Device and methods useable for treatment of glaucoma and other surgical procedures

Abstract

A device and method for cutting or ablating tissue in a human or veterinary patient includes an elongate probe having a distal end, a tissue cutting or ablating apparatus located adjacent within the distal end, and a tissue protector extending from the distal end. The protector generally has a first side and a second side and the tissue cutting or ablating apparatus is located adjacent to the first side thereof. The distal end is structured to be advanceable into tissue or otherwise placed and positioned within the patient's body such that tissue adjacent to the first side of the protector is cut away or ablated by the tissue cutting or ablation apparatus while tissue that is adjacent to the second side of the protector is not substantially damaged by the tissue cutting or ablating apparatus.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 477,258 filed on Jun. 10, 2003, the entirety of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A. Symptoms and Etiology of Glaucoma [0003] The term “glaucoma” refers generally to a group of diseases which cause progressive damage to the optic nerve and resultant optical field defects, vision loss and, in some cases, blindness. Glaucoma is frequently, but not always, accompanied by abnormally high intraocular pressure. Aqueous humor is continually produced by cells of the ciliary body and such aqueous humor fills the anterior chamber of the eye. Excess aqueous humor normally drains from the anterior chamber of the eye, through a structure known as the trabecular meshwork and then out of the eye through a series of drainage tubules. However, in many glaucoma patients, drainage of the aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork is impaired...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024] Still further in accordance with the invention, the width or size of the tissue that is cut or ablated from the patient's body, as well as the degree to which adjacent tissues that remain in the body are damaged by thermal energy or other affects of the cutting or ablation process, may be controlled in some embodiments of the device by controlling the amount of power or energy that is delivered to the tissue cutting or ablation apparatus. In this regard, in embodiments where the tissue cutting or ablation apparatus is a monopolar or bipolar electrosurgical apparatus, there will be a high power density zone closest to the electrode(s) wherein thermal cutting or ablation of tissue will occur. This high power density zone may be surrounded by a medium power density zone wherein the thermal energy is great enough to also cut or ablate tissue under some circumstances. The voltage and / or current supplied to the electrode(s) may be adjusted to control the size and extent of the high power density zone and / or the surrounding medium power density zone, thereby providing for cutting or ablation of a strip of tissue of a desired size while avoiding significant or irreparable damage to tissue that is to be protected (e.g., tissue located on the second side of the protector) or other tissue at the margins of or in close proximity to the strip of tissue that has been cut or ablated.

Problems solved by technology

Glaucoma is frequently, but not always, accompanied by abnormally high intraocular pressure.

However, in many glaucoma patients, drainage of the aqueous humor through the trabecular meshwork is impaired, thereby causing the pressure of aqueous humor within the anterior chamber to increase.

Trabeculoplasty, trabeculectomy and shunt implantation procedures are sometimes unsuccessful due to scarring of closure of the surgically created channels or holes and / or clogging of the drainage tube.

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