Ablation catheter, system, and method of use thereof

A cardiac ablation system for producing a circumferential ablation that electrically isolates a chamber wall portion of a heart from a vessel extending into said wall portion, said system comprising:

• (a) an elongate centering catheter having a distal end portion;
• (b) an expandable centering element connected to said centering catheter distal end portion and configured for positioning within said vessel when in a retracted configuration, and for securing said elongate centering catheter in a substantially axially aligned position with respect to said vessel when said centering element is in an expanded configuration;
• (c) an ablation catheter slidably connected to said centering catheter, said ablation catheter having a distal end portion;
• and
• (d) an expandable ablation element connected to said ablation catheter distal end portion, said ablation element configured to form a circumferential ablation on said wall portion around said elongate centering catheter when said centering catheter is axially aligned with respect to said vessel;
• and
• (e) a power supply operably associated with said ablation element.

A cardiac ablation method for producing a circumferential ablation that electrically isolates a chamber wall portion of a heart from a vessel extending into said wall portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) inserting an elongate centering catheter having a distal end portion through an chamber into said vessel, said distal end portion having an expandable centering element for engaging said vessel connected thereto;
• (b) expanding said centering element in said vessel to secure said elongate centering catheter in a substantially axially aligned position with respect to said vessel;
• then
• (c) inserting an ablation catheter slidably connected to said centering catheter into said chamber, said ablation catheter having an expandable ablation element connected to the distal end portion thereof;
• then
• (d) positioning said ablation element on said chamber wall portion;
• and then
• (e) forming a circumferential ablation around said elongate centering catheter on said wall portion in said chamber and outside of said vessel.

A cardiac ablation apparatus for producing a circumferential ablation that electrically isolates a chamber wall portion of a heart from a vessel extending into said wall portion, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) an elongate catheter having a distal end portion;
• (b) a nonexpandable, compliant, centering element connected to said catheter distal end portion and configured for positioning within said vessel;
• and
• (c) an expandable ablation element connected to said catheter distal end portion, said ablation element configured to form a circumferential ablation on said wall portion around said centering element when said centering element is positioned in said vessel.

A cardiac ablation system for producing a circumferential ablation that electrically isolates a chamber wall portion of a heart from a vessel extending into said wall portion, said system comprising:

• (a) an elongate catheter having a distal end portion;
• (b) a nonexpandable, compliant, centering element connected to said catheter distal end portion and configured for positioning within said vessel;
• and
• (c) an expandable ablation element connected to said catheter distal end portion, said ablation element configured to form a circumferential ablation on said wall portion around said centering element when said centering element is positioned in said vessel;
• and
• (d) a power supply operably associated with said ablation element.

A cardiac ablation method for producing a circumferential ablation that electrically isolates a chamber wall portion of a heart from a vessel extending into said wall portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) inserting an elongate catheter having a distal end portion through an chamber into said vessel, said distal end portion having a nonexpandable, compliant centering element connected thereto, said centering element having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of said vessel, said distal end portion further having an ablation element connected thereto;
• (b) positioning said ablation element on said chamber wall portion;
• and then
• (c) forming a circumferential ablation around said centering element on said wall portion in said chamber and outside of said vessel.