Visual electrode ablation systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of ablating a tissue region within a blood-filled environment, comprising:
- restraining, with a hood, a fluid within a visualization field in a portion of the blood-filled environment, the hood having a plurality of support members extending from a base of the hood to bias the hood to a conical shape;
injecting the fluid into the hood while extracting the fluid from the hood such that a rate at which the fluid is being injected is different than a rate at which the fluid is extracted;
visualizing the tissue region through the fluid within the visualization field;
forming a seal between the tissue region and an aperture of a distal membrane at a distal end of the hood such that the tissue region is pulled through the aperture proximally past the distal membrane; and
while the aperture is sealed to the tissue region, with an electrode assembly positioned upon the support members, transmitting ablating electrical energy through the aperture, the aperture having a diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the distal membrane, the electrical energy being transmitted from the fluid into the visualized tissue region.
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Abstract
A method of ablating a tissue region within a blood-filled environment comprises restraining a fluid within a visualization field in a portion of the blood-filled environment and visualizing the tissue region through the fluid within the visualization field. The method also includes transmitting ablating electrical energy from the fluid into the visualized tissue region.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of ablating a tissue region within a blood-filled environment, comprising:
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restraining, with a hood, a fluid within a visualization field in a portion of the blood-filled environment, the hood having a plurality of support members extending from a base of the hood to bias the hood to a conical shape; injecting the fluid into the hood while extracting the fluid from the hood such that a rate at which the fluid is being injected is different than a rate at which the fluid is extracted; visualizing the tissue region through the fluid within the visualization field; forming a seal between the tissue region and an aperture of a distal membrane at a distal end of the hood such that the tissue region is pulled through the aperture proximally past the distal membrane; and while the aperture is sealed to the tissue region, with an electrode assembly positioned upon the support members, transmitting ablating electrical energy through the aperture, the aperture having a diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the distal membrane, the electrical energy being transmitted from the fluid into the visualized tissue region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of ablating a target tissue region, the target tissue region being disposed along a tissue surface, the method comprising:
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restraining a conductive fluid within a hood, the hood comprising a distal membrane, the distal membrane comprising an aperture having a diameter that is less than an outer diameter of the distal membrane, the hood having a plurality of support members extending from a base of the hood to bias the hood to a conical shape; using negative pressure of a purging fluid, forming a seal between the tissue region and the aperture such that the tissue region is pulled through the aperture proximally past the distal membrane; and while the aperture is sealed to the tissue region, with an electrode assembly positioned upon the support members, selectively directing ablating energy through the purging fluid into the target tissue region through the aperture and through the tissue surface while imaging the tissue surface along the target tissue region.
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Specification