Cryotherapy, thermal therapy, temperature modulation therapy, and probe apparatus therefor

Inventors

Grant, Mark • Ren, Brooke • Tyc, Richard

Assignees

Monteris Medical Corp

Abstract

A variable length interstitial probe apparatus includes: a probe for effecting thermal therapy and/or cryotherapy to a tissue; a flexible umbilical sheath permanently affixed to the probe, including at least one interface for supplying energy, cooling fluid, cooling gas, heating fluid, and/or heating gas to the probe; and an adjustable depth stop configured to slide along a length of a shaft region of the probe, and lock to the shaft region at a selected position. The adjustable depth stop is configured to engage a probe driver and/or a skull mount apparatus to stabilize positioning of the probe and to control a depth of entry of the probe into a patient. The probe may be configured to effect temperature modulation therapy, where processing circuitry activates a modulation pattern of thermal therapy emission and cryogenic therapy emission for applying a thermal dose to the tissue.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a variable length interstitial probe apparatus for effecting treatment to a tissue using a probe portion for at least one of thermal therapy and cryotherapy. The probe portion is permanently affixed to a flexible umbilical sheath portion, where the flexible umbilical sheath portion includes a plurality of interfaces for supplying at least two of energy, cooling fluid, cooling gas, heating fluid, and heating gas to the probe portion. At least two interfaces are separated by internal respective lumens, enabling distinct internal pathways within the flexible umbilical sheath portion.

To maintain mechanical performance during use, the flexible umbilical sheath portion is reinforced to provide torque strength and kink resistance during probe rotation. A transitional junction is disposed between the probe portion and the flexible umbilical sheath portion and permanently affixes the probe portion to the flexible umbilical sheath portion. The transitional junction has an outer housing configured for grasping, thereby enabling manual manipulation of the variable length interstitial probe apparatus.

The apparatus further includes an adjustable depth stop to set probe depth at a selected position. The adjustable depth stop comprises a first portion and a second portion, and a plurality of clamping elements. At least one of the first portion and the second portion is configured to slideably move along a length of a shaft region of the probe portion to the selected position, and the first portion is configured for manual manipulation relative to the second portion to cause the plurality of clamping elements to releasably clamp down against the shaft region at the selected position.

An adjustable depth stop additionally includes a releasably engageable fastener configured to releasably engage a probe driver to automatically rotate the probe portion about its longitudinal axis. In addition to the mechanical and coupling architecture, the disclosed concept includes temperature modulation therapy in which processing circuitry and memory instructions activate a modulation pattern alternating thermal and cryogenic emissions to deliver energy output based on thermal dose, including higher thermal output for a first time interval via a thermal therapy element and lower cryogenic output for a second different time interval via a cryogenic therapy element.

Claims Coverage

The claims cover 7 inventive features centered on a variable length interstitial probe apparatus with thermal therapy and cryotherapy, a permanently affixed flexible umbilical sheath with multiple interfaces and separated internal lumens, a reinforced sheath with torque strength and kink resistance, a graspable transitional junction, an adjustable depth stop, a releasably engageable fastener for probe-driver rotation, and temperature modulation therapy based on thermal dose.

The coverage centers on a permanently affixed, reinforced flexible umbilical sheath with multiple separated interfaces for thermal therapy and cryotherapy, a graspable transitional junction for manual manipulation, and an adjustable depth stop with slideably positioned clamping elements and a releasably engageable fastener for automatic rotation. The additional material also covers temperature modulation therapy using processing circuitry and memory instructions to alternate thermal and cryogenic emissions based on thermal dose and time intervals.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications