Patent · US Expired

High resolution cryosurgical method and apparatus

US6142991A · kind A · utility

258Cited by
7References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 31, 1998
Grant dateNov 7, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 31, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B2090/378
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A high resolution cryosurgical method and device for treating a patient's prostate are provided. The method includes the steps of (a) introducing a plurality of cryosurgical probes to the prostate, the probes having a substantially small diameter, the probes being distributed across the prostate, so as to form an outer arrangement of probes adjacent the periphery of the prostate and an inner arrangement of probes adjacent the prostatic urethra; (b) producing an ice-ball at the end of each of said cryosurgical probes, so as to locally freeze a tissue segment of the prostate. The apparatus includes (a) a plurality of cryosurgical probes of small diameter, the probes being for insertion into the patient's organ, the probes being for producing ice-balls for locally freezing selected portions of the organ; (b) a guiding element including a net of apertures for inserting the cryosurgical probes therethrough; and (c) an imaging device for providing a set of images, the images being for providing information on specific planes located at specific depths within the organ, each of said images including a net of marks being correlated to the net of apertures of the guiding element, wherein th…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.