Method for ablating body tissue
First Claim
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1. A system for ablating tissue, said system comprising:
- an ablation catheter comprising an elongate flexible shaft, the elongate flexible shaft having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a rotation axis;
an ultrasound transducer adjacent the distal portion of the elongate flexible shaft, the ultrasound transducer being adapted to operate in an ablation mode and a diagnostic mode, wherein in the ablation mode the ultrasound transducer emits a beam of ultrasound energy towards a target tissue that is adapted to create a lesion in the target tissue to thereby ablate the target tissue, and wherein in the diagnostic mode the ultrasound transducer acts as a sensor to measure a reflected ultrasound signal, the reflected ultrasound signal comprising ultrasound energy from the beam of ultrasound energy that is reflected back towards the ultrasound transducer by the target tissue, thereby allowing the ultrasound transducer to sense information about the target tissue; and
a processor, operatively coupled to the ablation catheter, the processor configured to control the beam of ultrasound energy based on the information about the target tissue sensed by the ultrasound transducer,wherein the beam of ultrasound energy ablates the target tissue without contact between the distal portion of the elongate flexible shaft and the target tissue, andwherein the distal portion of the elongate flexible shaft rotates or translates while the ultrasound transducer operates in the ablation mode during an ablation procedure to sweep the beam of ultrasound energy along an intended ablation path, andwherein the processor is configured to switch the ultrasound transducer between the ablation mode and the diagnostic mode on a timeshared basis during the ablation procedure in order to allow the ultrasound transducer to sense the information about the target tissue while the ablation procedure is occurring, thereby forming a continuous lesion in the target tissue.
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Abstract
A cardiac ablation method including the following steps: inserting a treatment catheter into an atrium of a heart, the treatment catheter including an ultrasound emitter; positioning the ultrasound emitter to face heart tissue within the left atrium outside of a pulmonary vein; emitting ultrasound energy from the ultrasound emitter while rotating the ultrasound emitter about a rotation axis; and ablating heart tissue with the ultrasound energy to form a lesion outside of a pulmonary vein.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for ablating tissue, said system comprising:
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an ablation catheter comprising an elongate flexible shaft, the elongate flexible shaft having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a rotation axis; an ultrasound transducer adjacent the distal portion of the elongate flexible shaft, the ultrasound transducer being adapted to operate in an ablation mode and a diagnostic mode, wherein in the ablation mode the ultrasound transducer emits a beam of ultrasound energy towards a target tissue that is adapted to create a lesion in the target tissue to thereby ablate the target tissue, and wherein in the diagnostic mode the ultrasound transducer acts as a sensor to measure a reflected ultrasound signal, the reflected ultrasound signal comprising ultrasound energy from the beam of ultrasound energy that is reflected back towards the ultrasound transducer by the target tissue, thereby allowing the ultrasound transducer to sense information about the target tissue; and a processor, operatively coupled to the ablation catheter, the processor configured to control the beam of ultrasound energy based on the information about the target tissue sensed by the ultrasound transducer, wherein the beam of ultrasound energy ablates the target tissue without contact between the distal portion of the elongate flexible shaft and the target tissue, and wherein the distal portion of the elongate flexible shaft rotates or translates while the ultrasound transducer operates in the ablation mode during an ablation procedure to sweep the beam of ultrasound energy along an intended ablation path, and wherein the processor is configured to switch the ultrasound transducer between the ablation mode and the diagnostic mode on a timeshared basis during the ablation procedure in order to allow the ultrasound transducer to sense the information about the target tissue while the ablation procedure is occurring, thereby forming a continuous lesion in the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A tissue ablation system comprising:
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a fluid source; an ablation catheter slidably disposed in an outer catheter, the ablation catheter comprising a proximal portion, a distal portion, a lumen extending therebetween, a rotation axis, a longitudinal axis along the length of the catheter, a distal portion, and an ultrasound transducer, wherein the ultrasound transducer is disposed within the distal portion of the ablation catheter and directs a collimated beam of ultrasound energy to a target tissue, the collimated beam of ultrasound energy being adapted to create a lesion in the target tissue thereby ablating the target tissue; and a control mechanism operably coupled to the ablation catheter and adapted to rotate the ablation catheter about the rotation axis and to control energy supplied to the ultrasound transducer, wherein the distal portion of the ablation catheter containing the ultrasound transducer is in fluid communication with blood, and wherein a fluid from the fluid source exits the lumen of the ablation catheter and flows past the ultrasound transducer to provide cooling thereof, and wherein the fluid provides a barrier between the ultrasound transducer and blood so as to prevent the blood from coagulating on the ultrasound transducer during ablation. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification