Systems and methods for regulating organ and/or tumor growth rates, function, and/or development
A system for controlled neuromodulation procedures is disclosed. A system for controlled micro ablation procedures is disclosed. Systems and methods for imaging, monitoring, stimulating, and/or ablating neurological structures coupled to one or more organs of the lower urinary tract (LUT) are disclosed. Such processes may be used to alter the hormonal secretions from one or more organs, to modulate the growth of an organ, alter the growth rate or rate of perineural invasion of a tumor, or the like. In particular such processes may be used to slow, halt and/or reverse the growth of a prostate gland or a prostate tumor.
1. A tool, comprising:
an elongate member with a distal tip, the distal tip being shaped and dimensioned so as to fit within a lumen of a body, the elongate member being shaped and dimensioned so as to extend from outside the body, through an entry site on the body and into the lumen, the distal tip comprising a dual tip including a first tip having a first face with a first curved surface and a second tip having a second face with a second curved surface;
a plurality of sensing elements arranged on the first face of the first tip and a plurality of energy delivery elements arranged on the second face of the second tip; and
a controller configured:
to bias the first face of the first tip and the second face of the second tip to bring a first region arranged on the first curved surface of the first tip and a second region arranged on the second curved surface of the second tip into contact with target tissues, at least a subset of the plurality of sensing elements being positioned in the first region arranged on the first curved surface of the first tip, at least a subset of the plurality of energy delivery elements being positioned in the second region arranged on the second curved surface of the second tip;
to capture electrophysiological signals associated with the target tissues utilizing the subset of the plurality of sensing elements;
to generate an image characterizing an electric field applied over the target tissues based at least in part on the captured electrophysiological signals; and
to direct energy into the target tissues, utilizing the subset of the plurality of energy delivery elements, with a pattern and a penetration depth selected based at least in part on the image characterizing the electric field applied over the target tissues, wherein directing energy into the target tissues comprise administering at least one of current pulses and radiofrequency signals to heat one or more regions of the target tissues to a predetermined temperature value within a designated time period;
wherein directing the energy into the target tissues comprises modulating a variable duty cycle of said at least one of the current pulses and the radiofrequency signals such that a mean temperature rise of the one or more regions of the target tissues in a vicinity of the plurality of energy delivery elements reaches the predetermined temperature value while transient temperature values of the one or more regions of the target tissues vary with modulation of the variable duty cycle during the directing of the energy into the target tissues.
2. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a bias force of at least one of the first face of the first tip and the second face of the second tip against a wall of the lumen to alter electrophysiological function of the target tissues in the vicinity of at least one of the first face of the first tip and the second face of the second tip.
3. The tool of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the bias force to modify a depth of electrophysiological activity captured by the plurality of sensing elements arranged on the first face of the first tip.
4. The tool of claim 3 , wherein modifying the depth of the electrophysiological activity captured by the plurality of sensing elements arranged on the first face of the first tip comprises sufficiently increasing the bias force such that tissues directly adjacent the first face of the first tip are rendered temporarily inoperative such that the captured electrophysiological signals are characteristic of tissues distal from the first face of the first tip.
5. The tool of claim 1 , wherein generating the image comprises determining a plurality of contact points corresponding to locations where respective ones of the subset of the plurality of sensing elements positioned in the first region of the first face of the first tip engage with the target tissues.
6. The tool of claim 5 , wherein determining the plurality of contact points comprises determining locations of the plurality of contact points within the generated image based at least in part on a known positioning of the subset of the plurality of sensing elements positioned in the first region of the first face of the first tip.
7. The tool of claim 5 , wherein generating the image further comprises identifying propagation of a wave characterizing time of contact of respective ones of the subset of the plurality of sensing elements positioned in the first region of the first face of the first tip with the target tissues across the plurality of contact points.
8. The tool of claim 7 , wherein generating the image further comprises identifying a direction of travel of the wave across the plurality of contact points.
9. The tool of claim 8 , wherein generating the image further comprises identifying one or more future contact points of the subset of the plurality of sensing elements positioned in the first region of the first face of the first tip with the target tissues based at least in part on the propagation of the wave and the direction of travel of the wave.
10. The tool of claim 8 , wherein determining the plurality of contact points comprises determining locations of the plurality of contact points within the generated image based at least in part on correlation of propagation of the wave through the subset of the plurality of sensing elements positioned in the first region of the first face of the first tip with the captured electrophysiological signals.
11. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to individually control respective ones of the plurality of energy delivery elements based at least in part on feedback from one or more of the plurality of sensing elements to direct energy into the target tissues with the desired pattern and the desired penetration depth.
12. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to actuate the dual tip to adjust a positioning of the first tip and the second tip such that at least one of the first curved surface of the first tip and the second curved surface of the second tip cup the target tissues.
13. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the captured electrophysiological signals relate to one or more of water concentration, tissue tone, evoked potential, remotely stimulated nervous activity, sympathetic nervous activity, an electromyographic signal, a mechanomyographic signal, a local field potential, an electroacoustic event, vasodilation, vessel wall stiffness, muscle sympathetic nerve activity, central sympathetic drive, and nerve traffic.
14. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a microcircuit coupled to the plurality of sensing elements, the microcircuit being configured to condition electrophysiological signals conveyed from the plurality of sensing elements prior to capture thereof by the controller, the microcircuit being embedded into the tool.
15. The tool of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing elements comprises a microelectrode configured to interface with a tissue volume of the target tissues within or beyond a wall of the lumen while engaged with the wall of the lumen, the microelectrode having an area of less than 5000 μm 2 .
16. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid delivery means for providing a coupling fluid to the distal tip to enhance the engagement of one or more of the plurality of sensing elements with the target tissues when biased there against.
17. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising one or more chemical delivery elements comprising one or more probes configured to deliver at least one of a diagnostic substance and a therapeutic substance to the target tissues.
18. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature value comprises 40 degrees Celsius and the designated time period is less than 250 seconds.
19. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to actuate a deployment mechanism to control a pressure applied by at least one of the first region and the second region on the target tissues.