High-Temperature Cryosurgery System for Partial Tumor Ablation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cryosurgery systems completely destroy tumors and surrounding tissue at low temperatures, leading to collateral damage and inadequate activation of the immune system to address remaining cancer cells.
Innovation Solution
A closed-loop cryosurgery system that uses a refrigeration assembly and cryoprobe to achieve partial tumor ablation at temperatures between 0°C and −80°C, allowing for the activation of the immune system by releasing cellular contents from lysed tumor cells without damaging the tumor microenvironment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cryosurgery systems are used to completely destroy tumors, then tumor ablation is achieved, but surrounding healthy tissue is damaged and immune system activation is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from conventional −185°C to a higher range of 0°C to −80°C. This parameter modification enables partial ablation of tumor tissue while preserving the tumor microenvironment, thereby reducing collateral damage to surrounding healthy tissue while still achieving effective tumor cell destruction through incomplete ablation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by intentionally achieving incomplete ablation rather than complete destruction. By using higher temperatures that cause partial tissue destruction, the system releases cellular contents from lysed tumor cells to activate the immune system, while avoiding the complete destruction that would damage the surrounding microenvironment
2Reliability
If conventional cryosurgery systems are used to completely destroy tumors, then tumor ablation is achieved, but immune system activation is insufficient to address remaining cancer cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately uses partial ablation instead of complete destruction. By applying higher temperatures (0°C to −80°C) that cause incomplete tumor cell destruction, the system releases cellular contents that serve as antigens to activate the immune system, thereby addressing remaining cancer cells through immune-mediated destruction rather than relying solely on complete physical destruction
3Object-affected harmful factors
If higher temperature cryoablation is used to preserve tumor microenvironment, then collateral damage is reduced, but tumor ablation effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the temperature parameter to operate at higher temperatures (0°C to −80°C) compared to conventional −185°C. This parameter change preserves the tumor microenvironment by reducing thermal damage to surrounding tissues while still achieving effective tumor cell destruction through the controlled partial ablation and subsequent immune response
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the immune system to target and eliminate remaining cancer cells locally and systemically, reducing damage to healthy tissue and enhancing patient survival and quality of life by stimulating an immune response against cancer.
Implementation Method 1
the fluid refrigerant enters the cryoprobe chamber through an inlet fluid conduit, cools the cryoneedle, and then undergoes a phase change into vapor
Implementation Method 2
the cryoneedle conducts heat away from targeted tissue, organs or bone
Implementation Method 3
is converted back into a fluid for recycling within the fluid loop
Data Source
AI summary
A high temperature cryosurgery system and method of operation comprising a refrigeration assembly, a cryoprobe and a refrigerant wherein the cryoprobe and the refrigeration assembly are fluidly coupled in a closed loop configured to cycle the refrigerant in a fluid state from the refrigeration assembly to the cryoprobe and further configured to cycle the refrigerant in a vapor state from the cryoprobe to the refrigeration assembly. A method for treating cancer tumors and metastatic cancer cells by disrupting the tumor by sequentially or concurrently administering an ablative energy in combination with immunomodulation and/or pharmacological application, in one or more cycles, where the physical disruption is applied at levels sufficient to create the abscopal effect. That effect is generated by stimulating the immune cells in the microenvironment. The tumor is treated in a way permitting the remaining cells or elements in the tumor microenvironment to exert net immune stimulation with also long-term memory cells to fight subsequent appearing tumor in the future. Adding immune modulators injected in situ systemically or embedded in slow releasing means locally or systemically will boost the immune response to the cancer.