Tissue stabilization for therapeutic ultrasound
View Patent ↗A device including a focused ultrasound probe, a first balloon, and a second balloon. The first balloon can be located at least partially inside the second balloon. The inner balloon can be configured to act as a fluid interface, a mechanism for cooling, and a mechanism for changing tissue depth of a focal point of the probe. The second balloon can be filed with a thermosensitive hydrogel configured to turn from a fluid at room temperature to a gel at physiologic temperatures. The first and second balloons can be configured to create a fluid interface between the probe and targeted tissue of a patient.
1. A method for treating tissue with focused ultrasound, the method comprising:
inserting at least a portion of an ultrasound probe into an inner balloon of a balloon complex, the balloon complex including the inner balloon at least partially surrounded by an outer balloon;
inserting the balloon complex in an orifice of a patient;
injecting thermosensitive hydrogel into the outer balloon to cause the outer balloon to engulf or contact a region of tissue of the patient containing targeted tissue;
injecting liquid into the inner balloon;
allowing or causing the hydrogel to undergo a sol-gel transition;
delivering focused ultrasound, via the ultrasound probe, to the targeted tissue; and
removing the balloon complex from the orifice.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein prior to removing the balloon complex the method comprises:
allowing or causing the hydrogel to undergo a gel-sol transition;
removing the hydrogel from the outer balloon;
removing the liquid from the inner balloon; and
removing the probe from the inner balloon.
3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
infusing water into the orifice to cause the hydrogel to undergo the gel-sol transition.
4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
removing the hydrogel from the outer balloon by applying suction to an egress port of the balloon complex.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising,
evacuating air from the inner and outer balloons prior to positioning the balloon complex in the orifice.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
closing a port of the balloon complex prior to positioning the balloon complex in the orifice.
7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to inserting the balloon complex in the orifice, inserting a stylet into the inner balloon.
8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
infusing water at a temperature less than the sol-gel transition temperature into the orifice of the patient.
9. A method for treating tissue with focused ultrasound, the method comprising the steps of:
a) evacuating air from a balloon complex, the balloon complex including an inner balloon at least partially surrounded by an outer balloon;
b) inserting both a probe and a stylet into the inner balloon;
c) closing a port of the balloon complex;
d) inserting the balloon complex in an orifice of a patient;
e) injecting thermosensitive hydrogel into the outer balloon to cause the outer balloon to engulf or contact a region of tissue of the patient containing targeted tissue;
f) injecting liquid into the inner balloon;
g) allowing or causing the hydrogel to undergo a sol-gel transition which causes the shape of the outer balloon to be at least generally fixed thereby immobilizing surrounding tissue of the patient relative to the outer balloon;
h) delivering focused ultrasound, via the probe, to the targeted tissue;
i) allowing or causing the hydrogel to undergo a gel-sol transition by infusing water into the orifice;
j) removing the hydrogel from the outer balloon by applying suction to an egress port of the balloon complex;
k) removing the liquid from the inner balloon;
l) removing the probe from the inner balloon and;
m) removing the balloon complex from the orifice.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the step of infusing water comprises infusing water at a temperature less than the sol-gel transition temperature.