Compact Self-contained Cryosurgical Devices

Abstract

Cryosurgery has such advantages as easy implementation, painlessness, high accuracy, low recurrence rate, and lasting cosmetic effect. However, application of liquid nitrogen as a spray or using a cotton swab does not provide cryonecrosis of pathological tissues. The required cooling rate can be obtained using special cryogenic devices. The KM-01 and KM-02 devices are designed for removal of pathologically changed tissues by exposure to liquid nitrogen. The KM-01 device is used for contact cryodestruction. It is implemented as a container for liquid nitrogen coated with thermal insulator. A cannula at the bottom of the container allows replaceable metal tips of various shapes and sizes to be attached to the container. The KM-02 device can be used for both contact and contactless cryodestruction. To provide surgery at poorly accessible areas, the device was made compatible with a large range of tips of complicated shapes, as well as rigid and flexible tubes of various lengths. During contact surgery, both the tip and the skin area in direct contact with the tip are cooled, while in contactless surgery only the skin area is cooled by spraying. The areas of application of the devices include dermatology, cosmetology, dentistry, oncology, surgery, gynecology, and otolaryngology.