Medical instrument for intrauterine use

Miniaturized ultrasound probe within the hysteroscope, along with the video-optical system, without diameter modification.

Patent title Medical instrument for intrauterine use
Thematic area Health
Ownership ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA' DI BOLOGNA
Inventors IVANO RAIMONDO, MARCO PETRILLO, DIEGO DOMENICO FASULO, LUIGI COBELLIS, Renato Seracchioli, Diego Raimondo, Benedetta Orsini
Protection Italy (opportunity for seeking patent protection internationally)
Licensing status Available for development agreements, option, license and other exploitation agreements
Keywords Hysteroscopy, Ultrasoung, Minimally invasive surgery, Gynecology
Filed on 17 December 2020

At date, science and technique are evolving to make the minimally invasive treatment of uterine pathology feasible. This is possible thanks to the hysteroscope: an instrument with calibre <1cm that consents a direct vision of the uterine cavity. However, the hysteroscope has an innate threshold: it cannot evaluate the whole thickness of the uterine wall or the surrounding organs or neither the complete thickness of a focal lesion. This limit can be overcame adding a miniaturized ultrasound probe within the hysteroscope, along with the video-optical system, without diameter modification. That would improve diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes, without impact on the patients’ discomfort.

Outpatient hysteroscope with simultaneous use of miniaturized ultrasound probe, which consents a complete visualization of uterine walls and contiguous organs and any possible focal lesion, overcoming optical limitations of standard hysteroscopy, adding the coexistence of electrosurgical or mechanical instrument, leading to correct diagnosis and treatment in the same session.

The simultaneous use of a miniaturized ultrasound probe guarantees a complete evaluation of the uterus and any possible focal lesion, overcoming the optical limitations of standard hysteroscopy, especially as part of:

  • treatment of G1-G2 myomas
  • preventing false passage, evaluating localization and thickness of uterine or cervical scarring
  • ultrasound control during resection and removal of retained products of conception
  • targeted biopsy of myometrial lesions
  • evaluating uterine malformation during hysteroscopic correction
  • evaluating ectopic interstitial pregnancy during hysteroscopic treatment
  • ultrasound evaluating of endometrial premalignant or malignant lesions
  • better diagnostic accuracy of uterine causes of female infertility
Page published on: 28 April 2021