Method of delivering energy to a lung airway using markers
First Claim
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1. A method for delivering energy in a lung airway, the method comprising:
- positioning an access device having a visualization element within a lung airway;
advancing an energy delivery device within the access device, wherein a plurality of visual indicators disposed on a distal portion of the energy delivery device and proximal an energy delivery element disposed on a distal end of the energy delivery device are positioned outside the access device as verified with the visualization element so as to provide a predetermined axial treatment in the lung airway with the energy delivery element a predetermined distance relative to the access device;
delivering energy to the lung airway from the energy delivery element at the predetermined distance relative to the access device;
pulling the energy delivery device in a proximal direction relative to the access device until a next visual indicator disposed on the distal portion of the energy delivery device is verified with the visualization element; and
repeating the delivering and pulling steps so as to incrementally deliver energy to the lung airway at a plurality of predetermined axial treatment sites relative to the access device.
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Abstract
An energy delivery device for treating tissue regions in a body conduit, such as a lung airway, may utilize one or more markers, rings, bands, or other visual indicators along an outer surface of the device body. The one or more visual indicators facilitate guidance of the device to effectively and efficiently treat the tissue according to a predetermined axial treatment as well as measure extension of a distal portion of the device, tissue length, and/or treatment length. The predetermined axial treatment may be contiguous, overlapping, or intermittently spaced apart as determined by the marker spacing distance.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for delivering energy in a lung airway, the method comprising:
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positioning an access device having a visualization element within a lung airway; advancing an energy delivery device within the access device, wherein a plurality of visual indicators disposed on a distal portion of the energy delivery device and proximal an energy delivery element disposed on a distal end of the energy delivery device are positioned outside the access device as verified with the visualization element so as to provide a predetermined axial treatment in the lung airway with the energy delivery element a predetermined distance relative to the access device; delivering energy to the lung airway from the energy delivery element at the predetermined distance relative to the access device; pulling the energy delivery device in a proximal direction relative to the access device until a next visual indicator disposed on the distal portion of the energy delivery device is verified with the visualization element; and repeating the delivering and pulling steps so as to incrementally deliver energy to the lung airway at a plurality of predetermined axial treatment sites relative to the access device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for delivering energy in a lung airway, the method comprising:
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positioning an access device having a visualization element within a lung airway; advancing an energy delivery device to a tissue region in the lung airway through the access device, the energy delivery device having a shaft, an energy delivery element disposed on a distal end of the shaft, and a plurality of position indicators along the shaft proximal of the energy delivery element; placing a plurality of the position indicators of the energy delivery device outside the access device; visualizing at least one of the position indicators positioned outside the access device with the visualization element; and verifying an axial position of the energy delivery element in the lung airway relative to the access device based on the visualized position indicator; delivering energy to the lung airway from the energy delivery device at the predetermined distance relative to the access device; and wherein the position indicators comprise markers spaced apart from each other by a predetermined spacing distance corresponding to an active electrode length of the energy delivery device, and the method further comprises treating the tissue region in the lung airway in a contiguous and/or intermittent pattern with the energy delivery element. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification