Gas bubble removal for endorectal cooling devices
Inventors
RUTHENBERG, Raymond Matthew • Wong, Ting On
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11596544-B2
Publication Date
2023-03-07
Expiration Date
Abstract
An endorectal cooling device (ECD) includes an elongated body, a cooling fluid circuit, and a gas bubble removal device. The elongated body includes an insertable portion for insertion into a patient's rectum and an external portion that remains external to the rectum. The cooling fluid circuit is defined in the elongated body from the external portion to the insertable portion and circulates cooling fluid to regulate a temperature of a cooling surface on the insertable portion. The gas bubble removal device can include a coil, a tube, a mesh, and/or a hole that is disposed on or defined in the insertable portion of the elongated body, such as the cooling surface. A low-pressure source, such as a vacuum pump or a Venturi structure, can be fluidly coupled to the gas bubble removal device to remove fluid and bubbles by a suction force after the ECD is inserted into the rectum.
Core Innovation
The disclosure relates to an endorectal cooling device (ECD) for thermal prostate therapy that includes an elongated body with an insertable portion and an external portion. The insertable portion has an external cooling surface, and an internal cooling-fluid circuit extends from the external portion to the insertable portion to regulate a temperature of the external cooling surface. The device also includes a gas bubble removal means disposed on or defined in the cooling surface.
The gas bubble removal means is provided in configurations that enable gas bubble removal from the interface between the ECD and a rectal wall proximal to a prostate. Vacuum/low pressure is described as drawing bubbles from the interface into an internal gas bubble removal channel and/or into the cooling circuit. Example gas bubble removal structures described include a vacuum-coupled coil, a vacuum-coupled tube/loop of tubing, a vacuum-coupled mesh/porous structure in a gap, and/or a plurality of holes connecting to a gas bubble removal channel via a low-pressure source.
The disclosure further supports embodiments where the ECD defines a gas bubble removal channel and uses holes that extend from the external cooling surface to the gas bubble removal channel, with the low-pressure source fluidly coupled through the channel. Internal channel layouts are described, including placement of the gas bubble removal channel between cooling-fluid ingress and egress portions, and hole coupling via internal walls forming cones. Additional described embodiments include ultrasound-visible markers and an ultrasound coupling fluid channel, with corresponding reservoirs, referenced in relation to the ECD structure.
Claims Coverage
The provided claim set includes three independent claims that share the same overall ECD architecture: an elongated insertable body with an external cooling surface, a cooling fluid circuit for temperature regulation, and a gas bubble removal arrangement on or defined in the cooling surface. Across the independent claims, the inventive features concentrate on a vacuum/low-pressure-coupled gas bubble removal means integrated with the cooling-surface temperature regulation.
Spiral vacuum-coupled coil with hole(s) on the external cooling surface
An endorectal cooling device having an elongated body with an insertable portion and an external portion, an external cooling surface, a cooling fluid circuit circulating a cooling fluid to regulate a temperature of the external cooling surface, and gas bubble removal means disposed on or defined in the cooling surface. The gas bubble removal means comprises a coil disposed on the external cooling surface, the coil is fluidly coupled to a vacuum pump, at least one hole is defined in the coil, and the coil is wrapped around the insertable portion in a spiral.
Gas bubble removal channel with holes coupled to a low-pressure source
An endorectal cooling device having an elongated body with an insertable portion and an external portion, an external cooling surface, a gas bubble removal channel defined in the elongated body, and a plurality of holes defined in the external cooling surface extending from the external cooling surface to the gas bubble removal channel. A low-pressure source is fluidly coupled to the holes via the gas bubble removal channel, and a cooling fluid circuit is defined in the elongated body in thermal communication with the external cooling surface.
Vacuum-coupled tube loop with hole(s) on the external cooling surface
An endorectal cooling device having an elongated body with an insertable portion and an external portion, an external cooling surface, and a cooling fluid circuit extending from the external portion to the insertable portion that circulates a cooling fluid to regulate a temperature of the external cooling surface. Gas bubble removal means is disposed on or defined in the external cooling surface, where the gas bubble removal means comprises a tube disposed on the external cooling surface, the tube fluidly coupled to a vacuum pump, at least one hole defined in the tube, and the tube comprises a loop of tubing.
Collectively, the independent claims cover ECDs that combine a cooling fluid circuit regulating an external cooling surface temperature with vacuum/low-pressure-coupled gas bubble removal structures. The claim scope includes a spiral-wrapped coil with hole(s), a gas bubble removal channel with holes and a low-pressure source, and a vacuum-coupled tube loop with hole(s).
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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