Method and apparatus for coagulating and/or constricting hollow anatomical structures
View Patent ↗An energy delivering probe is used for thermally coagulating and/or constricting hollow anatomical structures (HAS) including, but not limited to, blood vessels such as perforator veins. The probe includes a shaft and at least two electrodes where at least one of the electrodes has a generally spherical or toroidal geometry.
1. A method of constricting a hollow anatomical structure (HAS), the method comprising:
employing a bipolar electrode probe, the probe comprising:
an elongate rigid shaft having an elongate axis, a proximal shaft end and a sharpened distal shaft end;
a first electrode disposed near the distal shaft end;
a second electrode spaced axially from the first electrode and located distal of the first electrode along the elongate axis, the second electrode having a smaller radial profile than the first electrode such that the second electrode does not extend as far radially from the elongate axis as the first electrode; and
an electrical connector near the proximal end of the shaft for connecting the first and second electrodes to opposite poles of an electrosurgical power supply;
puncturing body tissue with the sharpened distal shaft end as the sharpened distal shaft end is urged against the body tissue;
inserting the distal shaft end, including the first and second electrodes, into a lumen of the HAS; and
applying energy to the HAS with the electrodes to thereby constrict the HAS.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HAS comprises a perforator vein.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying energy to the HAS heats the HAS.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising monitoring temperature in a vicinity of the electrodes.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising modulating power supplied to the electrodes in response to the temperature.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least the second electrode is tapered at a leading end.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the distal shaft end into the HAS lumen comprises introducing the probe through an introducer cannula.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the distal shaft end into the HAS lumen comprises introducing the probe over a guidewire.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is generally spherical or toroidal.
10. A method of constricting a hollow anatomical structure (HAS), the method comprising:
employing a bipolar electrode probe, the probe comprising:
a rigid shaft having a proximal end and a sharp distal end;
a first electrode disposed near the shaft distal end; and
a second electrode spaced axially from the first electrode and located distally of the first electrode, the second electrode having a smaller maximum diameter, in a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the probe, than does the first electrode;
inserting the distal shaft end, including the first and second electrodes, into a lumen of the HAS by puncturing a wall of the HAS; and
applying energy to the HAS with the electrodes to thereby constrict the HAS.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the HAS comprises a perforator vein.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein applying energy to the HAS heats the HAS.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising monitoring temperature in a vicinity of the electrodes.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising modulating power supplied to the electrodes in response to the temperature.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least the second electrode is tapered at a leading end.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein inserting the distal shaft end into the HAS lumen comprises introducing the probe through an introducer cannula.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein inserting the distal shaft end into the HAS lumen comprises introducing the probe over a guidewire.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second electrode is generally spherical or toroidal.