Ablation instrument having a flexible distal portion
AssigneeAFx, Inc.
InventorsRobert E. Woodard, Hiep Nguyen, Dany Berube
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ablation instrument having a flexible portion at or near the distal portion of the instrument, is provided. The instrument includes an elongated tubular member having a steerable distal end configured to deflect, or otherwise direct, and properly position at least a portion of the distal portion, comprising an ablation device, during an ablation procedure. The instrument further includes a deflectable member which cooperates with the steering system allowing for the proper placement of the ablation device adjacent or proximate to the target tissue surface. The steering system may alternatively be incorporated into a separate guiding catheter as part of the catheter system.
Claims17
A catheter system for ablating biological tissue at a target tissue site, comprising:
- an elongated body member having proximal and distal ends;
- an ablation device disposed at the distal portion of the body member and including at least one ablation element adapted to emit ablative energy therefrom;
- and
- a flexible member operably disposed between the distal portion of the steering means and the distal portion of the elongated body member;
- and
- a means for steering the catheter proximate to the target tissue site,
- wherein upon deflection of the steering means the flexible member dynamically deflects the distal portion of the body member and the ablation device is placed proximate and substantially parallel to the target tissue site whereby effective tissue ablation can be achieved.
A method of ablating biological tissue, comprising the steps of:
- providing an ablation catheter system comprising:
- an elongated tubular member having a flexible portion adjacent its distal portion;
- an ablation device comprising at least one ablation element adapted to emit ablative energy therefrom;
- and a means for steering the catheter system toward a target tissue site, the steering means disposed proximal to the ablative device;
- advancing and steering the catheter to a point proximate the target tissue site;
- positioning the ablative device proximate and substantially parallel to the target tissue site;
- and applying ablative energy to the at least one ablation element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.