Device, system, and method for cryosurgical treatment of cardiac arrhythmia

A linear cryoprobe operable to apply cryogenic cooling to body tissues in an elongated pattern, comprising:

• a) a treatment head comprising a Joule-Thomson orifice and a heat-conducting surface so shaped that a ratio of length of said surface to width of said surface is greater than six to one;
• b) a gas input lumen;
• and
• c) a gas exhaust lumen;

A system for treating cardiac arrhythmia, comprising

• a) a control module operable to receive data from a sensor;
• b) a cryoprobe which comprises:
• i) a treatment head comprising a Joule-Thomson orifice;
• and
• ii) a gas input lumen operable to supply a pressurized gas to said Joule-Thomson orifice;
• and
• b) a gas supply module operable to supply compressed gas to said gas input lumen.

A method for treating cardiac arrhythmia, comprising:

• a) introducing a cryoprobe into an atrium of a heart;
• b) positioning said cryoprobe at an ostium of a pulmonary vein, in such a position that an active cooling module of said cryoprobe is in contact with tissues of said ostium;
• c) cooling said active cooling module to a first temperature, said first temperature being such as to cause said cryoprobe to adhere to tissues of said ostium, thereby causing said cryoprobe to adhere to said tissues of said ostium;
• d) testing said positioning of said cryoprobe by cooling said active cooling module to a second temperature, said second temperature being such as to create a temporary conduction block in said ostium if said cryoprobe is correctly positioned, thereby creating a temporary conduction block in said ostium if said cryoprobe is correctly positioned;
• e) evaluating said positioning of said cryoprobe by determining whether said temporary conduction block was created by step (d);
• f) if said temporary conductive block was created by step (d), cooling said active cooling module to a third temperature, said third temperature being such as to create a permanent conductive block in said ostium, thereby creating a permanent conductive block in said ostium, thereby treating said cardiac arrhythmia.

A method for treating cardiac arrhythmia, comprising:

• a) positioning at an exterior wall of a atrium a cryoprobe having a treatment head which comprises an elongated cooling surface;
• b) cooling said cooling surface to a first temperature, said first temperature being such as to cause said cryoprobe to adhere to tissues of said atrium wall, thereby causing said cryoprobe to adhere to tissues of said atrium wall;
• c) testing said positioning of said cryoprobe by cooling said cooling surface to a second temperature, said second temperature being such as to create a temporary conduction block in said atrium wall if said cryoprobe is correctly positioned, thereby creating a temporary conduction block in said atrium wall if said cryoprobe is correctly positioned;
• d) evaluating said positioning of said cryoprobe by determining whether said temporary conduction block was created by step (d);
• e) if said temporary conduction block was created by step (d), cooling said active cooling module to a third temperature, said third temperature being such as to create a permanent a permanent conduction block in said atrium wall, thereby creating a permanent conduction block in said atrium wall, thereby treating said cardiac arrhythmia.