Cardiac ablation devices
First Claim
1. A method of applying ultrasonic energy to cardiac tissue comprising:
- providing a catheter having an ultrasonic transducer and a structural balloon, the structural balloon sandwiched between first and second reflective balloons to form a first reflective interface at an interface between the structural balloon and the first reflective balloon and a second reflective interface at an interface between the structural balloon and the second reflective balloon, the second reflective interface spaced apart from and directed towards the first reflective interface so as to form a window therebetween;
inserting the catheter in a heart of a mammalian subject and inflating the structural balloon and the first and second reflective balloons so that the window is aligned with a preselected region of cardiac tissue; and
actuating the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic energy, the first and second reflective interfaces directing the ultrasonic energy through the window and into the preselected region of the cardiac tissue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cardiac ablation device treats atrial fibrillation by directing and focusing ultrasonic waves into a ring-like ablation region (A). The device desirably is steerable and can be moved between a normal disposition, in which the ablation region lies parallel to the wall of the heart for ablating a loop-like lesion, and a canted disposition, in which the ring-like focal region is tilted relative to the wall of the heart, to ablate only a short, substantially linear lesion. The ablation device desirably includes a balloon reflector structure (18, 1310) and an ultrasonic emitter assembly (23, 1326), and can be steered and positioned without reference to engagement between the device and the pulmonary vein or ostium. A contrast medium (C) can be injected through the ablation device to facilitate imaging, so that the device can be positioned based on observation of the images.
337 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of applying ultrasonic energy to cardiac tissue comprising:
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providing a catheter having an ultrasonic transducer and a structural balloon, the structural balloon sandwiched between first and second reflective balloons to form a first reflective interface at an interface between the structural balloon and the first reflective balloon and a second reflective interface at an interface between the structural balloon and the second reflective balloon, the second reflective interface spaced apart from and directed towards the first reflective interface so as to form a window therebetween; inserting the catheter in a heart of a mammalian subject and inflating the structural balloon and the first and second reflective balloons so that the window is aligned with a preselected region of cardiac tissue; and actuating the ultrasonic transducer to emit ultrasonic energy, the first and second reflective interfaces directing the ultrasonic energy through the window and into the preselected region of the cardiac tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification