Patent US6706037B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6706037B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Multiple cryoprobe apparatus and method
Assignee: Galil Medical Ltd
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Filing: 2001-05-21
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Granted: 2004-03-16
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Expires: 2021-05-21
Abstract
Abstract A cryosurgery apparatus is disclosed. The cryosurgery apparatus an introducer having a hollow and a distal portion, the distal portion being sufficiently sharp so as to penetrate into a body, the hollow of the introducer being designed and constructed for containing a plurality of cryoprobes each of the cryoprobes being for effecting cryoablation, such that each of the plurality of cryoprobes is deployable through the distal portion of the introducer when the distal portion is positioned with respect to a tissue to be cryoablated.
Inventors
- 👤 Roni Zvuloni
- 👤 Shaike Schatzberger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 23:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/02; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00022; A61B2017/00084; A61B2017/00092; A61B2017/00831; A61B2017/00867; A61B2018/00005; A61B2018/00041; A61B2018/00053; A61B2018/00059; A61B2018/00089; A61B2018/00101; A61B2018/0231; A61B2018/0262; A61B2018/0268; A61B2018/0281; A61B2018/0287; A61B2018/0293; A61B90/00; A61B90/10; A61B90/11; A61B90/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 50
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
A cryosurgery apparatus comprising: a) a sheath forming a first hollow and having a distal portion, said distal portion being sufficiently sharp so as to penetrate into a body, said first hollow being designed and constructed for containing a plurality of cryoprobes each of said cryoprobes being controllably operable in itself for effecting cryoablation, wherein said first hollow further comprises i) a first Joule-Thomson heat exchanger having a first Joule-Thomson orifice, for heating and cooling said first hollow; and ii) a first heat exchanging configuration; and b) said plurality of cryoprobes, wherein at least one of said cryoprobes comprises iii) a second Joule-Thomson heat exchanger having a second Joule-Thomson orifice, for heating and cooling said cryoprobe; and iv) a second heat-exchanging configuration for pre-cooling and pre-heating high-pressure gas delivered to said second Joule-Thomson orifice; said plurality of cryoprobes being deployable through said distal portion of said sheath when said distal portion is positioned with respect to a tissue to be cryoablated, and each of said cryoprobes being controllably operable in itself for exerting said cryoablation when so deployed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
178 words
A cryosurgery apparatus comprising: a) a sheath forming a first hollow and having a distal portion, said distal portion being sufficiently sharp so as to penetrate into a body, said first hollow being designed and constructed for containing a plurality of cryoprobes each of said cryoprobes being controllably operable in itself for effecting cryoablation, wherein said first hollow further comprises i) a first Joule-Thomson heat exchanger having a first Joule-Thomson orifice, for heating and cooling said first hollow; and ii) a first heat exchanging configuration; and b) said plurality of cryoprobes, wherein at least one of said cryoprobes comprises iii) a second Joule-Thomson heat exchanger having a second Joule-Thomson orifice, for heating and cooling said cryoprobe; and iv) a second heat-exchanging configuration for pre-cooling and pre-heating high-pressure gas delivered to said second Joule-Thomson orifice; said plurality of cryoprobes being deployable through said distal portion of said sheath when said distal portion is positioned with respect to a tissue to be cryoablated, and each of said cryoprobes being controllably operable in itself for exerting said cryoablation when so deployed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first hollow is partitioned into a plurality of longitudinal compartments, each of said plurality of longitudinal compartments is designed and constructed for containing at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said sheath comprises thermal insulation designed and constructed so as to hinder the passage of heat between said hollow of said sheath and tissues of the body, when said sheath is positioned within the body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a heating and cooling device for pre-heating and pre-cooling gasses which are passed through at least a portion of said first hollow and are subsequently delivered to at Least one of said cryoprobes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said heating and cooling device is a Joule-Thomson heat exchanger.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a heat-exchanging configuration for exchanging heat between a gas passed to at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes and said heating and cooling device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a thermal sensor for monitoring a temperature in said first hollow.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said thermal sensor is a thermocouple.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said sheath is designed and constructed to be coupled to at least one high-pressure gas source.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said at least one high-pressure gas source is coupleable to said first Joule-Thomson orifice of said first Joule-Thomson heat exchanger within said sheath.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said at least one high-pressure gas source is a source of at least one gas selected from a group consisting of high-pressure argon, high-pressure nitrogen, high-pressure air, high-pressure krypton, high-pressure CF4, high-pressure N2O and high-pressure carbon dioxide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said at least one high-pressure gas source is a source of high-pressure helium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said sheath is designed and constructed to be coupled both to a first gas source and to a second gas source.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 13 , wherein gas provided by said first gas source is cooled by expansion when passing through said first Joule-Thomson orifice.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 13 , wherein gas provided by said second gas source has an inversion temperature lower than the temperature obtained by liquefaction of gas provided by said first gas source.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 10 , designed and constructed so as to facilitate exchange of heat between two temperature states of gas from said high-pressure gas source, gas in a first state being at a first temperature prior to passing through said first Joule-Thomson orifice, and gas in a second state being at a second temperature subsequent to passing through said first Joule-Thomson orifice.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising control elements for regulating a flow of gas from each of said first gas source and said second gas source.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said distal end of said sheath is formed with a plurality of openings for deployment therethrough of said plurality of cryoprobes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes is coolable.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said coolable cryoprobe is also heatable.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes comprises a distal operating head which includes a thermally conductive outer shell having a closest distal end and a chamber formed within the shell, said operating head being adapted to be inserted into a body and to effect cryoablation thereat.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 21 , wherein said chamber serves as a reservoir for housing a fluid in contact with at least a portion of said outer shell of said distal operating head.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes is designed and constructed coupleable to at least one high-pressure gas source.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes is designed and constructed coupleable to a first gas source and also to a second gas source.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 24 , wherein said first gas source provides a first gas, which is cooled by expansion when passed through said second Joule-Thomson orifice.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 25 , wherein a second gas from said second gas source has an inversion temperature lower than a temperature obtained by liquefaction of said first gas.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
53 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 23 , wherein gas from said high-pressure gas source, while in a first temperature state prior to passing through said second Joule-Thomson orifice, exchanges heat with gas from said high-pressure gas source which is in a second temperature state subsequent to having passed through said second Joule-Thomson orifice.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
29 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising control elements for regulating the flow of gas from each of said first gas source and said second gas source.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 , where at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes is designed and constructed so as to expand laterally away from said sheath when deployed.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
24 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 29 , wherein each of said plurality of cryoprobes deploys from said sheath each according to a predetermined path.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
32 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of cryoprobes are designed and constructed to be deployed laterally away from the sheath to form a predetermined arrangement of deployed cryoprobes.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
41 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of cryoprobes are designed and constructed to advance from within said sheath and deploy in a lateral direction away from a periphery of said sheath, thereby defining a three-dimensional cryoablation volume.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 32 , wherein at least some of said plurality of cryoprobes are designed and constructed to advance, during deployment, in a plurality of different directions.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 32 , wherein said three-dimensional cryoablation volume is of a predetermined shape.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
22 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of said cryoprobes is retractable and advanceable in and out of said sheath.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
26 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an advancing and retracting member operably coupled to at least one cryoprobe of said plurality of cryoprobes.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
22 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one cryoprobe of said plurality of cryoprobes has a sharp distal end.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
22 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one cryoprobe of said plurality of cryoprobes has a blunt distal end.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second Joule-Thomson heat exchanger is coupled to a rube through which gasses enter said cryoprobe, said tube has an orifice located at a distal end of said tube, said orifice opens into a shell which includes a thermally conductive material designed and constructed to conduct heat when said cryoprobe is in contact with a body tissue to be cryoablated.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
55 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 39 , wherein said second Joule-Thomson heat exchanger comprises a coiled tube housed within said thermally conductive shell, said second Joule-Thomson heat exchanger further comprises a gas supply line on its proximal end and a gas outlet on its distal end, said outlet being in fluid communication with a chamber.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
33 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes comprises a thermal sensor for monitoring local temperature conditions in areas in close proximity to said sensor.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
62 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 41 , wherein at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes further comprises a feedback control system coupled to a gas source and to said thermal sensor, the feedback system is responsive to a detected characteristic from said thermal sensor and serves for controlling a rate of delivery of gas from said gas source to said cryoprobe.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
20 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 41 , wherein said thermal sensor is positioned at the distal end of said cryoprobe.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
14 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 41 , wherein said thermal sensor includes a thermocouple.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
22 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said plurality of cryoprobes comprises a shape memory alloy material.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
22 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 45 , wherein said shape memory alloy material displays stress induced martensite behavior at a deployed position.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
37 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 45 , wherein said shape memory alloy material is in a non-stress induced martensite state when said cryoprobe is positioned in said sheath prior to deployment of said cryoprobe outside said sheath.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
19 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 45 , wherein said shape memory alloy material is an alloy of nickel titanium.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
25 words
The cryosurgery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a cross section of each of said plurality of cryoprobes is between 0.3 mm and 3 mm.
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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) | 2007-03-16 | 2007-09-15 | 2008-03-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-03-16 | 2011-09-15 | 2012-03-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-03-16 | 2015-09-15 | 2016-03-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |