U.S. patent application number 10/047737 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-30 for combined cryotherapy and hypothermia method for the treatment of airway obstruction or prostate enlargement.
Invention is credited to Beyar, Motti, DeRowe, Ari.
Application Number | 20020062831 10/047737 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21769982 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020062831 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Beyar, Motti ; et
al. |
May 30, 2002 |
Combined cryotherapy and hypothermia method for the treatment of
airway obstruction or prostate enlargement
Abstract
A method of reducing tissue volume for treatment of airway
obstruction, obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, prostate tumor, and
other pathologies comprising: applying a cryoprobe with a diameter
preferably less than about 2 mm and with a sharp tip to first
freeze the affected interstitial tissue of the soft palate, base of
the tongue, tonsils or adenoids, singularly or in combination, or
to the prostate, or other tissue, and then applying the same
cryoprobe to heat the treated tissue.
Inventors: |
Beyar, Motti; (Herzliya B.,
IL) ; DeRowe, Ari; (Mosahav Salit, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OPPENHEIMER WOLFF & DONNELLY LLP
840 NEWPORT CENTER DRIVE
SUITE 700
NEWPORT BEACH
CA
92660
US
|
Family ID: |
21769982 |
Appl. No.: |
10/047737 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10047737 |
Jan 14, 2002 |
|
|
|
09015186 |
Jan 29, 1998 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
128/898 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 17/24 20130101;
A61B 2018/00547 20130101; A61B 2017/00274 20130101; A61B 18/02
20130101; A61B 2018/00041 20130101; A61B 18/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
128/898 |
International
Class: |
A61B 019/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A method of reducing tissue, comprising: freezing interstitial
ovopharyngeal tissue with a cryoprobe.
2. A method of reducing tissue, comprising: heating interstitial
ovopharyngeal tissue with a cryoprobe.
3. A method for reducing tissue, comprising: freezing and heating
said tissue with the same cryoprobe.
4. A method for treatment of snoring, comprising: freezing
interstitial tissue of the soft palate or tonsils with a
cryoprobe.
5. A method for treatment of snoring, comprising: heating
interstitial tissue of the soft palate or tonsils with a
cryoprobe.
6. A method for treatment of snoring, comprising: a) using a
cryoprobe to first freeze at least one section of the patient
selected from the group comprising: the base of the tongue; the
soft palate; and/or the tonsils; and b) then heating said part of
the patient with said cryoprobe.
7. A method for treatment of snoring, comprising: a) first freezing
with a cryoprobe at least two sections of the patient selected from
the group comprising: the tonsils, the soft palate; the base of the
tongue; and b) then heating the selected sections with a
cryoprobe.
8. A method for treatment of tonsillar enlargement, comprising: a)
first freezing the tonsils with a cryoprobe; and b) then heating
the tonsils with a cryoprobe.
9. A method for treatment of snoring, comprising: freezing with a
cryoprobe at least one section of the patient selected from the
group comprising: the soft palate; the tonsils; and the base of the
tongue.
10. A method for treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, comprising:
a) first freezing at least one section of the patient selected from
the group comprising: the soft palate, the base of the tongue and
the tonsils with a cryoprobe; and b) then heating the sections with
a cryoprobe.
11. A method for treatment of nasal obstruction comprising: a)
first freezing the inferior turbinates with a cryoprobe; and b)
then heating the inferior turbinates with a cryoprobe.
12. A method for treatment of prostate enlargement comprising: a)
first freezing the interstitial tissue of the prostate with a
cryoprobe; and b) then heating the interstitial tissue of the
prostate with a cryoprobe.
13. A method for reducing body tissue with minimal blood loss
comprising: a) freezing the treated body tissue with a cryoprobe;
and b) heating the treated tissue with a cryoprobe.
14. A method for reducing body tissue with minimal blood loss
comprising the sequential steps of: a) freezing the treated body
tissue with a cryoprobe; and b) then heating the treated tissue
with a cryoprobe.
15. The methods as claimed in claim 12 wherein only a single
cryoprobe is used.
16. The methods as claimed in claim 13 wherein only a single
cryoprobe is used.
17. The methods as claimed in claim 14 wherein only a single
cryoprobe is used.
Description
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method of reducing tissue
volume by applying a unique cryoprobe. The invention is especially
useful in reducing pharyngeal tissues, including tonsils and soft
palate, in treating upper airway obstruction, such as exists in
obstructive sleep apnea, and or snoring, or in treating an enlarged
prostate, and is described below with respect to such applications,
but it will be appreciated that the invention could advantageously
be used in other applications as well, such as, in treating
abundant vascular tissue in the uterus, as found in
menometrorrhagia, or in treating hypertrophic inferior turbinates
in nasal obstruction.
[0002] Obstructive Sleep Apnea is of unknown etiology, but it is
generally accepted that it results from the combination of a
structurally small upper airway and a normal or abnormal loss of
physiologic muscle tone during sleep. Patterns of pharyngeal
narrowing and collapse suggest that 30-50% of patients with
obstructive sleep apnea have obstruction at the level of the upper
pharynx or in the retropalatal segment. This can be due to abundant
tissue of the palate or tonsillar hypertrophy. An even higher
percentage of snorers have the soft palate as the source of the
vibrations of snoring.
[0003] Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a potentially life threatening
disorder, which affects up to 2 to 4% of the adult population. Even
when not life threatening, it is annoying to a bed mate.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is associated with snoring, which is
believed to affect 20% of adults.
[0004] In the past, surgical treatments have been used to treat
Obstructive Sleep Apnea. One treatment is by a surgical operation
involving removal of the tonsils and soft palate (uvulopharyngeal
palatoplasty). Another surgical treatment involves midline
glossectomy. These surgical procedures often occur with general
anesthesia, postoperative pain, bleeding risks, substantial
recovery times and hospitalization. Recently, more minimal
procedures have been introduced including laser resection and radio
frequency volumetric reduction of the soft tissue palate.
OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a method of
reducing tissue, which is particularly useful for treating tissue
obstructions and enlargements, such as occurring in obstructive
sleep apnea, by using a cryoprobe to first freeze and then
sequentially heat the tissue. This invention has the advantage of
being a minimally invasive procedure.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
method of reducing tissue with minimal bleeding, by using a
cryoprobe to first freeze and ablate the tissue and then using the
same or a different cryoprobe to heat and further ablate the tissue
and to coagulate blood vessels. This invention also has the
advantage of reducing or eliminating bleeding by coagulation
resulting from thermoablation.
[0007] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
method of reducing tissue by initially quickly freezing the tissue
to reduce and locally destroy tissue and then heating the tissue to
further reduce the tissue and to prevent or minimize bleeding. This
method prevents or minimizes damage to mucous membranes and reduces
pain and scarring.
[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided a
method of reducing tissue, comprising: first applying a cryoprobe
with a diameter preferably less than 2 mm and with a sharp tip to
freeze the affected interstitial tissue of the soft palate, base of
the tongue, tonsils or adenoids, singularly or in combination, and
then applying a probe, preferably the same cryoprobe to heat to
coagulate and/or ablate the treated tissue.
[0009] In one and the preferred described embodiment, interstitial
ablation of the soft palate is performed by applying a cryoprobe
with diameter preferably less than 2 mm and with a sharp tip to
initially freeze the affected interstitial tissue of the soft
palate, and then applying the same cryoprobe to heat the treated
tissue to achieve further tissue removal, to achieve easier probe
removal, to avoid sticking of tissue to the frozen probe surface
and to coagulate the superficial vascular tissue surrounding the
probe insertion site.
[0010] In a second described embodiment, interstitial ablation of
the soft palate, base of the tongue, tonsils and/or adenoids is
performed by applying a cryoprobe with a diameter preferably less
than 2 mm and with a sharp tip to initially freeze the affected
interstitial tissue, and, then, applying the same cryoprobe to heat
the treated tissue to achieve further tissue removal, to achieve
easier probe removal, to avoid sticking of tissue to the frozen
probe surface and to coagulate the superficial vascular tissue
surrounding the probe insertion site.
[0011] In a third embodiment, interstitial ablation of the soft
palate, base of the tongue, tonsils and/or adenoids is performed by
first applying a cryoprobe with a diameter preferably less than 2
mm and with a sharp tip to heat the affected interstitial tissue,
and then applying the same cryoprobe to freeze the treated tissue
to achieve further tissue removal.
[0012] In yet another embodiment, interstitial ablation of the soft
palate, base of the tongue, tonsils and/or adenoids is performed by
applying a cryoprobe with a diameter preferably less than 2 mm and
with a sharp tip to only freeze the affected interstitial
tissue.
[0013] In another embodiment, interstitial ablation of the soft
palate, base of the tongue, tonsils and/or adenoids is performed by
applying a cryoprobe with diameter preferably less than 2 mm and
with a sharp tip to only heat the affected interstitial tissue.
[0014] In another embodiment, interstitial ablation of the
ovo-pharynx is performed by applying a cryoprobe with a diameter
preferably less than 2 mm and with a sharp tip to freeze the
affected interstitial tissue.
[0015] In another embodiment, interstitial ablation of the
ovo-pharynx is performed by applying a cryoprobe with a diameter
preferably less than 2 mm and with a sharp tip to heat the affected
interstitial tissue.
[0016] In another embodiment, interstitial ablation of the inferior
turbinates of the nose is performed to relieve nasal obstruction by
applying a cryoprobe with a diameter preferably less than 2 mm and
with a sharp tip to initially freeze the affected interstitial
tissue of the inferior turbinates and then applying the same
cryoprobe to heat the treated tissue to achieve further tissue
removal of the affected tissue. This is intended to relieve nasal
obstruction.
[0017] In another embodiment, interstitial ablation of the prostate
is performed by applying a cryoprobe with a diameter preferably
less than 2 mm and with a sharp tip to initially freeze the
affected interstitial tissue of the prostate, and applying the same
cryoprobe to then heat the treated tissue to achieve further tissue
removal, to achieve easier probe removal, to avoid sticking of
tissue to the frozen probe surface and to coagulate the superficial
vascular tissue surrounding the probe insertion site. The invention
also contemplates applying a flexible cryoprobe of the described
type for use in conjunction with a cystoscope.
[0018] In another embodiment, a thermoregulator is used to control
the temperature of application of the cryoprobe.
[0019] The described methods of reducing tissue may also be used in
other applications, for example, and not by limitation, in the
medical treatment of menometrorrhagia.
[0020] Further features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the description below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The invention is described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, where:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a patient's mouth and
illustrates one form of the method of reducing tissue, as applied
to the soft palate in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS
[0023] The method of reducing tissue, as illustrated in FIG. 1,
comprises applying a cryoprobe, generally designated 1, with a
diameter 2 (preferably less than 2 mm) and with a sharp tip 3, to
initially freeze the affected interstitial tissue of the soft
palate 4, and then, by applying the same cryoprobe to heat the
treated tissue to achieve further tissue removal, to achieve easier
probe removal, to avoid sticking of tissue to the frozen probe
surface and to coagulate the superficial vascular tissue
surrounding the probe insertion site.
[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates a variation of the basic and preferred
method in which the cryoprobe 5 is flexible and used with a
cystoscope 6.
[0025] While the invention has been described and illustrated in
detail with respect to two particular applications, it will be
appreciated that the described method of reducing tissue may be
used in a wide variety of other medical applications, e.g., for
treatment of menometrorrhagia; by reversing the steps so as to
first heat and then freeze, by using the cryoprobe to freeze and
then heat the endometrium of the uterus; by only heating or only
freezing tissue, etc.
[0026] Many other variations and applications of the invention will
be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
* * * * *