Systems and methods for visualizing fluid enhanced ablation therapy

Abstract

Systems and methods for visualizing fluid enhanced ablation therapy are described herein. In one embodiment, a method for ablating tissue is provided that includes inserting an elongate body into a tissue volume, heating an imageable fluid within the elongate body to transform the imageable fluid into an imageable therapeutic fluid, delivering the imageable therapeutic fluid into the tissue volume to deliver a therapeutic dose of thermal energy to the tissue volume, and imaging the tissue volume to determine the extent of the tissue volume containing the imageable therapeutic fluid. The imageable therapeutic fluid can indicate the extent of the tissue volume that has received the therapeutic dose of thermal energy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A system for delivering fluid enhanced ablation therapy, comprising:
 an elongate body having
 proximal and distal ends, 
 an inner lumen extending through the elongate body, 
 at least one outlet port formed in the elongate body, and 
 at least one ablation element positioned along the length of a distal portion of the elongate body; 
   an imageable fluid source in communication with the inner lumen of the elongate body, the imageable fluid source including saline and a contrast agent;   a heating element disposed within the inner lumen of the elongate body and configured to heat the imageable fluid to transform the imageable fluid into an imageable therapeutic fluid that can flow through the at least one outlet port and be delivered to tissue surrounding the at least one ablation element.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein a heat capacity of the imageable fluid is greater than about 2 J/ml-° C. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein a ratio of the saline to the contrast agent is about 1:1. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein a ratio of the saline to the contrast agent is about 10:1. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein a ratio of the saline to the contrast agent is about 20:1. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the contrast agent is iohexol. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the ablation element is configured to deliver energy selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic energy, radio frequency energy, laser energy, microwave energy, and ultrasonic energy.