System and method for forming a non-ablative cardiac conduction block

A system for treating a cardiac arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, comprising:

• a cardiac delivery system;
• and
• a volume of material coupled to the cardiac delivery system;
• wherein the cardiac delivery system is adapted to deliver the volume of material to a region of tissue at a location associated with the cardiac arrhythmia in the patient's heart that includes cardiac cells;
• wherein the material is non-living and is characterized as being non-ablative with respect to cardiac cells;
• wherein the material is further adapted to form a conduction block along the region of tissue at the location;
• and
• wherein the system does not include living cells.

A system for treating a cardiac arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, comprising:

• a cardiac delivery system with a contact member and also with a plurality of needles cooperating with the contact member;
• a source of material that is adapted to be coupled to the cardiac delivery system;
• wherein the contact member is adapted to be delivered to the location and to substantially contact a patterned region of tissue at a location associated with the arrhythmia and that includes cardiac cells;
• wherein the plurality of needles are adapted to be inserted into and substantially along the patterned region of tissue when the contact member is contacted with the patterned region of tissue;
• wherein the cardiac delivery system is adapted to be coupled to the source of material and to deliver a volume of the material from the source into and substantially along the patterned region of tissue via the plurality of needles;
• and
• wherein the material is substantially non-ablative to the cardiac tissue and is adapted to form a substantially non-ablative conduction block along the patterned region of tissue at the location.

A system for treating a cardiac arrhythmia in a patient, comprising:

• a cardiac delivery system;
• a source of material coupled to the cardiac delivery system;
• wherein the cardiac delivery system comprises an expandable member;
• wherein the source of material comprises living cells;
• and
• wherein the cardiac delivery system is adapted to deliver the living cells from the source to a region of tissue at a location associated with the cardiac arrhythmia and that includes cardiac cells;
• and
• wherein the material is adapted to form a conduction block in the region.

A system for treating a cardiac arrhythmia in a patient, comprising:

• a cardiac delivery device with a guidewire tracking member;
• a guidewire adapted to slideably engage the guidewire tracking member;
• a source of material coupled to the cardiac delivery device;
• wherein the cardiac delivery device is adapted to track over the guidewire to a location associated with the cardiac arrhythmia;
• wherein the cardiac delivery device is further adapted to deliver a volume of the material from the source into a region of tissue at the location and that includes cardiac cells;
• wherein the material is characterized as being substantially non-ablative to cardiac cells;
• and
• wherein the material is adapted to form a conduction block in the region.

A system for treating a cardiac arrhythmia in a patient, comprising:

• a cardiac delivery device;
• a source of material coupled to the cardiac delivery device;
• wherein the cardiac delivery device is adapted to deliver a volume of the material from the source and to a circumferential region of tissue at a location where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium while the cardiac delivery device is substantially secured at a position at the location;
• wherein the cardiac delivery device is further adapted to allow blood to perfuse downstream across the location while delivering the material into the circumferential region of tissue;
• wherein the material is characterized as being substantially non-ablative to cardiac tissue;
• and
• wherein the material is adapted to form a conduction block in the circumferential region of tissue.

A method for assembling a cardiac arrhythmia treatment system from a plurality of cardiac delivery systems, wherein each cardiac delivery system is adapted to deliver a volume of material either along a unique pattern of cardiac tissue, or at a unique location associated with the heart of a patient, the method comprising:

• choosing a cardiac delivery system from the plurality of cardiac delivery systems based upon at least one known patterned region of tissue and location where a conduction block is to be formed;
• coupling a volume of material to the cardiac delivery system;
• wherein the chosen cardiac delivery system is adapted to deliver the volume of injectable material into and along the patterned region of tissue at the location;
• wherein the material is adapted to be injected by the cardiac delivery system into and along the patterned region of tissue at the location;
• and
• wherein the material is substantially non-ablative to cardiac tissue and is adapted to form a substantially non-ablative conduction block when delivered into and along the patterned region of tissue at the location.