ENERGY DELIVERY DEVICES AND METHODS

• US 20070112349A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: DANEK, Christopher, WIZEMAN, William
• Application Number:
  US11/420,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112349A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/08 by means of electrically-heated probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00267 having a basket shaped structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00541 Lung or bronchi
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00797 measured by multiple temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

This relates to methods and devices for achieving contact between the wall of a cavity or passageway and a medical device when used in tortuous anatomy.

Claims

1. A catheter for use in tortuous anatomy to deliver energy from a power supply to a body passageway, the catheter comprising:

an expandable energy transfer element having a reduced profile for advancement and an expanded profile to contact a surface of the body passageway;

an elongate shaft having a near end, a far end adapted for insertion into the body, the expandable energy transfer element coupled to the far end of the shaft, the shaft having a length sufficient to access remote areas in the anatomy; and

where the shaft has a column strength sufficient to advance the expandable energy transfer element within the anatomy, and where the shaft has a flexibility that permits self-centering of the energy transfer element when expanded to contact the surface of the body passageway.

2. The catheter of claim 1, where the length is sufficient to access a bronchial passageway of at least 3 mm in diameter when the catheter is inserted through a respiratory opening of a patient.

3. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising a sheath extending over the shaft.

4. The catheter of claim 3, where the sheath has a corrugated interior surface.

5. The catheter of claim 3, where the sheath has an interior lubricious surface where contact between the shaft and the lubricious surface results in reduced friction allowing relatively low force advancement of the far end of the shaft out of a far end of the sheath to advance the energy transfer element.

6. The catheter of claim 1, where the expandable energy transfer element comprises a plurality of legs forming an expandable basket structure located towards a distal end of the shaft, and such that when the legs deflect outward the basket expands to a maximum diameter.

7. The catheter of claim 4, further comprising an electrically conductive member electrically coupling the expandable energy transfer element to a connector, where the connector allows coupling of the catheter to the power supply.

8. The catheter of claim 1, where the shaft has a corrugated surface.

9. The catheter of claim 1, where the shaft has an outer lubricious surface allowing relatively low force advancement of the far end of the shaft to advance the energy transfer element.