Method and apparatus for treatment of atrial fibrillation
First Claim
1. A medical device for treating tissue comprising:
- a fluid reservoir;
a first tissue contacting member adapted to be manipulated into contact with a surface of a target tissue, the first tissue contacting member having a body, first and second tissue-contacting surfaces spaced apart from one another to define a gap therebetween, and a recess proximate to the gap; and
a first fluid delivery conduit in fluid communication with the reservoir and having a plurality of outlet ports, the first fluid delivery conduit having a length received in the recess, wherein the outlet ports are oriented toward the gap and the first fluid delivery conduit is spaced apart from the plane extending across the gap such that the first fluid delivery conduit does not contact the tissue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus of embodiments of the invention are adapted to treat tissue inside a patient'"'"'s body. Aspects of the invention can be used in a wide variety of applications, but certain embodiments provide minimally invasive alternatives for treating atrial fibrillation by delivering a tissue-damaging agent to selected areas of the heart. One exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a method of treating cardiac arrhythmia. This method includes positioning a distal tissue-contacting portion of a body in surface contact with a tissue surface of cardiac tissue; detecting the surface contact between the tissue-contacting portion and the tissue surface; and thereafter, injecting a tissue-ablating agent into the cardiac tissue through the tissue-contacting portion of the body.
214 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A medical device for treating tissue comprising:
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a fluid reservoir; a first tissue contacting member adapted to be manipulated into contact with a surface of a target tissue, the first tissue contacting member having a body, first and second tissue-contacting surfaces spaced apart from one another to define a gap therebetween, and a recess proximate to the gap; and a first fluid delivery conduit in fluid communication with the reservoir and having a plurality of outlet ports, the first fluid delivery conduit having a length received in the recess, wherein the outlet ports are oriented toward the gap and the first fluid delivery conduit is spaced apart from the plane extending across the gap such that the first fluid delivery conduit does not contact the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A medical device for treating tissue comprising:
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a fluid reservoir; a tissue grasping member comprising a first tissue contacting member and an opposed second tissue contacting member, the first and second tissue contacting members being operatively associated with one another and movable between a first configuration wherein they have a first relative orientation adapted to receive the tissue therebetween and a second configuration wherein they have a second relative orientation adapted to grasp the tissue therebetween;
wherein the first and second tissue contacting members each have first and second tissue contacting surfaces spaced apart from one another to define a gap therebetween, andfirst and second fluid delivery conduits in fluid communication with the reservoir, the first fluid delivery conduit having a distal length carried by the first tissue contacting member and a plurality of outlet ports spaced along that distal length, and the second fluid delivery conduit having a distal length carried by the second tissue contacting member and a plurality of outlet ports spaced along that distal length, the outlet ports of the first and second fluid delivery conduits being oriented generally inwardly toward one another when the tissue grasping member is in the second configuration, wherein the first and second delivery conduits are spaced apart from the planes extending across the gaps such that the first and second delivery conduits do not contact the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A medical device for treating cardiac arrhythmia, comprising:
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a fluid reservoir for receiving an injectable tissue-ablating agent; an elongate body adapted for introduction into a thoracic cavity, the body having a distal tissue-contacting member having first and second tissue contacting surfaces spaced apart from one another to define a gap therebetween, a first fluid delivery conduit in communication with the fluid reservoir having a plurality of outlet ports, wherein the first fluid delivery conduit is spaced apart from the plane extending across the gap such that the first fluid delivery conduit does not contact a desired tissue; a lumen in the body communicating the reservoir with the outlet ports; a pressure control in fluid communication with the reservoir, the pressure control being operable to establish an elevated pressure within the lumen sufficient to propel the tissue-ablating agent from the fluid supply through the outlet ports to define a plurality of spaced-apart fluid jets capable of penetrating the target tissue to a depth of at least about 2 mm. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification