Ablation of rectal and other internal body structures

Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus and system for ablation of body structures or tissue in the region of the rectum. A catheter is inserted into the rectum, and an electrode is disposed thereon for emitting energy. The environment for an ablation region is isolated or otherwise controlled by blocking gas or fluid using a pair of inflatable balloons at upstream and downstream locations. Inflatable balloons also serve to anchor the catheter in place. A plurality of electrodes are disposed on the catheter and at least one such electrode is selected and advanced out of the catheter to penetrate and ablate selected tissue inside the body in the region of the rectum. The electrodes are coupled to sensors to determine control parameters of the body structure or tissue, and which are used by feedback technique to control delivery of energy for ablation or fluids for cooling or hydration. The catheter includes an optical path disposed for coupling to an external view piece, so as to allow medical personnel to view or control positioning of the catheter and operation of the electrodes. The catheter is disposed to deliver flowable substances for aiding in ablation, or for aiding in repair of tissue, such as collagen or another substance for covering lesions or for filling fissures. The flowable substances are delivered using at least one lumen in the catheter, either from at least one hole in the catheter, from an area of the catheter covered by a microporous membrane, or from microporous balloons.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method for ablating a structure within a body, said method including the steps of: 
 inserting a catheter into a region of said body;    isolating said region from gas or fluid from outside said region;    emitting, from an electrode coupled to said catheter into said region, an effective amount of energy to ablate said structure.    
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said region is in or near the sphincter, rectum, colon, or prostate.  
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said structure includes a cyst, hemorrhoid, polyp, tumor, or lesion.  
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said energy includes RF energy having a frequency between about 435 megahertz and about 485 megahertz.  
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said step of emitting is conducted for less than about 10 minutes.  
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 1 , including the step of advancing said electrode from within said catheter to a point inside a selected mass of tissue within said region.  
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said step of isolating includes the step of blocking gas or fluid from entering said region using at least one balloon.  
     
     
         8 . A method as in  claim 7 , wherein said at least one balloon includes a balloon disposed at an upstream location or disposed at a downstream locations from said region.  
     
     
         9 . A method as in  claim 7 , wherein said step of isolating includes the step of inflating said at least one balloon.  
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 7 , including the step of anchoring said catheter in a selected location using said at least one balloon.  
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 1 , including the step of anchoring said catheter in a selected location.  
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 11 , wherein said step of anchoring includes the step of disposing at least one balloon against a wall of said region.  
     
     
         13 . A method as in  claim 1 , including the steps of: 
 sensing at least one control parameter of said region; and    controlling said step of emitting using a feedback technique including said control parameter.    
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 1 , including the step of delivering a flowable substance to said region.  
     
     
         15 . A method as in  claim 14 , including the steps of: 
 sensing at least one control parameter of said region; and    controlling said step of delivering using a feedback technique including said control parameter.    
     
     
         16 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said flowable substance includes an effective amount of fluid to cool said region to a selected temperature.  
     
     
         17 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said flowable substance includes an effective amount of fluid to rehydrate a selected mass of tissue in said region.  
     
     
         18 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said flowable substance includes saline.  
     
     
         19 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said flowable substance includes an antibiotic.  
     
     
         20 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said flowable substance includes collagen.  
     
     
         21 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said flowable substance includes a substance for covering or filling a selected structure within said region.  
     
     
         22 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said step of delivering includes exuding said flowable substance from at least one hole in said catheter.  
     
     
         23 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said step of delivering includes exuding said flowable substance from a microporous membrane.  
     
     
         24 . A method as in  claim 14 , wherein said step of delivering includes exuding said flowable substance from a balloon having a microporous membrane.  
     
     
         25 . A method as in  claim 1 , including the step of coupling light from said region to a point outside the body, whereby an operator is able to view said region.  
     
     
         26 . A method as in  claim 1 , including the steps of: 
 receiving light from said region representative of a view of said region; and    controlling an orientation or position of said catheter responsive to said view.    
     
     
         27 . A method for treatment of a sphincter in a body, comprising the following steps: 
 providing RF energy from a source coupled to a catheter;    disposing said catheter in a region of said body near said sphincter;    delivering said RF energy from said catheter to a tissue of said sphincter in an amount effective for treatment of said tissue.    
     
     
         28 . A method as in  claim 27 , wherein said sphincter is a lower esophogeal sphincter, a GI sphincter, a rectum, a colon, a blood vessel, an organ, a urethra, a vagina, a prostate.  
     
     
         29 . A method as in  claim 27 , wherein at least a portion of said region is a cavity in said body.  
     
     
         30 . A method as in  claim 29 , wherein said cavity is an element of a gastrointestinal tract, a vascular system, a circulatory tract, a uro-genital tract, a pulmonary system, a lymphatic tract, or an organ.  
     
     
         31 . A method as in  claim 27 , wherein at least a portion of said tissue is an esophogeal varice, a hemorrhoid, a cyst, a polyp, a tumor, or a lesion.  
     
     
         32 . A method as in  claim 27 , wherein said effective amount of RF is effective to heat at least a portion of said tissue, to ablate at least a portion of said tissue, to destroy at least a portion of said tissue, or to contract at least a portion of said tissue.  
     
     
         33 . A method as in  claim 27 , including: 
 providing a substance effective to treat said tissue;    providing said substance from a source coupled to said catheter; and    delivering said substance from said catheter to said tissue in an amount effective to treat said tissue.    
     
     
         34 . A method as in  claim 33 , wherein said substance comprises a flowable substance, a medicament, a saline solution, an astringent, a collagenous fluid or other bulking agent, a bio-active substance, a chemo-active substance, a radioactive substance, or a sclerosing agent.  
     
     
         35 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said region is in or near a ligament, bone or cartilage.  
     
     
         36 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said energy includes microwave, infrared, ultraviolet, visible and invisible laser, visible and invisible light.  
     
     
         37 . A method as in  claim 27 , wherein said sphincter is in or near ligament, bone or cartilage.  
     
     
         38 . A method as in  claim 27 , wherein at least a portion of said tissue is a ligament, bone or cartilage.  
     
     
         39 . A method as in  claim 29 , wherein said cavity is an element of a ligament, bone or cartilage.