61B10/0233; A61B10/0266; A61B10/0275; A61B10/06; A61B18/04; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B18/1477; A61B18/1482; A61B18/1485; A61B18/18; A61B18/1815; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/01; A61M25/0105; A61M25/0133; A61M25/0136; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/02; A61N1/04; A61N1/06; A61N1/40; A61N1/403; A61N5/00; A61N5/02; A61N5/04; A61N5/045; A61B10/0241; A61B18/148; A61B18/20; A61B18/22; A61B18/24; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00022; A61B2017/00084; A61B2017/00092; A61B2017/00101; A61B2017/00106; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00274; A61B2017/00292; A61B2017/003; A61B2017/00831; A61B2017/00867; A61B17/22; A61B2017/22072; A61B2017/22074; A61B2017/22077; A61B2017/22082; A61B17/24; A61B2017/248; A61B17/28; A61B17/29; A61B2017/2926; A61B2017/2932; A61B2017/2939; A61B17/34; A61B2017/348; A61B2017/3482; A61B2017/3484; A61B2017/3488; A61B2018/00005; A61B2018/00011; A61B2018/00041; A61B2018/00053; A61B2018/00059; A61B2018/00071; A61B2018/00083; A61B2018/00089; A61B2018/00095; A61B2018/00184; A61B2018/00196; A61B2018/00214; A61B2018/0022; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00547; A61B2018/00571; A61B2018/00577; A61B2018/00636; A61B2018/00666; A61B2018/00678; A61B2018/00696; A61B2018/00702; A61B2018/00726; A61B2018/00744; A61B2018/00761; A61B2018/00773; A61B2018/00791; A61B2018/00797; A61B2018/00821; A61B2018/00886; A61B2018/0091; A61B2018/00916; A61B2018/0094; A61B2018/00946; A61B2018/00982; A61B18/1206; A61B2018/1246; A61B2018/1253; A61B2018/126; A61B2018/1273; A61B2018/128; A61B2018/1405; A61B2018/1425; A61B2018/1861; A61B2018/2238; A61B90/00; A61B90/08; A61B2090/0814; A61B90/36; A61B90/361; A61B2090/3614; A61B90/37; A61B2090/378; A61B2090/3782; A61B90/39; A61B2090/3925; A61B2217/00; A61B2217/002; A61B2217/005; A61F; A61F7/00; A61F2007/0054; A61M25/0067; A61M25/0082; A61M25/0084; A61M2025/0089; A61M2025/0091; A61M2025/0096; A61M2025/018
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
A transurethral needle ablation device for use with the human hand for radio frequency ablation of a target volume in the tissue of a prostate of a human male having a bladder with a base and a penis with a urethra therein formed by a urethral wall extending into the base of the bladder along a longitudinal axis with the tissue of the prostate surrounding the urethra near the base of the bladder comprising a sheath having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway therein, said sheath being sized so that it can enter the urethra and having a length so that when its distal extremity is in the vicinity of the prostate the proximal extremity is outside the urethra, a disposable needle assembly having proximal and distal extremities removably mounted in the passageway in the sheath, the needle assembly having proximal and distal extremities and including at least one needle electrode and an insulating sleeve coaxially disposed on the needle electrode, means carried by the proximal extremity of the needle assembly and the sheath for causing the distal extremity of the needle assembly to be moved sideways at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis and for causing advancement of the at least one needle electrode and the insulation sleeve thereon through the urethral wall and into the target volume in the tissue of the prostate with a portion of the at least one needle electrode being free of the insulation but with the insulation extending through the urethral wall.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
253 words
A transurethral needle ablation device for use with the human hand for radio frequency ablation of a target volume in the tissue of a prostate of a human male having a bladder with a base and a penis with a urethra therein formed by a urethral wall extending into the base of the bladder along a longitudinal axis with the tissue of the prostate surrounding the urethra near the base of the bladder comprising a sheath having proximal and distal extremities and having a passageway therein, said sheath being sized so that it can enter the urethra and having a length so that when its distal extremity is in the vicinity of the prostate the proximal extremity is outside the urethra, a disposable needle assembly having proximal and distal extremities removably mounted in the passageway in the sheath, the needle assembly having proximal and distal extremities and including at least one needle electrode and an insulating sleeve coaxially disposed on the needle electrode, means carried by the proximal extremity of the needle assembly and the sheath for causing the distal extremity of the needle assembly to be moved sideways at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis and for causing advancement of the at least one needle electrode and the insulation sleeve thereon through the urethral wall and into the target volume in the tissue of the prostate with a portion of the at least one needle electrode being free of the insulation but with the insulation extending through the urethral wall.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
A device as in claim 1 wherein the needle assembly includes at least two needle electrodes and an insulating sleeve coaxially disposed on each of the needle electrodes and wherein the at least two needle electrodes extend at an angle less than an acute angle with respect to each other when they are disposed in the target volume.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
A device as in claim 1 wherein the means carried by the proximal extremity of the needle assembly and the sheath for causing the distal extremity of the needle assembly to be moved sidewise at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis includes means for selecting the angle of sidewise movement between 5° and 90°.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
A device as in claim 3 wherein the angle is approximately 10°.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
