Methods and systems for in situ tissue marking and orientation stabilization

Abstract

A method of marking an orientation of a cut specimen of tissue prior to excision thereof from a body includes steps of disposing a tissue-marking probe in the body adjacent the cut specimen, the tissue-marking probe including a tissue-marking tool configured to selectively mark the cut specimen. A surface of the cut specimen is then marked with the tissue-marking tool such that the orientation of the cut specimen within the body is discernable after the cut specimen is excised from the body. The tissue-marking tool may be configured to selectively bow out of and back into a window defined near a distal tip of the probe and the marking step may include a step of selectively bowing the tissue-marking tool out of the window and following the surface of the cut specimen while rotating the probe. The tissue-marking tool may include an RF cutting tool and the marking step may include a step of coagulating or cauterizing a selected portion of the surface of the cut specimen with the RF cutting tool. Alternatively, the marking step may include a step of delivering dye onto selected portions of the surface of the cut specimen.

1 . A soft tissue excisional method, comprising the steps of: 
 disposing a probe within tissue from which a tissue specimen is to be taken, the probe including an RF tissue cutting tool configured to selectively bow out of and back into a window defined near a distal tip of the probe;    rotating the probe while applying RF energy to the RF cutting tool and selectively bowing the cutting tool out of the window to cut the specimen from the tissue;    selectively coagulating selected portions of a surface of the specimen with the RF cutting tool such by that the orientation of the specimen within the body is discernable after the cut specimen is excised from the body.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of isolating the cut specimen from surrounding tissue by at least partially encapsulating the cut specimen with a thin flexible film deployed in a path of the RF cutting tool.  
     
     
         3 . An intra-tissue therapeutic device, comprising: 
 a probe body, the probe body defining an internal tool lumen that emerges from the probe body at a tool port defined near a distal tip of the probe body;    a tool actuator, and    a tissue specimen stabilization tool mechanically coupled to the tool actuator, the stabilization tool including a barbed tip adapted to selectively slide within the tool lumen and extend out of the tool port to penetrate and stabilize tissue adjacent the tool port.    
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the internal tool lumen is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the probe body near a proximal end thereof and wherein the internal tool lumen curves away from the axis near the distal tip of the probe body to emerge at the tool port.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , further including a cutting tool disposed near the tip of the probe body.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the cutting tool includes an RF cutting element.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the RF cutting element selectively bows out of and back into a window defined in the probe body, the RF cutting element being adapted to cut a volume of revolution of tissue as the probe body is rotated inside a patient's soft tissue.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the barbed tip is configured to expand when emerging from the tool port.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the device is configured for a single use and is disposable.  
     
     
         10 . A soft tissue intra-tissue therapeutic device, comprising: 
 a cutting tool adapted to cut a specimen from surrounding tissue;    a tissue-marking tool adapted to mark the specimen, at least a portion of the marking tool being mechanically coupled to the cutting means, and    a tissue isolator, the tissue isolation means being adapted to expand radially form the device and isolate the cut specimen from the surrounding tissue as the device is rotated.    
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the cutting tool includes a radio frequency (RF) cutting tool.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the RF cutting tool includes a distal RF cutting tool disposed at a distal tip of the device.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the RF cutting tool is configured to selectively bow out of and back into a body of the device to cut a volume of revolution of tissue as the device is rotated inside within the tissue.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the tissue-marking tool is configured to deliver dye to a selected portion of a surface of the cut specimen.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the tissue-marking tool is configured to selectively bow out of and back into a body of the device and to follow a path of the cutting tool as the device is rotated.  
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the tissue isolator includes a thin flexible film of material, one end of the film being attached to a body of the device and another end thereof being attached to the tissue-marking tool.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 10 , further including means for delivering a pharmaceutical agent to the surrounding tissue.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 10 , further including means for suctioning smoke, blood and/or bodily fluids.