Catheter having circular ablation assembly
First Claim
1. A method for ablating tissue within a tubular region of or near the heart having an inner circumference, the method comprising:
- inserting into the tubular region an ablation assembly at a distal end of a catheter, the catheter comprising an elongated tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends, an axis, and at least one lumen extending therethrough, and wherein the ablation assembly has a preformed generally circular curve having an outer circumference and being generally transverse to the axis of the catheter body, the ablation assembly further comprising a generally straight distal region extending beyond the generally circular curve and substantially tangentially from the generally circular curve, wherein the ablation assembly comprises a generally circularly curved flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends, the flexible tubing carrying a generally bulb-shaped tip electrode at its distal end;
contacting the inner circumference of the tubular region with at least a portion of the outer circumference of the generally circular curve so that the tip electrode is in a first position in contact with tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region;
ablating the tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region at the first position with the tip electrode;
rotating the catheter so that the tip electrode is in a second position in contact with other tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region; and
ablating the other tissue at the second position with the tip electrode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter particularly useful for ablation lesions within a tubular region of or near the heart is provided. The catheter comprises an elongated flexible tubular catheter body having an axis and proximal and distal ends. An ablation assembly is mounted at the distal end of the tubular body. The ablation assembly has a preformed generally circular curve having an outer surface and being generally transverse to the axis of the catheter body. The ablation assembly comprises a flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends that carries a tip electrode at its distal end. An electrode lead wire extends through the catheter body and into the ablation assembly and has a distal end connected to the tip electrode. In use, the distal end of the catheter is inserted into the heart of a patient. At least a portion of the outer circumference of the generally circular curve is contacted with the inner circumference of the tubular region so that the tip electrode is in a first position in contact with tissue along the inner circumference. The tip electrode is used to ablate tissue at the first position. The ablation assembly can then be rotated so that the tip electrode is in a second position in contact with tissue along the inner circumference different from the first position, and the tip electrode is used to ablate tissue at the second position. This procedure can be repeated to form a lesion of the desired length along the inner circumference.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for ablating tissue within a tubular region of or near the heart having an inner circumference, the method comprising:
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inserting into the tubular region an ablation assembly at a distal end of a catheter, the catheter comprising an elongated tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends, an axis, and at least one lumen extending therethrough, and wherein the ablation assembly has a preformed generally circular curve having an outer circumference and being generally transverse to the axis of the catheter body, the ablation assembly further comprising a generally straight distal region extending beyond the generally circular curve and substantially tangentially from the generally circular curve, wherein the ablation assembly comprises a generally circularly curved flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends, the flexible tubing carrying a generally bulb-shaped tip electrode at its distal end; contacting the inner circumference of the tubular region with at least a portion of the outer circumference of the generally circular curve so that the tip electrode is in a first position in contact with tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region; ablating the tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region at the first position with the tip electrode; rotating the catheter so that the tip electrode is in a second position in contact with other tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region; and ablating the other tissue at the second position with the tip electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for ablating tissue within a tubular region of or near the heart having an inner circumference, the method comprising:
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inserting into the tubular region an ablation assembly at a distal end of a catheter, the catheter comprising an elongated tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends, an axis, and at least one lumen extending therethrough, and wherein the ablation assembly has a preformed generally circular curve having an outer circumference and being generally transverse to the axis of the catheter body, the ablation assembly further comprising a generally straight distal region extending beyond the generally circular curve and substantially tangentially from the generally circular curve, wherein the ablation assembly comprises a generally circularly curved flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends, the flexible tubing carrying a generally bulb-shaped tip electrode at its distal end, wherein the tip electrode has an exposed region, at least a portion of which has an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the flexible tubing of the ablation assembly; contacting the inner circumference of the tubular region with at least a portion of the outer circumference of the generally circular curve so that the tip electrode is in a first position in contact with the tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region; and ablating the tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region at the first position with the tip electrode. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for ablating tissue within a tubular region of or near the heart having an inner circumference, the method comprising:
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inserting into the tubular region an ablation assembly at a distal end of a catheter, the catheter comprising an elongated tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends, an axis, and at least one lumen extending therethrough, and wherein the ablation assembly has a preformed generally circular curve having an outer circumference and being generally transverse to the axis of the catheter body, the ablation assembly further comprising a generally straight distal region extending beyond the generally circular curve and substantially tangentially from the generally circular curve, wherein the ablation assembly comprises a generally circularly curved flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends, the flexible tubing carrying a generally bulb-shaped tip electrode at its distal end; contacting the inner circumference of the tubular region with at least a portion of the outer circumference of the generally circular curve so that the tip electrode is in a first position in contact with tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region; ablating the tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region at the first position with the tip electrode; rotating the catheter so that the tip electrode is in a second position in contact with other tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region, wherein the ablation assembly is rotated in a direction such that the tip electrode is pulled rather than pushed into the rotation; and ablating the other tissue at the second position with the tip electrode.
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23. A method for ablating tissue within a tubular region of or near the heart having an inner circumference, the method comprising:
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inserting into the tubular region an ablation assembly at a distal end of a catheter, the catheter comprising an elongated tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends, an axis, and at least one lumen extending therethrough, and wherein the ablation assembly has a main region having a preformed generally circular curve having an outer circumference and being generally transverse to the axis of the catheter body, the ablation assembly also having a generally straight distal region extending beyond the generally circular curve of the main region and substantially tangentially to the generally circular curve of the main region, the ablation assembly comprising a generally circularly curved flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends, the flexible tubing carrying a generally bulb-shaped tip electrode at its distal end; contacting the inner circumference of the tubular region with at least a portion of the outer circumference of the generally circular curve so that the tip electrode is in a first position in contact with tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region; ablating the tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region at the first position with the tip electrode. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A method for ablating tissue within a tubular region of or near the heart having an inner circumference, the method comprising:
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inserting into the tubular region an ablation assembly at a distal end of a catheter, the catheter comprising an elongated tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends, an axis, and at least one lumen extending therethrough, and wherein the ablation assembly has a preformed generally circular curve having an outer circumference and being generally transverse to the axis of the catheter body, the ablation assembly comprising a generally straight distal region extending beyond the generally circular curve and substantially tangentially from the generally circular curve, the ablation assembly comprising a generally circularly curved flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends, the flexible tubing carrying a generally bulb-shaped tip electrode at its distal end, the catheter further comprising a safety wire for securing the tip electrode to the ablation assembly, the safety wire having a distal end attached in the tip electrode; contacting the inner circumference of the tubular region with at least a portion of the outer circumference of the generally circular curve so that the tip electrode is in a first position in contact with tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region; and ablating the tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region at the first position with the tip electrode. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification