Systems and methods for creating curvilinear lesions in body tissue
First Claim
1. A device for ablating tissue within the body comprisinga source of tissue ablating energy,an indifferent electrode adapted to be located on the exterior of the body,a flexible guide element having an axis and a steerable tip, andlesion creation means, associated with the steerable tip and coupled to the source, for creating at least two differently shaped continuous lesions, each having a curved contour and a length that is substantially greater than its width, by transmitting the tissue ablating energy through the tissue to the indifferent electrode.
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Abstract
Systems and methods ablate tissue within the body using a flexible guide element having an axis. A mechanism flexes the element along its axis. The flexible element carries a region for emitting energy. The region creates a lesion having a contour that follows the flexure of the element. The region creates a single continuous lesion that is curvilinear, long and thin. Manipulating such systems and methods creates diverse, specially shaped lesions in body tissue.
241 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A device for ablating tissue within the body comprising
a source of tissue ablating energy, an indifferent electrode adapted to be located on the exterior of the body, a flexible guide element having an axis and a steerable tip, and lesion creation means, associated with the steerable tip and coupled to the source, for creating at least two differently shaped continuous lesions, each having a curved contour and a length that is substantially greater than its width, by transmitting the tissue ablating energy through the tissue to the indifferent electrode.
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18. A device for ablating tissue within the body comprising
a source of tissue ablating energy, an indifferent electrode adapted to be located on the exterior of the body, a flexible guide element having an axis, an elongate body defining a proximal end, a distal end, and a steerable tip extending from the distal end of the elongate body, the steerable tip defining a perimeter and a free end, the guide element being constructed such that, prior to flexing, the axis defines a substantially straight line from the free end of the steerable tip to the elongate body, flexing means, at least a portion of which is located within the guide element and coupled to said steerable tip, for flexing the steerable tip along the axis such that the free end of the steerable tip and the elongate body define a curved line therebetween, a control device located at the proximal end of the flexible guide element and secured to the flexing means such that steerable tip will assume a plurality of curved configurations in response to selective manipulation control device, and a region on the steerable tip coupled to the source for transmitting the tissue ablating energy through the tissue to the indifferent electrode to create a straight lesion absent actuation of the flexing means and a lesion having a contour that follows the flexure of the steerable tip when the flexing means is actuated, at least a portion of the region extending substantially continuously around substantially the entire perimeter of the steerable tip.
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30. A method for creating a complex lesion pattern in tissue within a body comprising the steps of:
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providing a source of tissue ablating energy, providing a flexible guide element having an axis, a steerable tip along the axis and a plurality of spaced regions on the steerable tip for transmitting energy to ablate tissue, introducing the guide element into the body, exposing the region to tissue, flexing the steerable tip along its axis to a first desired curvilinear shape, thereby also flexing the regions, simultaneously coupling the tissue ablating energy to the each of the regions of the flexed tip, creating a continuous lesion pattern that forms a first part of the complex lesion pattern and spans the regions having a contour that corresponds to the first curvilinear shape of the steerable tip and a length that is substantially greater than its width, flexing the steerable tip along its axis to a second desired curvilinear shape, thereby also flexing the regions, the second desired curvilinear shape being different than the first desired curvilinear shape; simultaneously coupling the tissue ablating energy to the each of the regions of the flexed tip, and creating a continuous lesion pattern that forms a second part of the complex lesion pattern and spans the regions having a contour that corresponds to the second curvilinear shape of the steerable tip and a length that is substantially greater than its width. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A device for ablating body tissue, comprising
a support element to contact a tissue area, the support element having an axis and a steerable tip, at least two non-contiguous mutually longitudinally spaced energy emitting zones defining respective distal and proximal ends on a portion of the steerable tip, the mutual spacing between the zones being such that, when the portion of the tip is flexed and the zones simultaneously transmit energy through a contacted area to an indifferent electrode, a continuous curved lesion is formed in the contacted tissue area that spans between the at least two energy emitting zones, a flexing device within the support element adapted to flex the portion of the steerable tip with the at least two energy emitting zones along the axis into at least two different curvatures, at least one of the curvatures defining an arc of at least 90 degrees extending from the distal end of one energy emitting zone to the proximal end of the another energy emitting zones, and an ablation energy source, operably connected to the at least two energy emitting zones, adapted to simultaneously transmit ablation energy to each of the at least two energy emitting zones.
Specification