ELECTRICAL MEANS TO NORMALIZE ABLATIONAL ENERGY TRANSMISSION TO A LUMINAL TISSUE SURFACE OF VARYING SIZE
First Claim
1. A method of measuring the size of a body lumen comprising:
- expanding a size of an operative element within the lumen, the operative element having sensing circuitry with a resistivity that varies according to the size of the operative element;
varying the sensing circuitry in accordance with the size of the operative element;
measuring the resistivity of the sensing circuitry; and
determining the size of the lumen based on the measuring step.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and devices for measuring the size of a body lumen and a method for ablating tissue that uses the measurement to normalize delivery of ablational energy from an expandable operative element to a luminal target of varying circumference are provided. The method includes inserting into the lumen an expandable operative element having circuitry with resistivity or inductance that varies according to the circumference of the operative element, varying the expansion of the operative element with an expansion medium, measuring the resistivity of the circuitry, and relating the resistivity or inductance to a value for the circumference of the operative element. In some embodiments the sizing circuit includes a conductive elastomer wrapped around the operative element. Other embodiments of the method apply to operative elements that include an overlapping energy delivery element support in which the overlap varies inversely with respect to the state of expansion, and which is configured with sizing electrodes that sense the amount of the overlap.
254 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of measuring the size of a body lumen comprising:
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expanding a size of an operative element within the lumen, the operative element having sensing circuitry with a resistivity that varies according to the size of the operative element; varying the sensing circuitry in accordance with the size of the operative element; measuring the resistivity of the sensing circuitry; and determining the size of the lumen based on the measuring step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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- 19. A device for measuring the size of a body lumen comprising an expandable operative element including a sensing circuitry whose resistivity varies according to the size of the operative element.
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30. A method for ablating target tissue in a body lumen comprising:
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inserting an expandable operative element into the lumen, the operative element having sensing circuitry with a resistivity that varies according to the size of the operative element; expanding the operative element to contact the target tissue at a predetermined pressure; varying the sensing circuitry in accordance with the size of the operative element; measuring the resistivity of the sensing circuitry; determining the size of the lumen based on the measuring step; and controlling the delivery of energy to the operative element according to the size of the lumen. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of measuring the size of a body lumen comprising:
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expanding an operative element within the lumen, the operative element having sensing circuitry with inductance that varies according to the size of the operative element; varying the sensing circuitry in accordance with the expansion of the operative element; measuring the inductance of the sensing circuitry; and determining the size of the lumen based on the measuring step.
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44. A device for measuring the size of a body lumen comprising an expandable operative element including a sensing circuitry whose inductance varies according to the size of the operative element.
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45. A method for ablating targeted tissue in a body lumen comprising:
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inserting an operative element into the lumen, the operative element having sensing circuitry with inductance that varies according to the size of the operative element; expanding the operative element to contact the target tissue at a predetermined pressure; varying the sensing circuitry in accordance with the expansion of the operative element; measuring the inductance of the sensing circuitry; determining the size of the lumen based on the measuring step; and controlling the delivery of energy to the operative element according to the size of the lumen.
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Specification