Flexible ablation instrument
First Claim
1. An energy delivery device for ablating biological tissue, comprising:
- a flexible body portion defining an outer surface that is substantially transparent to electromagnetic ablation energy and an ablation element operably disposed within the body portion to transmit electromagnetic ablation energy therethrough; and
a shield disposed in fixed position relative to the ablation element within a portion of the body portion for directionally reflecting electromagnetic ablation energy emitted through the outer surface.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible microwave antenna assembly for a surgical ablation instrument capable of conforming to a tissue surface for ablation thereof. The ablation instrument includes a transmission line having a proximal portion suitable for connection to an electromagnetic energy source. The antenna assembly includes a flexible antenna coupled to the transmission line for radially generating an electric field sufficiently strong to cause tissue ablation. A flexible shield device is coupled to the antenna to substantially shield a surrounding area of the antenna from the electric field radially generated therefrom while permitting a majority of the field to be directed generally in a predetermined direction. A flexible insulator is disposed between the shield device and the antenna which defines a window portion enabling the transmission of the directed electric field in the predetermined direction. The antenna, the shield device and the insulator are formed for selective manipulative bending thereof, as a unit, to one of a plurality of contact positions to generally conform the window portion to the biological tissue surface to be ablated.
609 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An energy delivery device for ablating biological tissue, comprising:
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a flexible body portion defining an outer surface that is substantially transparent to electromagnetic ablation energy and an ablation element operably disposed within the body portion to transmit electromagnetic ablation energy therethrough; and a shield disposed in fixed position relative to the ablation element within a portion of the body portion for directionally reflecting electromagnetic ablation energy emitted through the outer surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A flexible ablation assembly, comprising:
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an elongate flexible body defining a contact surface along at least a portion of its length that is configurable to contact a surface of the heart; a flexible ablative element having a longitudinal axis and being capable of emitting electromagnetic ablative energy generally radially about said longitudinal axis, said flexible ablative element being operably disposed within said flexible body in spaced relation to said contact surface to prevent said ablative element from contacting the surface of the heart; and a shield attached to said ablative element and disposed within said flexible body configured to reflect electromagnetic ablative energy to the surface of the heart through said contact surface and substantially prevent electromagnetic ablative energy from transmitting radially from said flexible body at locations other than said contact surface. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A flexible ablation assembly, comprising:
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an elongate flexible body having at least one lumen therein and defining a contact surface along at least a portion of its length that is configurable to contact a surface of the heart; and a flexible ablative element having a longitudinal axis and a shield affixed thereto aligned along the longitudinal axis to reflect electromagnetic energy for emitting electromagnetic ablative energy along said longitudinal axis predominantly in a direction through the contact surface, said flexible ablative element and shield being slidably disposed within said lumen of said flexible body out of contact with the surface of the heart. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification