CRYOSURGICAL INSTRUMENT

Abstract

A cryosurgical instrument, in particular a biopsy instrument for transbronchial biopsy, having an elongated instrument base body with a distal and proximal end, in relation to the operational position, a cooled section close to the distal end and which removes tissue, said section being designed such that surrounding biological material adheres thereto, by means of cryoadhesion, when said instrument is in use in the cooled state, and a security section which is provided at a distance from the tissue removal section and which comprises means for preventing or reducing the adhesion of biological material.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A cryosurgical instrument comprising: an elongated instrument base body having a distal end and a proximal end; a cooled tissue grasping section located close to the distal end, said tissue grasping section being configured such that surrounding biological material will adhere due to cryoadhesion when the instrument is being used in a cooled state; and a safety section provided distally from the tissue grasping section, said safety section comprising means for preventing or reducing the adhesion of biological material.

16. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein said instrument is a biopsy instrument for performing a transbronchial biopsy.

17. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the safety section exhibits low thermal conductivity at least in a border region of the tissue grasping section.

18. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 17, wherein the low thermal conductivity can be accomplished by a reduced cross-sectional surface at least in the border region.

19. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 18 further comprising a tube connected to the proximal end of the elongated instrument, wherein a cross-section of the tissue grasping section is greater than a cross-section of the tube.

20. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the safety section exhibits a thermal capacity that is dimensioned such that the temperature of said safety section remains above a value at which biological material will adhere to said safety section during a short cooling duration of the tissue grasping section.

21. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 20, wherein the short cooling duration is a duration of less than 5 seconds.

22. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the safety section is made of a material that reduces cryoadhesion.

23. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 15, where the safety section is covered by a material that reduces cryoadhesion.

24. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the safety section consists of a hard substance that reduces cryoadhesion.

25. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the safety section comprises a heating device.

26. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 25, wherein the heating device is an electric heating device.

27. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the surface of the safety section has distributed over it a plurality of openings that are in fluid communication with a gas channel inside the instrument base body.

28. A cryosurgical instrument comprising: an elongated instrument base body having a distal end and a proximal end; and a cooled tissue grasping section located close to the distal end, said tissue grasping section being configured such that surrounding biological material will adhere due to cryoadhesion when the instrument is being used in a cooled state, wherein the tissue grasping section is designed such that the cryoadhesion effect on a distal surface is substantially reduced compared to that of the peripheral region.

29. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 28, wherein the instrument comprises a biopsy instrument for transbronchial biopsy.

30. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 28, wherein the substantial reduction of cryoadhesion can be accomplished by a reduced cross-sectional surface adjacent to the peripheral region.

31. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 28, wherein cooling agents are provided in the tissue grasping section such that they only cool the peripheral section, but not the distal surface, or wherein a thermal insulation is provided between the cooling agents and the distal surface.

32. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 28, wherein the peripheral section, but not the distal surface, is made of a material and/or has a geometric configuration and/or structure that promote the adhesion of the biological material.

33. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 28, wherein the tissue grasping section is provided with a plurality of openings that are in fluid communication with a gas channel on the inside of the instrument base body.

34. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 28, wherein the safety section consists of a porous material, the porosity of said material allowing the implementation of the plurality of openings.

35. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 34, wherein the tissue grasping section consists of a porous material, the porosity of said material allowing the implementation of the plurality of openings.

36. The cryosurgical instrument of claim 28, wherein the tissue grasping section consists of a porous material, the porosity of said material allowing the implementation of the plurality of openings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a transbronchial biopsy with a flexible bronchoscope and an inserted instrument;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a transbronchial biopsy in the bronchioli with a cryobiopsy probe;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a flexible cryoprobe in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a flexible cryoprobe in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a flexible cryoprobe in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a flexible cryoprobe in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a flexible cryoprobe in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a flexible cryoprobe in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of a flexible cryoprobe in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

[0030] FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of a flexible cryoprobe in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the longitudinal section of a lung L, with the distal end of an inserted flexible bronchoscope 1 and an inserted cryobiopsy probe 3. As can be seen from the enlarged detail in the lower part of the figure, a highly flexible guidewire 5 projects from a distal probe section 3a of the instrument 3, said guidewire 5 having been guided up to the pleura P and having been bent over due to contact with the pleura P. By providing the guidewire 5 with sufficiently low stiffness or high flexibility, as well as by using a material that can be visualized well in the applied fluoroscopic control procedure, said guidewire 5 has the function of a marker means and allows the physician handling it to stop any additional advancement of the instrument upon contact with the pleura wall, avoiding any injury to the pleura.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows the distal end of another cryobiopsy probe 31 comprising a spacer (safety section) 31b on the distal end of the probe head (tissue grasping section) 31a, which spacer will not freeze when a cooling device (not shown) is activated, preventing the pleura P (Pleura visceralis) from freezing to the probe tip.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows another cryobiopsy probe 32 comprising a flexible tube 32′ of plastic material, a probe head (tissue grasping section) 32a of metal designed such that the probe head and the flexible tube have the same outside diameter. In this case, a spherical distal end surface 32b of the probe head is provided with an anti-adhesive coating that minimizes the adhesion of surrounding tissue caused by the cryoadhesion effect, compared with the remaining peripheral region of the probe 32a. A conventional anti-adhesive coating—for example, on a PTFE basis—proven in medical applications can be used.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows another cryobiopsy probe 33 comprising a flexible tube 33′, a freezing device, a probe head 33a and a spacer 33b of plastic material as the probe tip, said spacer being made of plastic material exhibiting low thermal conductivity such that no tissue can freeze to the probe tip (spacer) during the freezing process.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows another cryobiopsy probe 34 comprising a flexible tube 34′, a freezing device (not illustrated) in the probe head 34a, said freezing device projecting beyond the flexible tube to better freeze tissue in a lateral direction; in which case, the probe tip comprises a spacer 34b (safety section) that is a poor thermal conductor and exhibits poor thermal contact (small cross-section) with the probe head.

[0036] FIG. 6 shows another cryobiopsy probe 35 comprising a flexible tube 35′, a freezing device 35c in the probe head 35a, said freezing device again projecting beyond the flexible tube to better freeze tissue in a lateral direction; in which case, the geometric configuration of the surface is such that the frozen tissue adheres due to a positive connection (in the recesses), and in which case the instrument end comprises a spacer 35b.

[0037] FIG. 7 shows another cryobiopsy probe 36 comprising a flexible tube 36′, a freezing device (not illustrated) in the probe head 36a, and a spacer 36b as the probe head; in which case, the spacer has many small openings and is preferably made of sintered bronze, as a result of which a gaseous medium can flow out during the freezing process to prevent any adhesion of tissue.

[0038] FIG. 8 shows, partially in longitudinal section, another cryobiopsy probe 37 comprising a flexible tube 37′, a freezing device (not illustrated) in the probe head, said freezing device projecting beyond the flexible tube to better freeze tissue in a lateral direction, and comprising a stepped safety section 37b, in which additional aspiration openings 37c are provided on the probe head to fixate the tissue by vacuum (negative pressure) to the probe head prior to the freezing process.

[0039] FIG. 9 shows another cryobiopsy probe 38 comprising a flexible tube 38′, a freezing device in the probe head 38a, and a thin, highly flexible, super-elastic probe tip 38b that will bend or yield with minimal resistance and that consists of a material that will be visible under fluoroscopic control (see FIG. 1).

[0040] FIG. 10 shows a representation of a longitudinal section of the distal end of another cryobiopsy probe 39 comprising a flexible tube 39′, a freezing device in the probe head 39a that contains one or more gas supply lines 39c, one or more expansion openings 39d and one or more gas return lines 39e for the expanding gas, and that contains an additional channel 39f for introducing a guidewire 39b for positioning and maintaining a distance from the pleura (see FIG. 1).

[0041] The embodiments of the invention are not restricted to the examples and aspects described and illustrated herein, but can also be potentially implemented in numerous modifications that are within the framework of ordinary skill.