Device and method for needle-less interstitial injection of fluid for ablation of cardiac tissue
First Claim
1. A method for ablation of myocardial tissue comprising:
- providing a needle-less hand-held instrument having a first discharge orifice open through a tissue contacting surface for injecting fluid under pressure into myocardial tissue, the needle-less hand-held instrument also comprising a first electrode and a second electrode having opposite polarities to form a bi-polar electrode pair located on the tissue contacting surface and relative to the first discharge orifice with the first discharge orifice in between the electrode pair;
selecting a desired line of ablation on a surface of the tissue;
applying the first discharge orifice to the tissue at a portion of the desired line of ablation; and
delivering a predetermined amount of pressurized fluid into the myocardial tissue to facilitate ablation of the tissue along the desired ablation lineafter delivering the pressurized fluid, applying ablative electrical energy across the electrode pair to the myocardial tissue along the desired ablation line.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for delivering precise amounts of fluid under pressure into cardiac tissue for the purpose of facilitating ablation of the tissue along a desired lesion line. One method injects fluid under pressure through a discharge orifice in a needle-less injection device. The injected fluid can be a cytotoxic fluid and/or a highly conductive fluid injected in conjunction with radio frequency ablation to create an ablative virtual electrode. The injected fluid can provide deeper and narrower conduction paths and resulting lesions. Radio frequency ablation can be performed at the same time as the fluid injection, using the injection device as an electrode, or subsequent to the fluid injection, using a separate device. In some methods, the injected fluid is a protective fluid, injected to protect tissue adjacent to the desired lesion line. Fluid delivery can be endocardial, epicardial, and epicardial on a beating heart. The present methods find one use in performing maze procedures to treat atrial fibrillation.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A method for ablation of myocardial tissue comprising:
-
providing a needle-less hand-held instrument having a first discharge orifice open through a tissue contacting surface for injecting fluid under pressure into myocardial tissue, the needle-less hand-held instrument also comprising a first electrode and a second electrode having opposite polarities to form a bi-polar electrode pair located on the tissue contacting surface and relative to the first discharge orifice with the first discharge orifice in between the electrode pair; selecting a desired line of ablation on a surface of the tissue; applying the first discharge orifice to the tissue at a portion of the desired line of ablation; and delivering a predetermined amount of pressurized fluid into the myocardial tissue to facilitate ablation of the tissue along the desired ablation line after delivering the pressurized fluid, applying ablative electrical energy across the electrode pair to the myocardial tissue along the desired ablation line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification