Balloon catheter apparatus for renal neuromodulation
First Claim
1. An apparatus for renal denervation, the apparatus comprising:
- a catheter configured for intravascular placement within a renal blood vessel of a human patient;
an expandable balloon at a distal portion of the catheter, wherein the expandable balloon is configured to transform between a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration sized to fit within the renal blood vessel; and
a plurality of electrodes attached to the expandable balloon, wherein each electrode comprises at least one pair of bipolar contacts and is part of a flex circuit on a surface of the balloon configured to deliver thermal radio frequency (RF) energy in a bipolar fashion across an interior wall of the renal blood vessel to targeted renal nerves to achieve at least partial renal denervation,wherein, when the expandable balloon is in the deployed configuration, all of the electrodes are spaced apart from each other and arranged on an oblique circumference about the balloon that is not normal to a longitudinal axis thereof, andwherein each electrode occupies a distinct longitudinal position and a distinct radial position with respect to the longitudinal axis.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for non-continuous circumferential treatment of a body lumen. Apparatus may be positioned within a body lumen of a patient and may deliver energy at a first lengthwise and angular position to create a less-than-full circumferential treatment zone at the first position. The apparatus also may deliver energy at one or more additional lengthwise and angular positions within the body lumen to create less-than-full circumferential treatment zone(s) at the one or more additional positions that are offset lengthwise and angularly from the first treatment zone. Superimposition of the first treatment zone and the one or more additional treatment zones defines a non-continuous circumferential treatment zone without formation of a continuous circumferential lesion. Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for achieving such non-continuous circumferential treatment are provided.
693 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for renal denervation, the apparatus comprising:
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a catheter configured for intravascular placement within a renal blood vessel of a human patient; an expandable balloon at a distal portion of the catheter, wherein the expandable balloon is configured to transform between a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration sized to fit within the renal blood vessel; and a plurality of electrodes attached to the expandable balloon, wherein each electrode comprises at least one pair of bipolar contacts and is part of a flex circuit on a surface of the balloon configured to deliver thermal radio frequency (RF) energy in a bipolar fashion across an interior wall of the renal blood vessel to targeted renal nerves to achieve at least partial renal denervation, wherein, when the expandable balloon is in the deployed configuration, all of the electrodes are spaced apart from each other and arranged on an oblique circumference about the balloon that is not normal to a longitudinal axis thereof, and wherein each electrode occupies a distinct longitudinal position and a distinct radial position with respect to the longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification