Pulmonary vein stent for treating atrial fibrillation
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- introducing a stent catheter having a stent mounted thereon into the left atrium of a patient;
deploying the stent into a pulmonary vein, the superior vena cava, or the inferior vena cava by inflating a balloon at the distal end of the stent catheter to expand the stent within the vein; and
,transmitting electrical energy from an electrode mounted on a surface of the balloon to a plurality of electrodes separated by insulation on a surface of the stent to produce a plurality of discrete and unconnected lesions in the tissue surrounding the stent.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for treating atrial fibrillation is described that uses a vascular stent deployed within the pulmonary veins of the left atrium. The stent may be used alone or in combination with chemical, thermal, electrical, or radioactive energy sources to ablate myocardial tissue residing in the pulmonary veins. The targeted myocardial tissue in the pulmonary veins will have been identified as the source of initiation and/or sustenance of atrial fibrillation. Ablation therapy using the pulmonary venous stent stops discharges from ectopic foci in the vein or alternatively stops impulses from reaching the left atrium. The deployed stent can then be left in place to prevent stenosis of the vein.
148 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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introducing a stent catheter having a stent mounted thereon into the left atrium of a patient; deploying the stent into a pulmonary vein, the superior vena cava, or the inferior vena cava by inflating a balloon at the distal end of the stent catheter to expand the stent within the vein; and
,transmitting electrical energy from an electrode mounted on a surface of the balloon to a plurality of electrodes separated by insulation on a surface of the stent to produce a plurality of discrete and unconnected lesions in the tissue surrounding the stent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus, comprising:
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a stent catheter having a stent mounted thereon; a balloon at the distal end of the stent catheter to expand the stent within a vessel; a plurality of electrodes separated by insulation on a surface of the stent; an electrode mounted on a surface of the balloon for transmitting electrical energy to the plurality of electrodes to thereby produce a plurality of discrete and unconnected lesions in the tissue surrounding the stent. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification