Method and apparatus for preparing organs and tissues for laparoscopic surgery

摘要

High intensity ultrasound (HIU) is used to facilitate surgical procedures, such as a laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, with minimal bleeding. An apparatus is configured to emit HIU from one or more transducers that are attached to a minimally invasive surgical instrument. Such a tool preferably can provide sufficient clamping pressure to collapse blood vessels' walls, so that they will be sealed by the application of the HIU, and by the resulting thermal ablation and tissue cauterization. Such an instrument can provide feedback to the user that the lesion is completely transmural and that blood flow to the region distal of the line of thermal ablation has ceased. Similar instruments having opposed arms can be configured for use in conventional surgical applications as well. Instruments can be implemented with transducers on only one arm, and an ultrasound reflective material disposed on the other arm.

主权项

1. Apparatus for use during a medical procedure to isolate a first region of tissue from a blood supply, comprising:
(a) a first arm on which is disposed at least one ultrasound transducer configured to treat a second region of tissue using therapeutic ultrasound, the second region of tissue being adjacent to and disposed between the first region of tissue and a source of blood for the first region of tissue; and (b) a second arm configured to be in a facing relationship with the first arm, with the second region of tissue to be treated positioned between the first arm and the second arm, the second arm comprising an additional ultrasound transducer; (c) the first and second arms configured to collect ultrasound pulse time-of-flight data for evaluation of the second region of tissue while the second region of tissue remains positioned between the first and second arms to determine an effectiveness of the therapeutic ultrasound treatment in occluding blood flow within the second region of tissue; (d) an ultrasound machine coupled with the one or more ultrasound transducers and configured to: receive the collected ultrasound pulse time-of-flight data, identify an increase in ultrasound time-of-flight through the second region of tissue during treatment, and, in response to identifying the increase in ultrasound time-of-flight through the second region of tissue, (1) indicate a need to cease treatment of the second region of tissue, or (2) automatically cease treatment of the second region of tissue.