Method and apparatus for treatment of atrial fibrillation
First Claim
1. A medical device for treating patient tissue comprising:
- a fluid reservoir;
a first tissue contacting member adapted to be manipulated into contact with a surface of a target tissue, the first tissue contacting member having a body, first and second tissue-contacting surfaces spaced from one another to define a gap therebetween, and a recess proximate to the gap; and
a first fluid delivery conduit in fluid communication with the reservoir and having a plurality of outlet ports, the first fluid delivery conduit having a length received in the recess with the outlet ports oriented toward, but spaced from, the gap.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus of embodiments of the invention are adapted to treat tissue inside a patient'"'"'s body. Aspects of the invention can be used in a wide variety of applications, but certain embodiments provide minimally invasive alternatives for treating atrial fibrillation by delivering a tissue-damaging agent to selected areas of the heart. One exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a method of treating cardiac arrhythmia. This method includes positioning a distal tissue-contacting portion of a body in surface contact with a tissue surface of cardiac tissue; detecting the surface contact between the tissue-contacting portion and the tissue surface; and thereafter, injecting a tissue-ablating agent into the cardiac tissue through the tissue-contacting portion of the body.
-
Citations
57 Claims
-
1. A medical device for treating patient tissue comprising:
-
a fluid reservoir;
a first tissue contacting member adapted to be manipulated into contact with a surface of a target tissue, the first tissue contacting member having a body, first and second tissue-contacting surfaces spaced from one another to define a gap therebetween, and a recess proximate to the gap; and
a first fluid delivery conduit in fluid communication with the reservoir and having a plurality of outlet ports, the first fluid delivery conduit having a length received in the recess with the outlet ports oriented toward, but spaced from, the gap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
12. A medical device for treating patients tissue comprising:
-
a fluid reservoir;
a tissue grasping member comprising a first tissue contacting member and an opposed second tissue contacting member, the first and second tissue contacting members being operatively associated with one another and movable between a first configuration wherein they have a first relative orientation adapted to receive the tissue therebetween and a second configuration wherein they have a second relative orientation adapted to grasp tissue therebetween; and
first and second fluid delivery conduits in fluid communication with the reservoir, the first fluid delivery conduit having a distal length carried by the first tissue contacting member and a plurality of outlet ports spaced along that distal length, and the second fluid delivery conduit having a distal length carried by the second tissue contacting member and a plurality of outlet ports spaced along that distal length, the outlet ports of the first and second fluid delivery conduits being oriented generally inwardly toward one another when the tissue grasping member is in the second configuration.
-
-
17. A medical device for treating cardiac arrhythmia, comprising:
-
a fluid reservoir for receiving an injectable tissue-ablating agent;
an elongate body adapted for introduction into a thoracic cavity, the body having a distal tissue-contacting member having a length adapted to lie in contact with a surface of a target tissue;
a plurality of outlet ports spaced along the length of the tissue-contacting member;
a lumen in the body communicating the reservoir with the outlet ports;
a pressure control in fluid communication with the reservoir, the pressure control being operable to establish an elevated pressure within the lumen sufficient to propel the tissue-ablating agent from the fluid supply through the outlet ports to define a plurality of spaced-apart fluid jets capable of penetrating the target tissue to a depth of at least about 2 mm.
-
-
33. A method of treating cardiac arrhythmia comprising:
-
positioning a tissue grasping member adjacent a target tissue of a heart atrium or a pulmonary vein, the target tissue having two spaced-apart wall segments;
moving opposed tissue-contacting members of the tissue grasping member toward one another to deform the target tissue such that the wall segments are moved closer to, but remain spaced from, one another; and
ablating target tissue in contact with the tissue contacting members to create a lesion extending through both wall segments. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
-
-
34. A method of at least partially electrically isolating a pulmonary vein from a heart atrium having two spaced-apart wall segments, comprising:
-
juxtaposing the two wall segments along a first plane;
ablating tissue in both wall segments along the first plane with an ablating member to form a lesion along a first length of each wall segment;
moving the ablating member;
juxtaposing the two wall segments along a second plane; and
ablating tissue in both wall segments along the second plane with the ablating member to form a lesion along a second length of each wall segment, the second length adjoining the first length.
-
-
38. A method for creating a line of ablated tissue on a hollow organ or vessel having opposed walls, comprising:
-
bringing the opposed walls of the organ closer together, but not in contact with one another, along a distance within a plane; and
ablating tissue in the opposing walls along the plane to form a corresponding line of ablated tissue through the opposed walls.
-
-
39. A method of treating cardiac arrhythmia comprising:
-
guiding a body of an injectate delivery device within a patient'"'"'s thoracic cavity to position a distal tissue-contacting portion of the body in surface contact with a tissue surface of cardiac tissue;
detecting the surface contact between the tissue-contacting portion and the tissue surface; and
thereafter, injecting a tissue-ablating agent into the cardiac tissue through the tissue-contacting portion of the body.
-
-
57. A method of treating atrial fibrillation comprising:
-
guiding an elongate, flexible body into proximity with an exterior tissue surface of a predetermined portion of a cardiac tissue;
bringing an elongate tissue-contacting portion of the body into surface contact with the tissue surface, the tissue-contacting portion including a plurality of electrodes;
measuring a level of at least one current conducted by the plurality of electrodes, wherein the level depends on a degree of contact between at least two of the electrodes and the tissue surface; and
thereafter, injecting a tissue-damaging fluid into the cardiac tissue at an elevated pressure through a plurality of outlets in the tissue-contacting portion of the body to define a plurality of jets of the tissue-damaging fluid which pass through an entire thickness of the cardiac tissue, creating a transmural signal-impeding lesion in the cardiac tissue.
-
Specification