# US 10,869,720 B2 · Methods and devices for applying energy to bodily tissues > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,869,720 B2 - Document ID: US10869720B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/057,506 - Filed: 2018-08-07 - Published: 2018-12-06 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2008-10-21 - Assignees: MicroCube, LLC - Applicants: MicroCube, LLC - Inventors: Chun Yiu Chu; Ketan Shroff; Dinesh I. Mody; Clarence Emmons; Amrish J. Walke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10869720B2 ## CPC - A61B 18/18: by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves - A61B 18/1815: {using microwaves} - A61B 2018/00196: {reciprocating lengthwise} - A61B 2018/1861: {with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter} - A61B 2018/1884: {with non-uniform emissions} - A61B 2018/1892: {Details of electrical isolations of the antenna} - A61N 5/045: {specially adapted for treatment inside the body} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) ## Abstract Devices and methods for treating tissue with microwave energy used in applications such as destroying a soft tissue by microwave ablation and/or creating point, line, area or volumetric lesions. Various embodiments of flexible, low-profile devices are also disclosed where such device can be inserted non-invasively or minimally invasively near or into the target tissue such as cardiac tissue. The devices disclosed herein comprise antennas wherein the field profile generated by an antenna is tailored and optimized for a particular clinical application. The antennas use unique properties of microwaves such as interaction of a microwave field with one or more conductive or non-conductive shaping elements to shape or redistribute the microwave field. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microwave energy delivery device for supplying energy from an energy source having a transmission line, the microwave energy delivery device comprising: a microwave antenna coupled to the energy source, the microwave antenna comprising a radiating element and a shaping element comprising an electrically conductive material; the radiating element comprises a planar loop shape having a transverse section that is generally perpendicular to a distal region of the transmission line such that the transverse section bends in a plane of the radiating element after deployment such that the transverse section is atraumatic and conforms to target tissue anatomy, the radiating element configured to emit a volumetric microwave field when energized by the energy source; and where the shaping element is electrically insulated from the radiating element and is positioned adjacent to the radiating element such that the shaping element is configured to couple to the microwave field to alter a shape of the microwave field to be limited uniformly around the microwave antenna. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the microwave antenna comprises a profile selected from a group consisting of: a linear profile, a non-linear profile, a planar profile, and a 3-dimensional profile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the microwave antenna is located at a distal end of the transmission line and the radiating element and the shaping element are located distal to the distal end of the transmission line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 3, wherein the radiating element is continuous with a conductor of the transmission line coupled to the microwave antenna. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 4, where the shaping element is connected to a shielding element at or near the distal end of the transmission line. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the shaping element is located distal to the distal end of the transmission line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the shaping element comprises a profile selected from the group consisting of a linear profile, a non-linear profile, a planar profile, a 3-dimensional profile. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the radiating element and shaping element are parallel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where radiating element is planar and the shaping element is planar and the plane of radiating element is parallel to the plane of shaping member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the shaping element is configured to improve a power efficiency of the antenna. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the shaping element is configured to improve an impedance matching of the device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the shaping element is configured to increase a bandwidth of the microwave energy delivery device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the antenna further comprises a dielectric that covers one or both of: the radiating element and the shaping member; the dielectric is configured to shape the microwave field by changing the local dielectric environment in the region wherein antenna dielectric is located. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 13, where the antenna dielectric electrically insulates the radiating element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the microwave antenna generates a microwave field profile selected from the group consisting of: a radially symmetric microwave field profile and a bilaterally symmetric microwave field profile. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured to generate a microwave field profile that is wider distally and narrower proximally. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the antenna is configured to extend the microwave field volumetrically around the microwave antenna. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, where the shaping element is in direct or indirect electrical contact with a shielding element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, wherein the radiating element comprises a conductor selected from the group consisting of a non-linear conductor, a linear conductor, a helical conductor, and a planar conductor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The microwave energy delivery device of claim 1, wherein the radiating element comprises a conductor having a length that is an odd multiple of one quarter of the effective wavelength and where the wavelength is selected from a group consisting of 433 MHz ISM band, 915 MHz ISM band, 2.45 GHz ISM band and 5.8 GHz ISM band.