Abstract:
A system for accessing a desired site within a patient's body includes a cannula defining an inner lumen that opens both forwardly (18) and into a longitudinally extending side aperture formed in the side of the cannula, near its distal end. An electrosurgical stylet slidable fits inside the inner lumen. At the distal end of the stylet is an electrosurgical electrode (28) capable of cutting tissue when at forward opening (18)and permitting advancement of the system into a patient's body. The electrode, in an expanded deployed configuration, can be wider than the maximum transverse dimension of the cannula, but it may be deflected toward the center of the stylet so that the electrode fits within the inner lumen of the cannula, permitting the stylet to be inserted and removed through the cannula. An elongate guide tube having a central axial bore which communicates with an orifice in the side of the guide tube can be inserted into the inner lumen of the cannula such that the guide tube orifice coincides with the longitudinally extending side aperture of the cannula. In use, the stylet with the cannula disposed about it is advanced into the patient's tissue, using electrosurgical cutting, until the side aperture of the cannula is disposed adjacent a desired site within the patient. The stylet can then be withdrawn from the cannula providing access through the inner lumen of the cannula to the tissue at the desired site.
Abstract:
Devices and methods are provided for securely affixing a medical instrument to desired tissue in a patient's body, using a fixation agent. Such medical instruments may comprise localization wires or tissue acquisition instruments, such as biopsy instruments, for example. In the case of tissue acquisition instruments, the inventors have discovered significant advantages for securely affixing the distal end of the tissue acquisition instrument to a particular tissue target area. For example, such an approach permits the imaging environment to be uncoupled from the procedural environment so that expensive and often unavaible imaging equipment, such as stereotactic imaging equipment, need not be used. In a preferred embodiment, a bonding agent, such as adhesive, surgical glue, or a solvent, is used as the fixation agent.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to devices and methods for separating and collecting a tissue specimen form a patient's target site. The device includes a probe member and a penetrating distal tip and a tissue receiving aperture, and a tissue cutting member which is rotatable disposed within the probe member to cut a tissue specimen drawn into the interior of the device through the aperture. The longitudinal edges of the aperture are preferably sharpened to engage the cutting edges of the tissue cutting member. Vacuum may be provided in the inner lumen of the cutting member to transport the tissue therethrough. Rotation, rotational oscillation and/or longitudinal reciprocation of the tissue cutting member is effective to separate a tissue specimen from surrounding tissue. An accessing cannula having a tissue receiving aperture may be concentrically disposed within the probe member and about the tissue cutting member.
Abstract:
Devices and methods are provided for securely affixing a medical instrument to desired tissue in a patient's body, using a fixation agent. Such medical instruments may comprise localization wires or tissue acquisition instruments, such as biopsy instruments, for example. In the case of tissue acquisition instruments, the inventors have discovered significant advantages for securely affixing the distal end of the tissue acquisition instrument to a particular tissue target area. For example, such an approach permits the imaging environment to be uncoupled from the procedural environment so that expensive and often unavaible imaging equipment, such as stereotactic imaging equipment, need not be used. In a preferred embodiment, a bonding agent, such as adhesive, surgical glue, or a solvent, is used as the fixation agent.
