Systems and methods for electrosurgical myocardial revascularization
First Claim
1. A method of transmyocardial revascularization of the heart of a patient comprising:
- forming a revascularizing channel through a portion of the heart with high frequency electrical energy, the revascularizing channel extending through an exterior heart wall into the myocardium; and
positioning a radially expandable lumenal prosthesis within the revascularizing channel to maintain patency of the channnel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for transmyocardial revascularization of the heart of a patient includes positioning an active electrode surface in close proximity to a target site on the wall of a patient'"'"'s heart, and applying high frequency voltage between the active voltage surface and a return electrode to ablate tissue at the heart wall. The high frequency voltage ablates, i.e. volumetrically removes the heart tissue, and the electrode surface is axially translated into the space vacated by the removed tissue to bore a channel through the heart tissue. The active electrode surface may be introduced into the thoracic cavity and placed adjacent the epicardium to form an inward channel toward the ventricular cavity, or it may be delivered into the ventricular cavity of the heart and positioned adjacent the endocardium to form a channel extending outward towards the epicardium. In either case, the channels formed through the myocardium promote direct communication between blood within the ventricular cavity and that of existing myocardial vasculature to increase blood flow to the heart tissue.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of transmyocardial revascularization of the heart of a patient comprising:
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forming a revascularizing channel through a portion of the heart with high frequency electrical energy, the revascularizing channel extending through an exterior heart wall into the myocardium; and positioning a radially expandable lumenal prosthesis within the revascularizing channel to maintain patency of the channnel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for transmyocardial revascularization of the heart of a patient comprising:
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an electrosurgical instrument having a shaft with proximal and distal ends, one or more active electrodes disposed near the distal end of the shaft and a connector disposed near the proximal end of the shaft for electrically coupling the electrodes to a high frequency voltage source; a return electrode positioned near the active electrodes for; a connector disposed near the proximal end of the shaft for electrically coupling the active and return electrodes to a high frequency voltage source to ablate tissue at the heart wall and to form one or more revascularizing channels through at least a portion of the heart wall into the myocardium; and a delivery mechanism for implanting one or more lumenal prosthesis into the revascularizing channels formed by the electrosurgical instrument. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification