Methods and systems for endometrial ablation
View Patent ↗Methods, systems and devices for endometrial ablation. In accordance with a method, a working end of an RF ablation device is positioned in a patient uterus to contact endometrial tissue, the working end comprising a dielectric wall capable of non-expanded and expanded shapes. A Hall effect sensor carried by the working end is used to generate a signal that indicates a dimension of the uterine cavity or a frame-open parameter of the working end.
1. A system for treating uterine tissue, comprising:
an energy-delivery structure moveable between non-expanded and expanded shapes, the expanded shape configured for positioning in a uterine cavity;
a Hall effect sensor carried in a first peripheral portion of the structure when in the expanded shape; and
a magnet carried by a second portion of the structure when in the expanded shape, the second portion being removed from the first portion.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion is within a central portion of the structure when in an expanded shape.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion is within a peripheral portion of the structure when in an expanded shape.
4. The system of claim 1 including a plurality of Hall effect sensors.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the Hall effect sensor is carried about a centerline of the structure.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnet is carried about a centerline of the structure.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is a permanent magnet.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is an electromagnet.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy-delivery structure comprises a thin wall member.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy-delivery structure comprises a dielectric.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy-delivery structure comprises a frame.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy-delivery structure comprises at least one electrode.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy-delivery structure comprises bi-polar electrodes.
14. A tissue ablation system, comprising:
a thin wall expandable structure having an interior chamber; and
a Hall effect sensor and a magnet carried in first and second locations, respectively, in the interior chamber;
wherein the Hall effect sensor provides a signal of movement of the magnet away from the sensor upon expansion of the expandable structure thereby indicating an expansion parameter of the structure.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the expandable structure comprises a dielectric.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the magnet is a rare earth magnet.
17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a gas source in fluid communication with the interior chamber.
18. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a radiofrequency source operatively coupled to at least one electrode within the interior chamber.
19. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a radiofrequency source operatively coupled to at least one electrode carried by the expandable structure.
20. A system for endometrial ablation, comprising:
a working end including an expandable-collapsible energy delivery surface configured for deployment in a patient uterus;
a Hall effect sensor adjacent the energy delivery surface; and
magnetic field means carried by the working end.
21. The system of claim 20 , further comprising an ablation energy source operatively coupled to the energy delivery surface.
22. The system of claim 20 , further comprising an ablation energy source operatively coupled to the energy delivery surface.
23. The system of claim 20 , wherein the magnetic field means comprises a magnet.
24. The system of claim 20 , wherein the magnetic field means comprises a plurality of magnets.
25. The system of claim 20 , wherein the signal indicates a volume of the uterine cavity.
26. The system of claim 20 , wherein the signal indicates width of the uterine cavity.
27. The system of claim 20 , wherein the signal indicates length of the uterine cavity.
28. The system of claim 20 , wherein the expandable-collapsible structure is expanded by an interior frame.
29. The system of claim 20 , wherein the expandable-collapsible structure is expanded by an inflation medium.
30. The system of claim 20 , further comprising actuating an energy source to delivery ablative energy from the working end to the uterine cavity.
31. The system of claim 20 , further comprising acquiring a signal from the Hall effect sensor, and utilizing the signal to select a parameter of ablative energy delivery from the working end to the uterine cavity.
32. A system for endometrial ablation, comprising:
a working end including an expandable-collapsible energy delivery surface configured for deployment in a patient uterus;
a Hall effect sensor carried by the working end configured to provide a signal relating to a uterine dimension; and
a controller having an algorithm for controlling energy applied by the energy delivery surface based on the signal.
33. A method of characterizing a uterine cavity, comprising:
transcervically introducing a device working end into a patient uterus; and
expanding an expandable-collapsible structure carrying at least one Hall effect sensor and magnet, wherein the Hall effect sensor varies its output in response to a change in the magnetic field to provide a signal indicative of a dimensional parameter of the uterine cavity.