Abstract:
A marker delivery device is described which has an obturator with an elongated shaft, an inner lumen, a proximal end, and a substantially sealed distal end. One or more tissue markers are deployed within the inner lumen of the elongated shaft of the obturator. Preferably, the tissue marker(s) is disposed within an inner lumen of a marker delivery tube which is disposed within the inner lumen of the elongated shaft of the obturator. The marker delivery tube has an opening for discharging the tissue markers into a body (e.g. biopsy) cavity. The distal tip of the marker delivery tube is configured to penetrate the substantially sealed distal end of the obturator so that tissue markers can be delivered while the obturator is in place within the body. Preferably, the obturator includes a detectable element capable of producing a relatively significant image signature during MRI.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to a system and device for separating and collecting a tissue specimen from a target site within a patient. The device includes a probe component (11) with an elongated tubular section (15), a penetrating distal tip (16) and a tissue receiving aperture (17) in the distal end of the tubular section proximal to the distal tip, and a tissue cutting member (20) which is slidably disposed within the probe member to cut a tissue specimen drawn into the interior of the device through the aperture by applying a vacuum to the inner lumen of the tissue cutting member. The device also has a driver component (12) to which the probe component is releasably secured. The driver has a drive member (22,23) for adjusting the orientation of the tubular section and thus the aperture therein and one or more drive members (30) for moving the tissue cutting member within the tubular section to sever a tissue specimen from tissue extending into the interior of the tubular section through the aperture. The motion imparted to the tissue cutter is at least longitudinal and preferably is also oscillation and/or rotational to effectively separate a tissue specimen from tissue extending through the aperture in the tubular section.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to a system and device for separating and collecting a tissue specimen from a target site within a patient. The device includes a probe component which is releasably secured to the driver component (12). The probe component has an elongated tubular section (15), a penetrating distal tip (16) and a tissue receiving aperture (17) in the distal end of the tubular section proximal to the distal tip, and a tissue cutting member (20) which is slidably disposed within the probe member to cut a tissue specimen drawn into the interior of the device through the aperture by applying a vacuum (59) to the inner lumen of the tissue cutting member. The driver has drive members (22, 30, 40) for operating the elements of the probe component. The tissue penetrating distal tip preferably has a triple concave curvature shape with three curved cutting edges leading to a sharp distal point.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to an electrosurgical device having a shapeable elongate cutting electrode having a free distal end with an exposed length of at least 0.5 inch and secured by its proximal end to the distal end of a handle. The electrosurgical device is designed for use with a high frequency electrosurgical generator which as an output at a frequency of between about 1MHz and about 10 MHz, preferably about 3 to about 8 MHz. Preferably, the output has an essentially sinusoidal waveform with little harmonic distortion. The methods provide for the enhanced cutting of a variety of tissue including muscular, connective, glandular and fatty tissue. The device is particularly suitable in performing a breast biopsy.
Abstract:
A system and method for managing, reducing, or eliminating the deleterious effects of the operation of energy emitting instruments on imaging systems. The system and method of the invention can be built into the structure of an imaging system, or can be configured to adapt to existing imaging systems. An embodiment of a system incorporating features of the invention has an interference bar detector coupled to an interference bar acquisition device which relays information regarding a bar of interference to a processor which identifies the position and velocity of the interference bar moving across an image frame or image display. Based on the position and velocity of the interference bar within the image frame, the processor then computes the necessary corrections to the gating and timing of the operation of the energy emitting instrument so as to fix the position of the interference bar at a perimeter of the image display. In another embodiment, a portion of an image frame which contains interference from the operation of an energy emitting instrument can be replaced with a corresponding portion of another image frame which is clear of interference. The invention allows for such replacement of interference scrambled portions of an image frame to occur without undue interruption of the continuous image frame generation, video stream or video display output of the imaging system.
Abstract:
An electrosurgical biopsy device includes a stylet and a cannula movably mounted on a base. The stylet has a shaft with a head at its distal end and a stylet ablation element extending distally from the head. The stylet shaft is disposed through the cannula for axial translation therein between withdrawn and extended positions. The cannula has an opening at its distal end and a cannula ablation element adjacent the opening. Both ablation elements are activatable with energy that ablates adjacent tissue. A translation mechanism controllably moves (a) the stylet between the withdrawn and extended positions and (b) the cannula between a proximal position and a distal position relative to the base. In use, with the stylet in the withdrawn position against the distal end of the cannula, and with the stylet ablation element activated, the stylet and the cannula are pushed through the skin and the underlying tissue until the stylet head is adjacent a targeted tissue mass. Next, the stylet is extended distally from the distal end of the cannula so that its head penetrates the tissue mass. The cannula ablation element is then activated, and the cannula is pushed through the tissue mass toward the stylet head, thereby cutting a "core" through the tissue mass that is captured as a tissue specimen within the distal end of the cannula. The cannula and the stylet are then removed from the patient's body.