System for inducing desirable temperature effects on body tissue
AssigneeMinnow Medical, Inc.
InventorsCorbett W. Stone, Michael F. Hoey, Arthur G. Blanck, Len Briggs, Mike Perry, Rolfe Tyson Gustus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A catheter and catheter system may be used to treat disease tissue by gentle heating in combination with gentle or standard dilation. An elongate flexible catheter body with a radially expandable balloon having a plurality of electrodes engage tissue including diseased tissue when the structure expands.
Claims45
A system for inducing desirable temperature effects on body tissue, the body tissue being disposed about a lumen, the system comprising:
- a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end with an axis therebetween;
- a radially expandable member supported by the distal end of the catheter body, the expandable member having a low profile insertion configuration and a larger profile configuration;
- and
- a plurality of electrodes disposed about the expandable member so as to define a plurality of remodeling zones in the tissue when the expandable member is in the large profile configuration within the lumen, the electrodes are radially coupled with the tissue, and tissue remodeling energy is transmitted between the electrodes and the tissue, the electrodes configured to inhibit vaporization along the lumen while the remodeling energy inhibits both acute and long-term occlusion of the lumen.
A method for using a catheter system for inducing desirable temperature effects on desired body tissue of a patient, the body tissue being disposed about a lumen, the method comprising:
- positioning a radially expandable member supported by a distal end of a catheter body within the lumen adjacent the desired tissue to be heated, the expandable member having a low profile insertion configuration and a larger profile configuration;
- expanding the expandable member to the larger profile configuration within the lumen so as to engage a plurality of electrodes against the desired tissue, the plurality of electrodes defining a plurality of remodeling zones in the tissue;
- energizing the plurality of electrodes with a controller having a power source electrically coupled to the plurality of electrodes;
- and
- heating the remodeling zones in the tissue with the energized electrodes.
A method of making a catheter for use in a catheter system for inducing desirable temperature effects on desired body tissue of a patient, the body tissue being disposed about a lumen, the method comprising:
- providing a balloon catheter having:
- an elongate flexible catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end with an axis therebetween;
- and
- an inflatable balloon having a low profile insertion configuration and a larger profile configuration;
- and
- attaching a plurality of electrodes to a surface of the balloon so as to define a plurality of remodeling zones in the tissue when the expandable member is in the large profile configuration within the lumen, with each electrode having an associated conductor extending proximally so as to electrically couple the plurality of electrodes to a controller and/or power supply.
An apparatus for treatment of a blood vessel of a patient body, the vessel having a lumen and a vessel wall, the apparatus comprising:
- a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end with an axis therebetween;
- a radially expandable member supported by the distal end of the catheter body, the expandable member having a low profile insertion configuration and a larger profile configuration;
- a bipolar electrode pair carried by the expandable member so that expansion of the expandable member within the lumen urges the electrode pair against the vessel wall, the electrode pair providing a load impedance of from 20 to 4500 Ohms when delivering energy to tissues of the vessel wall when the tissues have a specific conductivity within a range from 0.2 to 0.5 Siemens per meter.
A method for treatment of a blood vessel of a patient body, the vessel having a lumen and a vessel wall, the method comprising:
- radially expanding a member within the lumen so as to urge a bipolar electrode pair against the vessel wall;
- delivering energy to the electrode pair while tissue of the vessel wall engaged by the electrode pair provides a load impedance of from 20 to 4500 Ohms.
An apparatus for treatment of a blood vessel of a patient body, the vessel having a lumen and a vessel wall, the apparatus comprising:
- a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end with an axis therebetween;
- a radially expandable member supported by the distal end of the catheter body, the expandable member having a low profile insertion configuration and a larger profile configuration;
- a bipolar electrode pair carried by the expandable member so that expansion of the expandable member within the lumen urges the electrode pair against the vessel wall, the electrode pair having an inner edge spacing of x mm and a length of L mm;
- and
- an electrical energy source configured to apply a power in Watts for a time of t seconds such that:
- power=b*x̂2*L*(t̂(−0.59)),
- wherein b is a parameter in a range of 0.2 to 0.6.
A method for treatment of a blood vessel of a patient body, the vessel having a lumen and a vessel wall, the method comprising:
- engaging a bipolar electrode pair against the vessel wall from within the lumen, the electrode pair having an inner edge spacing of x mm and a length of L mm;
- and
- applying a power in Watts to the vessel wall with the electrode pair for a time of t seconds such that:
- power=b*x̂2*L*(t̂(−0.59)),
- wherein b is a parameter in a range of 0.2 to 0.6.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.