DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TISSUE TREATMENT BY COMBINATION OF ENERGY AND PLASMA
In methods and devices for treatment of tissue of a patient, one or more applicators is positioned adjacent to the tissue to be treated. A cold plasma and radiofrequency energy are applied to the tissue. A negative pressure may be used to draw the tissue towards and/or into contact with the energy delivery elements.
1 . A method of tissue treatment including:
positioning an applicator including plurality of energy delivery elements in contact with the tissue with a negative pressure applied to the tissue;
transferring radiofrequency energy into the tissue; and
causing discrete thermal damage to the tissue in areas surrounding the energy delivery elements.
2 . The method of claim 1 where the negative pressure brings the tissue into contact with and/or near the energy delivery elements.
3 . The method of claim 2 where the negative pressure causes the tissue to deflect by 0.3 mm to 80 mm.
4 . The method of claim 3 where the negative pressure is in the range −100 Pa to −2 MPa
5 . The method of claim 4 where a current density of the radiofrequency energy delivered by one energy delivery element is in the range of 1 Ampere/cm 2 to 300 Ampere/cm 2 .
6 . The method of claim 5 where the thermal damage includes ablation and coagulation, and a volume ratio of coagulated to ablated tissue (mm 2 to mm 2 ) caused by one energy delivery element is in the range of 0.05 to 6.
7 . The method of claim 6 further including generating a non-thermal plasma having a temperature in the range of −15° C. to 90° C. when it reaches the tissue.
8 . The method of claim 7 where the non-thermal plasma is generated in pulse durations in the range of 0.1 nanosecond to 30 seconds.
9 . A method of tissue treatment including:
positioning an applicator having a plurality of energy delivery elements in contact with the tissue where a negative pressure is applied to the tissue moving the tissue into contact and/or near the energy delivery elements;
transferring radiofrequency energy into the tissue;
where the radiofrequency energy has a frequency in the range of 0.2 MHz to 500 MHz;
where radiofrequency has current density in the range of 1 Ampere/cm 2 to 300 Ampere/cm 2 ;
where the negative pressure is in the range −100 Pa to −2 MPa;
where the energy delivery element has a surface contacting tissue in the range of 100 μm 2 to 50 mm 2 .
10 . The method of claim 9 where a deflection of the tissue caused by the negative pressure is in the range of 0.3 mm to 80 mm.
11 . The method of claim 9 where the application of the negative pressure is pulsed and where one pressure pulse is in the range of 0.1 to 60 s.
12 . The method of claim 9 where an output power of an energy source is changed to be closer to a set power value during a time interval of 3 ms to 200 ms.
13 . The method of claim 9 where the radiofrequency energy is provided in pulses and where the duration of one pulse in in the range of 0.1 ms to 2500 ms.
14 . The method of claim 9 where the radiofrequency energy causes thermal damage to the tissue including ablation and coagulation, where volume ratio of coagulated to ablated tissue (mm 2 to mm 2 ) caused by one energy delivery element is in the range of 0.05 to 6.
15 . The method of claim 9 further including generating cold plasma having a temperature in the range of 20° C. to 55° C. when it reaches the tissue.
16 . The method of claim 16 including generating the cold plasma from a source gas where a flow rate of the source gas is in the range of 0.005 dm 3 /min to 500 dm 3 /min.
17 . A method of tissue treatment including:
positioning an applicator including a plurality of needle electrodes in contact with the tissue where negative pressure is applied to the tissue;
extending the needle electrodes into the tissue, where the needle electrodes have penetration depth in the range of 10 μm to 10000 μm;
where a speed of extending the needle electrodes extending is in the range of 0.1 mm/s to 100 mm/s;
where a surface of one needle electrode in contact with the tissue is in the range of 0.05 mm 2 to 20 mm 2 ;
where a diameter of one needle electrode is in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm;
transferring the radiofrequency energy into the tissue; and
causing thermal damage to the tissue.
18 . The method of claim 17 where the needle electrode is insulated by an insulation layer having thickness in the range of 1 μm to 150 μm.
19 . The method of claim 17 where the radiofrequency energy delivered by one energy delivery element has a current density in the range of 1 Ampere/cm 2 to 300 Ampere/cm 2 .
20 . The method of claim 17 where the radiofrequency energy has a frequency in the range of 0.2 MHz to 20 MHz.
21 . The method of claim 17 where the speed of the needle electrodes is a constant speed from a point of entry until a target depth.
22 . The method of claim 17 further including generating a cold plasma having a temperature in the range of 20° C. to 55° C. when it reaches the tissue.
23 . The method of claim 22 where the cold plasma is generated by an energy delivery element having a distance from the tissue in the range of 0.1 mm to 15 cm.
24 . A method of tissue treatment including:
positioning an applicator including a plurality of protruding elements in contact with the tissue where a negative pressure is applied to the tissue;
where the negative pressure is in the range −100 Pa to −2 MPa
where one protruding element has a surface area contacting tissue in the range of 500 μm 2 to 250000 μm 2 ;
where a deflection of the tissue caused by negative pressure is in the range of 0.3 mm to 80 mm;
transferring radiofrequency energy into the tissue; and
causing thermal damage to the tissue.
25 . The method of claim 24 where the radiofrequency energy has a frequency in the range of 0.2 MHz to 10 MHz.
26 . The method of claim 24 where a diameter of a surface of one of the protruding elements contacting the tissue is in the range of 25 μm to 1500 μm.
27 . The method of claim 24 where the application of negative pressure is pulsed and where one pressure pulse is in the range of 0.1 to 60 s.
28 . The method of claim 24 where the thermal damage is discrete.
29 . The method of claim 24 further including generating a cold plasma having a temperature in the range of 20° C. to 55° C. when it reaches the tissue.
30 . The method of claim 29 where the cold plasma is generated by an energy delivery element having distance from the tissue in the range of 0.1 mm to 15 cm.