Device and method for treatment of tissue adjacent a bodily conduit by thermocompression

Abstract

A method and apparatus of treating tissue adjacent to a bodily conduit using thermotherapy, while preventing obstructions of the bodily conduit due to edema employs the circulation of warmed fluid to maintain the temperature of the bodily conduit walls and compresses the tissue to be treated to increase the effectiveness of the irradiated heat. An energy-emitting source containing catheter is inserted in a bodily conduit and is positioned in a region of the tissue to be treated so that the energy-emitting source radiates energy to the tissue to be treated. Fluid warmed to over 30° C. is circulated into and through the catheter to warm walls of the bodily conduit adjacent the catheter. The warmed circulated fluid inflates a balloon to a pressure to compress the tissue to form a natural stent that remains after the catheter and compression balloon are removed.

1 . An apparatus for treatment of tissue within a body, the apparatus comprising:
 a catheter defining a central lumen and defining an input orifice and an output orifice;   an energy-emitting source disposed within the central lumen of the catheter, the central lumen comprising a plurality of protrusions to centralize the energy-emitting source within the central lumen; and   a compression balloon surrounding the energy-emitting source and operably associated with the input orifice and the output orifice, the compression balloon configured to receive warmed fluid into the input orifice for inflation, the central lumen where the energy-emitting source is disposed configured to receive warmed fluid from the compression balloon out of the output orifice.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an external pumping system coupled to the catheter and comprising a fluid input channel and fluid output channel, the pumping system configured to circulate warmed fluid from the fluid input channel through the input orifice and into the compression balloon for inflation and out of the compression balloon through the output orifice and into the central lumen where the energy-emitting source is disposed. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an anchoring balloon for positioning the energy-emitting source and the compression balloon adjacent to tissue to be treated. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of protrusions further form fluid channels within the central lumen. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the input orifice is one of a plurality of input orifices and the catheter further comprises a plurality of other lumens located near a proximal portion of the compression balloon, the plurality of other lumens configured to deliver warmed fluid from the fluid input channel into the plurality of input orifices. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the output orifice is one of a plurality of output orifices, and the central lumen is in fluid communication with each of the plurality of output orifices. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the fluid output channel is fitted with a restrictive orifice for pressurized circulation. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the catheter comprises a flexible casing that defines the central lumen and that defines the plurality of other lumens, the plurality of other lumens being disposed within the casing and circumferentially surrounding the central lumen. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the catheter is less than about 22 French. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the warmed fluid inflates the compression balloon to a diameter in the range of about 25-60 French. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compression balloon when inflated has a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compression balloon when inflated has a varying diameter along its length. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bodily conduit is a urethra. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the tissue to be treated is a prostate. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the external pumping system circulates warmed fluid having a temperature approximately above 30° C.