AN ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT FOR INTRACORPOREAL SONODYNAMIC THERAPY

摘要

The present invention relates, in general, to ultrasonic surgical instrument s and, more particularly, to an intracorporeal ultrasonic surgical instrument for sonodynamic therapy. Disclosed is an ultrasonic surgical system (25) comprising: a generator (10) and an instrument (50) comprising: a housing (74); a transducer (65); a semi-permeable membrane (55); a pharmaceutical agent (75); and an agent delivery system (77). The transducer (65) is adapte d to convert the electrical energy of the generator into mechanical energy. Th e pharmaceutical agent (75), delivered into a chamber of the semi-permeable membrane (55), is driven through the semi-permeable membrane (55) by the mechanical energy. A method in accordance with the present invention compris es the steps of: providing a surgical instrument (25) comprising: a housing (74 ); a transducer (65) connected to the housing (74); a semi-permeable membrane (55); a pharmaceutical agent (75); and an agent delivery system (77); inserting the surgical instrument into a patient; delivering a drug to the patient; and locally activating the drug with the surgical instrument (25).< /SDOAB>