A device as in claim 3 wherein the angle is approximately 85°.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A device as in claim 1 together with an optical viewing device disposed in the passageway in the sheath to permit viewing of the distal extremity of said at least one needle electrode as it is moved sidewise.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A device as in claim 1 wherein said means for causing advancement of the at least one needle electrode includes means for rapidly advancing the at least one needle electrode through the urethral wall to minimize tinting of the urethral wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A device as in claim 1 together with means carried by the proximal extremity of the needle assembly for causing relative movement between the at least one needle electrode and the insulation thereon to adjust the length of the needle electrode exposed in the tissue of the prostate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A device as in claim 8 wherein said means for adjusting relative positions of the at least one needle electrode and the insulation thereon can be preadjusted before the needle electrode is advanced through the urethral wall.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A device as in claim 1 together with temperature sensing means mounted on the insulating sleeve for measuring the temperature of the tissue of the prostate in the vicinity of the insulating sleeve.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
A device as in claim 1 wherein said means carried by the proximal extremity of the needle assembly and the sheath includes a bridge and wherein said needle assembly includes a cartridge removably mounted in the bridge.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
78 words
A device as in claim 1 wherein said means for causing advancement of the at least one needle electrode includes a yieldable member applying a yieldable force urging the needle electrode in a forward direction and a trigger mechanism for retaining said yieldable means in a predetermined position and including a trigger for releasing said yieldable means from said predetermined position to permit advancement of the at least one needle electrode under the force of the yieldable means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as in claim 1 wherein said needle electrode is provided with a sharpened distal extremity and wherein said insulation sleeve is provided with a tapered distal extremity having a taper extending inwardly and forwardly.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
89 words
A device as in claim 11 wherein the needle assembly includes an insulation actuator slidably mounted in the cartridge with the insulation sleeve secured thereto, a needle actuator slidably mounted on the insulation actuator and having a needle electrode secured thereto and cooperative means carried by the insulation actuator and the needle actuator for causing the insulation actuator to be advanced after the needle actuator has been advanced a predetermined amount and for causing retraction of the insulation actuator after the needle actuator has been retracted a predetermined amount.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device as in claim 14 wherein said cooperative means includes means for adjusting the predetermined distance moved by the needle actuator prior to movement of the insulation actuator.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device as in claim 14 wherein said cartridge and the insulation actuator and the needle actuator carried thereby are disposable after one-time use.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
A device as in claim 1 wherein said cooperative mechanism includes means for adjusting the angle at which the needle electrode penetrates the urethral wall.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device as in claim 7 together with optical viewing means for viewing the distal extremity of the at least one needle electrode as it penetrates the urethral wall to ascertain whether or not tenting of the urethral wall is taking place.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A device as in claim 1 together with means connected to the needle electrode for supplying radiofrequency energy to the needle electrode.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as in claim 19 together with temperature measuring means carried by the distal extremity of the insulation sleeve for measuring temperature during the time that radiofrequency ablation is taking place.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
169 words
A method for the treatment of a prostate of a human male by the radio frequency ablation of a target volume in the tissue of the prostate of the human male having a bladder with a base and a penis with a urethra therein formed by a urethral wall extending into the base of the bladder along a longitudinal axis with the tissue of the prostate surrounding the urethra near the base of the bladder by the use of a disposable needle assembly having proximal and distal extremities comprising advancing the distal extremity of the needle assembly into the vicinity of the prostate, causing bending of the distal extremity of the needle assembly so that the distal extremity extends in a direction which is substantially at an angle to the longitudinal axis and rapidly advancing the needle electrode through the urethral wall and into the tissue of the prostate to minimize tenting of the urethral wall during the time that the needle electrode is passing through the urethral wall.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
169 words
A method for the treatment of a prostate of a human male by the radio frequency ablation of a target volume in the tissue of the prostate of the human male having a bladder with a base and a penis with a urethra therein formed by a urethral wall extending into the base of the bladder along a longitudinal axis with the tissue of the prostate surrounding the urethra near the base of the bladder by the use of a disposable needle assembly having proximal and distal extremities comprising advancing the distal extremity of the needle assembly into the vicinity of the prostate, causing bending of the distal extremity of the needle assembly so that the distal extremity extends in a direction which is substantially at an angle to the longitudinal axis and rapidly advancing the needle electrode through the urethral wall and into the tissue of the prostate to minimize tenting of the urethral wall during the time that the needle electrode is passing through the urethral wall.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-09-14 | 2002-03-16 | 2002-09-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-09-14 | 2006-03-16 | 2006-09-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-03-16 | 2010-09-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |