Image-guided therapy of a tissue

Inventors

Andrews, Eric • Grant, Mark • Ren, Brooke • Tyc, Richard

Assignees

Monteris Medical Corp

Abstract

Image-guided therapy of a tissue can utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or another medical imaging device to guide an instrument within the tissue. A workstation can actuate movement of the instrument, and can actuate energy emission and/or cooling of the instrument to effect treatment to the tissue. The workstation and/or an user of the workstation can be located outside a vicinity of an MRI device or other medical imaging device, and drive means for positioning the instrument can be located within the vicinity of the MRI device or the other medical imaging device. The instrument can be an MRI compatible laser or high-intensity focused ultrasound probe that provides thermal therapy to, e.g., a tissue in a brain of a patient.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a system for introducing neurosurgical instruments into a skull of a patient, including a low profile skull anchor device and a removable guide stem. The low profile skull anchor device has attachment means for attaching to an area of the skull and a central opening that provides access to an entry formed in the skull. The attachment means provides a mounting height of the low profile skull anchor device of 30 millimeters or less from a surface of the skull.

A removable guide stem detachably connects to the low profile skull anchor device using a locking means. A guide sheath is configured to insert a neurosurgical instrument and includes a proximal opening and at least one distal opening. The guide sheath extends beyond the low profile skull anchor device and into the entry formed in the skull to provide an insertion pathway for the instrument.

A pre-shaped probe delivers thermal therapy to a three-dimensional region of tissue in the skull. The pre-shaped probe has a pre-determined angle of curvature such that the pre-shaped probe exits the at least one distal opening of the guide sheath following a predetermined curved trajectory path. The resulting configuration enables introduction of the curved thermal therapy probe through the skull entry using the anchored, removable guide and sheath arrangement.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim identifies four inventive features in a neurosurgical instrument introduction system: a low profile skull anchor, a removable locked guide stem, a guide sheath with proximal and distal openings extending into a skull entry, and a pre-shaped thermal therapy probe that exits on a predetermined curved trajectory.

The claim coverage centers on the combined use of a low-profile skull anchor, a detachable locked guide stem, a distal-opening guide sheath, and a pre-shaped thermal therapy probe to guide access through the skull entry along a predetermined curved trajectory.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications