Surgery – Instruments – Light application
Reexamination Certificate
1995-11-01
2001-05-01
Shay, David M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Light application
C606S010000, C606S017000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224590
ABSTRACT:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser balloon catheter which is inserted into the body cavities such as the gullet, the stomach and the prostate for the laser treatment thereof.
2. Prior Art
Laser balloon catheters are used for opening the clogged portions of the blood vessels. Hyperthermia treatment using the laser balloon catheters for irradiating the cancer tissues with laser lights are conducted.
The structure of such type of the laser balloon catheters is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,762. In this U.S. Patent, a lumen tube surrounding optical fibers is provided and a balloon is provided at the front end of the optical fibers to surround the front end thereof.
Another structure of the catheter in which a balloon is provided with an acoustic sensor for controlling the vaporization of the tissue is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,479.
A catheter in which a tube member is provided at the front end of a balloon and liquid is caused to flow through a through-hole formed on the tube member is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,492.
However, the laser balloon catheter having only one balloon may be unwantedly removed from the urethra or shifted while the catheter is manipulated. Even if the balloon is preliminarily set in the prostate, shifting of the balloon toward the entrance of the urethra may cause the sphincter muscle to be irradiated with laser lights, resulting in thermal damage to the sphincter muscle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a laser balloon catheter which can be set in position, and thus is capable of irradiating only a desired portion of the prostate with laser lights and of preventing the sphincter muscle from being damaged due to removal of the catheter from the urethra and shifting of the catheter toward the entrance of the urethra.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a laser balloon catheter which can discharge urine externally through the catheter when urination occurs during treatment.
In order to overcome the above mentioned problems, the present invention provides a laser balloon catheter for emitting in a balloon, laser lights which are transmitted through optical fibers and for irradiating the tissue with the laser lights transmitted through the balloon, comprising laser light emitting means having a laser light emitting end of said optical fibers or a laser light transmittable member provided at the emitting end of the optical fibers which receives the laser lights to emit them; a first inflatable balloon provided around said light emitting means for transmitting the laser lights from said emitting means toward the tissue; a first fluid passage for supplying fluid into said first balloon to inflate the same and for discharging the fluid therefrom to deflate the same; a second inflatable balloon provided in front of said first balloon; and a second fluid passage for supplying the fluid into said second balloon to inflate the same and for discharging the fluid therefrom to deflate the same.
After the laser balloon catheter has been inserted into, for example, the urethra, the first balloon is inflated by supplying thereto, fluid preferably cooling water and similarly, the second balloon is inflated by supplying fluid, preferably cooling water thereto.
The laser lights emitted from the laser light emitting means comprising the emitting end of the optical fibers or a laser light transmittable member provided at the emitting end of the fibers are impinged on a target tissue, for example, the prostate via a first balloon. This causes the prostate to be warmed or heated up to a temperature at which the tissue necroses. Then the prostate will be recovered soon after the operation.
Since the second balloon is provided in front of the first balloon in the present invention, the neck portion between the first and second balloon is positioned between the neck of the bladder so that the laser balloon catheter is engaged with the neck portion of the bladder to prevent the laser balloon catheter from removing from the bladder during the operation. Urine can be discharged through the second balloon located in the bladder.
In contrast to this, if only one balloon is used, the laser balloon catheter may be removed from the urethra or may be shifted in position during the manipulation of the catheter. Since it is necessary to avoid the thermal damage on the position other than the prostate, particularly the sphincter muscle portion, the length of the balloon is preliminarily determined in consideration of the length of the prostate. If the balloon is shifted in position toward the entrance of the urethra after positioning of the balloon portion of the prostate, the sphincter muscle portion may be irradiated with laser lights, resulting in thermal damage to the sphincter muscle.
Since positioning of the laser balloon catheter so that the neck portion between the first and second balloons abuts on the neck portion of the bladder will prevent the laser balloon catheter from moving. This positively prevents the thermal damage of the sphincter muscle.
Since the optical fibers can be easily broken by the application of an excessive force thereto, it is effective to provide guide means which surrounds the optical fibers to protect the optical fibers. A space within the guide means may be used as a communication passage for fluid used for inflating the first balloon.
Connecting means is provided in front of the laser light emitting means. The connecting means is linked with said guide means by the laser light transmittable and flexible linking means to secure the front end side of the first balloon to said connecting means. This provides a structure enabling the first balloon to be inflated or deflated. An inserting force can be applied to even the connecting means by the linking means to enable the present catheter to be smoothly inserted into the position of a target tissue.
The guide means can be made a coaxial double structure. A space between the first and second guide means may be used as a first fluid passage for inflating the first balloon by providing the first guide means to surround the optical fibers and by providing the second guide means around the periphery of the first guide means. The base end portion of the first balloon can be secured to said second guide means. Said connecting means can be used as means for securing the second balloon.
In accordance with the present invention, there is further provided a laser balloon catheter for emitting in a balloon laser lights which are transmitted through optical fibers and for irradiating the tissue with the laser lights transmitted through the balloon, comprising laser light emitting means having a laser light emitting end of said optical fibers or a laser light transmittable member provided at the emitting end of the optical fibers which receives the laser lights to emit them; a first inflatable balloon provided around said light emitting means for transmitting the laser lights from said emitting means toward the tissue; a first fluid passage for supplying fluid into said first balloon to inflate the same and for discharging the fluid therefrom to deflate the same; a second inflatable balloon provided in front of said first balloon; a second fluid passage for supplying the fluid into said second balloon to inflate the same and for discharging the fluid therefrom to deflate the same; connecting means disposed in front of said laser emitting means; a first flexible and laser light transmittable linking means for linking said connecting means with said guide means; plug means disposed in front of said connecting means; and second linking means for linking said plug means with said connecting means; said front end of said first balloon being secured to said connecting means; the second balloon being secured to said plug means and said connecting means at the front and base ends thereof, respectively.
When the laser balloon catheter is inserted into the urethra
McDermott & Will & Emery
S.L.T. Japan Co., Ltd.
Shay David M.
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