Systems and methods for electrosurgical myocardial revascularization
First Claim
1. A method of revascularizing a portion of a patient'"'"'s myocardium comprising:
- positioning an active electrode surface in close proximity to a target site on a wall of the patient'"'"'s heart; and
applying high frequency voltage between the active electrode surface and a return electrode to remove tissue at the heart wall and to form a revascularizing channel through at least a portion of the heart wall, the revascularizing channel extending from a surface of the heart wall into the myocardium to restore blood flow to a portion of the myocardium.
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0 Petitions
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.
563 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A method of revascularizing a portion of a patient'"'"'s myocardium comprising:
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positioning an active electrode surface in close proximity to a target site on a wall of the patient'"'"'s heart; and applying high frequency voltage between the active electrode surface and a return electrode to remove tissue at the heart wall and to form a revascularizing channel through at least a portion of the heart wall, the revascularizing channel extending from a surface of the heart wall into the myocardium to restore blood flow to a portion of the myocardium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 52, 53, 56, 57)
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29. A method of transmyocardial revascularization of the heart of a patient comprising:
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positioning a distal end of an instrument in close proximity to a target site on a wall of the patient'"'"'s heart; and applying energy to the heart wall to remove tissue at the heart wall while axially translating the distal end of the instrument through at least a portion of the space vacated by the removed tissue to form a revascularizing channel through the heart wall, the revascularizing channel extending from a surface of the heart wall into the myocardium to restore blood flow to a portion of the myocardium. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. An electrosurgical device for transmyocardial revascularization of a patient'"'"'s heart tissue, the device comprising:
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an instrument shaft having proximal and distal end portions, the distal end portion being sized for delivery through a small revascularizing channel in the patient'"'"'s heart; an electrode terminal disposed on the distal end portion; a return electrode; a high frequency power supply for applying a voltage difference between the return electrode and the electrode terminal, the voltage difference being sufficient to form a revascularizing channel through at least a portion of the heart wall, the revascularizing channel extending from a surface of the heart wall into the myocardium to restore blood flow to a portion of the myocardium; and a connector disposed near the proximal end portion of the shaft for electrically coupling the electrode terminal to the high frequency voltage source. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 54, 55)
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47. An electrosurgical device for transmyocardial revascularization of a patient'"'"'s heart tissue, the device comprising:
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an instrument shaft having a proximal and distal end portions, the distal end portion being sized for delivery through a small revascularizing channel in the patient'"'"'s heart, wherein the maximum lateral dimension of the distal end portion is about 2 mm; an electrode terminal disposed on the distal end portion; a fluid delivery element having an opening adjacent the electrode terminal for delivering electrically conductive fluid between the electrode terminal and the patient'"'"'s heart tissue; and a connector disposed near the proximal end portion of the shaft for electrically coupling the electrodes terminal to a high frequency voltage source to remove tissue at the heart wall and to form a revascularizing channel through at least a portion of the heart wall, the revascularizing channel extending from a surface of the heart wall into the myocardium to restore blood flow to a portion of the myocardium. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification