US-20260123988-A1 - HAND-ACTIVATED MICROWAVE PROBE HANDLES

US20260123988A1US 20260123988 A1US20260123988 A1US 20260123988A1US-20260123988-A1

Abstract

A system is disclosed including an ablation probe that includes an antenna, a controller in communication with the ablation probe, and a holster device. The holster device is configured to removably receive the ablation probe, wherein the holster device further comprises a switch and, when the ablation probe is mounted in the holster device, the controller is operable to activate the ablation probe upon activation of the switch.

Inventors

Jason Brunkow
Mark Thom
Christopher Unseth

Assignees

NEUWAVE MEDICAL, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241101

Claims (20)

1 . A system, comprising: an ablation probe that includes an antenna; a controller in communication with the ablation probe; and a holster device configured to removably receive the ablation probe, the holster device including a switch, wherein, when the ablation probe is mounted to the holster device, the switch is placed in communication with the controller such that actuating the switch correspondingly activates the ablation probe.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the antenna outputs microwave energy upon actuating the switch and thereby activating the ablation probe.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein cooling fluid circulates through the ablation probe upon actuating the switch and thereby activating the ablation probe.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ablation probe includes one or more cables, and the holster device defines a slot configured to retain the one or more cables when the ablation probe is mounted to the holster device.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ablation probe comprises a first ablation probe and the system further includes a second ablation probe including a second antenna, and wherein the holster device is configured to removably receive the first and the second ablation probes such that the antenna of each ablation probe extends parallel to each other.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ablation probe includes a first communication port with one or more first electrical contacts in communication with the controller, and the holster device includes a second communication port with one or more second electrical contacts in communication with the switch, and wherein, when the ablation probe is mounted to the holster device, the one or more first electrical contacts align and mate with the one or more second electrical contacts.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first communication port includes one or more first magnets, and the second communication port includes one or more second magnets, and wherein, when the ablation probe is mounted to the holster device, the one or more first magnets are attracted to the one or more second magnets to releasably attach the ablation probe to the holster device.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the switch comprises a spring loaded trigger that is movable between an activated position and an inactivated position, and the spring loaded trigger is biased to the inactivated position.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the holster device further comprises a handle portion and a cradle portion, and wherein the cradle portion is configured to receive a handle housing of the ablation probe.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the cradle portion includes a cannula through which the antenna of the ablation probe extends when the ablation probe is received within the cradle portion.
11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the handle portion is configured to retain a cable of the ablation probe when the ablation probe is mounted on the holster device.
12 . A method, comprising: providing an ablation probe that includes: a handle housing; an antenna extending distally from the handle housing; and a first communication port mounted to the handle housing and including one or more first electrical contacts in communication with a controller; mounting the ablation probe to a holster device that includes: a docking bay sized to receive the handle housing; a switch; and a second communication port arranged within the docking bay and including one or more second electrical contacts in communication with the switch; aligning and mating the one or more first electrical contacts with the one or more second electrical contacts and thereby placing the switch in communication with the controller; and actuating the switch and thereby activating the ablation probe.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the holster device includes a cannula that defines a lumen, and wherein mounting the ablation probe to the holster device comprises inserting the antenna through the lumen.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the ablation probe further includes one or more cables, and the holster device further includes a handle portion that defines a slot, the method further comprising receiving and retaining the one or more cables in the slot when the ablation probe is mounted to the holster device.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the holster device includes a cradle portion and a retainer extends from a proximal end of the cradle portion, and wherein mounting the ablation probe to the holster device further comprises inserting a proximal portion of the ablation probe within the retainer.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first communication port includes one or more first magnets, and the second communication port includes one or more second magnets, the method further comprising attracting the one or more first magnets to the one or more second magnets and thereby releasably attaching the ablation probe to the holster.
17 . A system, comprising: an ablation probe that includes an antenna and a first electrical contact; a controller in communication with the first electrical contact; and a holster device having a switch and a second electrical contact in communication with the switch, wherein the holster is configured to removably receive the ablation probe and the second electrical contact is arranged to contact the first electrical contact when the ablation probe is mounted to the holster, and wherein the controller is operable to activate the ablation probe upon activation of the switch.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the ablation probe comprises a first ablation probe and the system further includes a second ablation probe including a second antenna, and the holster device removably retains the first and the second ablation probes such that the antenna of each ablation probe extends parallel to each other.
19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein cooling fluid circulates through the ablation probe upon actuating the switch and thereby activating the ablation probe.
20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the ablation probe includes one or more cables, and the holster device defines a slot configured to retain the one or more cables when the ablation probe is mounted to the holster device.

Description

BACKGROUND Ablation is an important therapeutic strategy for treating certain tissues, such as benign and malignant tumors, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac dysrhythmias, and tachycardia. Some ablation systems utilize radio frequency (RF) energy as the ablating energy source. However, RF energy has several limitations, including the rapid dissipation of energy in surface tissues resulting in shallow “burns” and failure to access deeper tumor or arrhythmic tissues. Another limitation of RF ablation systems is the tendency of eschar and clot formation on the energy emitting electrodes, which limits further deposition of electrical energy. More recently, microwave energy is being used as the ablating energy source in ablation systems. Microwave energy is an effective energy source for heating biological tissues, and is used in applications such as cancer treatment and preheating of blood prior to infusions. One advantage of microwave energy over RF is the deeper penetration into tissue, insensitivity to charring, lack of necessity for grounding, more reliable energy deposition, faster tissue heating, and the capability to produce much larger thermal lesions than RF, which greatly simplifies the actual ablation procedures. When performing an ablation procedure, probes are utilized to deliver the microwave energy, and such probes are sometimes activated by foot pedals or by computer touch screens or peripheral devices. In some applications, for example, the physician may activate the ablation probe via a foot petal during a procedure, or the physician may ask an assistant (e.g., a nurse) to activate the ablation probe via a computer touch screen during the procedure. Moreover, in some procedures, a pair of ablation probes positioned side by side are utilized and, in these use cases, the pair of ablation probes are activated independently via the foregoing foot pedal or computer means. It could be helpful, however, to allow for activation of one or more ablation probes by hand during an ablation treatment, which would provide the physician a great degree of precision when using the ablation probe(s), while at the same time still allowing for traditional means of activating the ablation probe(s) (e.g., via foot pedal, computer touch screen, etc.) which may still be beneficial in some use cases. Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods that enable a physician to activate one or more ablation probes via hand. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Various details of the present disclosure are hereinafter summarized to provide a basic understanding. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the disclosure and is neither intended to identify certain elements of the disclosure, nor to delineate the scope thereof. Rather, the primary purpose of this summary is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form prior to the more detailed description that is presented hereinafter. According to an embodiment consistent with the present disclosure, a system includes an ablation probe that includes an antenna, a controller in communication with the ablation probe, and a holster device configured to removably receive the ablation probe, the holster device including a switch. When the ablation probe is mounted to the holster device, the switch is placed in communication with the controller such that actuating the switch correspondingly activates the ablation probe. In another embodiment, a method includes providing an ablation probe that includes a handle housing, an antenna extending distally from the handle housing, and a first communication port mounted to the handle housing and including one or more first electrical contacts in communication with a controller. The method further includes mounting the ablation probe to a holster device that includes a docking bay sized to receive the handle housing, a switch, and a second communication port arranged within the docking bay and including one or more second electrical contacts in communication with the switch. The method further includes aligning and mating the one or more first electrical contacts with the one or more second electrical contacts and thereby placing the switch in communication with the controller, and actuating the switch and thereby activating the ablation probe. In a further embodiment, a system includes an ablation probe that includes an antenna and a first electrical contact, a controller in communication with the first electrical contact, and a holster device having a switch and a second electrical contact in communication with the switch. The holster is configured to removably receive the ablation probe and the second electrical contact is arranged to contact the first electrical contact when the ablation probe is mounted to the holster, and wherein the controller is operable to activate the ablation probe upon activation of the switch. Any combinations of the various embodiments and implementations disclosed herein can be used in a f