FLEXIBLE ENDOSCOPE FOR ENDO LUMINAL ACCESS RADIO FREQUENCY TUMOR ABLATION

摘要

A radio frequency (RF) treatment flexible endoscope, for the in depth destruction of tumors by endo luminal access, like in a lung, esophagus, colon, rectum, etc . . . The electrodes (2,2) working in bipolar mode, deploy laterally and in parallel from the endoscope main body (1), reaching a tumor deeply located in the organ parenchyma. The use of different disposable distal end portions (15) of the endoscope allows the deployment of the electrodes (2,2) at different distances one from each other, in order to fit the destruction are to the tumor's size and shape. The deployment of the parallel electrodes (2,2) from the endoscope's main body (1) is controlled by motor drives (4) or a mechanical handled system (3), in order to reach the tumor with near a millimeter precision. In order to fix the endoscope's distal end to the tissue, so to allow a perfect parallel deployment of the electrodes, an inflating cuff (5) is placed at the opposite side of the distal end, as well as a suction system, with its holes (21) placed near the electrodes' deployment location. An external RF generator and a imaging system are associated to the use of the device.