Apparatus and methods for intrabody thermal treatment

A method of applying thermal treatment to tissue of an internal organ comprising:

• (a) inserting an elongated energy emitter into the interior of the internal organ and bringing the energy emitter to a desired shape in a desired position relative to the organ;
• (b) inserting an expansible positioning element into the interior of the organ;
• and
• (c) expanding said positioning structure so that the energy emitter is disposed between the positioning structure and the wall of the organ and said positioning structure biases said energy emitter against the interior wall of the organ, whereby said energy emitter in said desired shape extends along an elongated path having a shape corresponding to said desired curved shape on such interior wall;
• and
• (d) while said energy emitter is extending along said path, actuating said energy emitter to emit energy at a plurality of locations along its length so as to heat tissue at a plurality of locations along such path.

A medical device comprising:

• (a) a first elongated catheter body having an exterior surface and having proximal and distal directions;
• (b) a distributed array of one or more ultrasonic transducer elements disposed on or constituting a portion of said exterior surface of said first body and extending in said proximal and distal directions;
• and
• (c) an elongated lens overlying said array of transducer elements and extending in said proximal and distal directions, said lens being adapted to focus ultrasonic emissions from said transducer elements into a elongated focal region outside of said body but generally parallel thereto, said body, lens and array being flexible in directions transverse to said proximal and distal directions.

A method of applying energy within the body of a living subject comprising the steps of:

• (a) placing a device including hollow enclosure within the body of the subject;
• (b) providing at least one fluid medium within the hollow enclosure;
• (c) directing energy onto an internal structure of the body through the fluid in said hollow enclosure so that said energy is refracted by one said fluid medium in the enclosure;
• and
• (d) imaging the body of the subject while said enclosure is disposed in the body of the subject and while the hollow enclosure is filled with one said fluid medium, the fluid disposed in said enclosure having response to said imaging step different from the response of bodily tissue to said imaging step, whereby the fluid-filled enclosure will be seen in contrast in an image resulting from said imaging step.