CRYONEEDLE

• Main Authors: RAMADHYANI, Satish, ZACHMAN, Andrew Kevin, JOHNSON, Mark Timothy, BLEIWIES, Modechay
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.09.2017
• Subjects: DIAGNOSIS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; SURGERY

The present invention discloses a cryoneedle comprising: an outer tube having a distal section placed at or near a target area of a patient's anatomy and a longitudinal axis; a gas supply line positioned within the outer tube, the gas supply line configured to supply a cryogas for forming an ice ball on an outer surface of the outer tube over the distal section; an expansion chamber located within the distal section such that the gas supply line terminates in the expansion chamber; a heat exchange helix in the distal section contacting the inner surface of the outer tube; a heater positioned coaxially with the gas supply line and the outer tube; a return gas flow lumen defined annularly between the heat exchange helix and the gas supply line adapted to carry cryogas from the expansion chamber along a return flow path; and wherein the heat exchange helix provides generally uniform rate of heat transfer in the distal section such that the iceball formed on the outer surface of the outer tube is generally symmetric in shape along the longitudinal axis of the outer tube.