Method and apparatus for gastrointestinal tract ablation for treatment of obesity
First Claim
1. A method of ablationally treating tissue at a target area in a gastrointestinal tract of a patient with a pathophysiological metabolic condition comprising:
- determining an ablation depth to treat the pathophysiological metabolic condition;
selecting an ablation structure comprising a fixed inter-electrode spacing configured to ablate the target area to a predetermined depth, wherein the predetermined depth corresponds to the ablation depth determined to treat the pathophysiological condition;
advancing the ablation structure adjacent to the target area, wherein the target area is a portion of the gastrointestinal tract that includes at least a portion of the duodenum;
moving the ablation structure into contact with a surface of the tissue within the target area, wherein the ablation structure comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern having the fixed inter-electrode spacing;
delivering radio frequency energy from the ablation structure to the surface of the tissue within the target area; and
forming a volume of ablated tissue from the energy delivered to the surface of the tissue within the target area by controlling a delivery of energy across the surface of the tissue within the target area such that the surface of the tissue within the target area comprises a portion of the tissue that is included in the volume of ablated tissue and a portion of the tissue that is not included in the volume of ablated tissue, wherein the volume of ablated tissue has the predetermined depth extending from the surface of the tissue, and wherein the predetermined depth extending from the surface of the tissue is controlled by the fixed inter-electrode spacing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices and methods for ablating tissue in the wall of various organs of the gastrointestinal tract of a patient in order to cure or ameliorate metabolic pathophysiological conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes mellitus are provided. Ablational treatment of target areas may be fractional or partial, rendering a post-treatment portion of target tissue ablated and another portion that is substantially intact. Fractional ablation is achieved by controlling the delivery of ablational energy across the surface area being treated, and controlling the depth of energy penetration into tissue. Surface area control of energy delivery may controlled by the spatial pattern of distributed ablation elements or by the selective activation of a subset of a dense pattern of ablation elements. Embodiments of the device include an ablational electrode array that spans 360 degrees and an array that spans an arc of less than 360 degrees.
481 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of ablationally treating tissue at a target area in a gastrointestinal tract of a patient with a pathophysiological metabolic condition comprising:
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determining an ablation depth to treat the pathophysiological metabolic condition; selecting an ablation structure comprising a fixed inter-electrode spacing configured to ablate the target area to a predetermined depth, wherein the predetermined depth corresponds to the ablation depth determined to treat the pathophysiological condition; advancing the ablation structure adjacent to the target area, wherein the target area is a portion of the gastrointestinal tract that includes at least a portion of the duodenum; moving the ablation structure into contact with a surface of the tissue within the target area, wherein the ablation structure comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged in a pattern having the fixed inter-electrode spacing; delivering radio frequency energy from the ablation structure to the surface of the tissue within the target area; and forming a volume of ablated tissue from the energy delivered to the surface of the tissue within the target area by controlling a delivery of energy across the surface of the tissue within the target area such that the surface of the tissue within the target area comprises a portion of the tissue that is included in the volume of ablated tissue and a portion of the tissue that is not included in the volume of ablated tissue, wherein the volume of ablated tissue has the predetermined depth extending from the surface of the tissue, and wherein the predetermined depth extending from the surface of the tissue is controlled by the fixed inter-electrode spacing. - 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)
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Specification