Ultrasonic freeze ablation catheters and probes
Patent 5139496 Issued on August 18, 1992. Estimated Expiration Date: 
December 20, 2010. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
December 20, 2010. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent References 3298371 3502081 3696813 3782386 3913581 Cauterizing probes for cryosurgery Cryosurgical apparatus and method Cryo-ultrasonic surgical instrument Apparatus for cryosurgery Patent #: 4946460 InventorApplicationNo. 630532 filed on 12/20/1990US Classes:606/23, Tip or other cooling concentration means606/21, Internal application606/24With heating means (e.g., defroster)ExaminersPrimary: Aschenbrenner, Peter A.Attorney, Agent or FirmForeign Patent References
International ClassA61B 017/36AbstractProbes for medical surgery and flexible catheters for internal tissue ablation in which the tissue cells are frozen and deadened and yet extreme supercooling of tissue below the tissues' melting point is not required. The tissue cells are moderately supercooled by the probe or catheter and freezing of the cells is caused by cavitation nucleation of ice particles within the cells induced by a low power ultrasonic wave generator. The ultrasonic energy causes well distributed nucleation in the supercooled tissue cells and, as a result, the cells rapidly freeze and, due to such freezing, expand and burst their membranes. | |
