Inducing Desirable Temperature Effects On Body Tissue Using Alternate Energy Sources

A method for inducing desirable temperature effects on body tissue within a body lumen, the method comprising:

• positioning an energy delivery portion of a catheter within the lumen adjacent the tissue to be heated;
• characterizing the tissue in the lumen proximate the energy delivery portion using a tissue analyzer;
• determining an appropriate treatment energy for the characterized tissue using a processor coupled to the tissue analyzer;
• energizing the energy delivery portion with appropriate treatment energy from an energy source coupled to the processor, wherein the energy is non-RF energy;
• and
• gently heating the tissue without ablating, with the appropriate treatment energy, and without inducing a long-term occlusive response caused by excessive thermal damage to the tissue.

A system for inducing desirable temperature effects on body tissue having both healthy tissue and diseased tissue, the body tissue being disposed about a lumen, the system comprising:

• an elongate catheter having an energy delivery portion for transmission of energy;
• an energy source coupled to the energy delivery portion transmitting tissue treatment energy, wherein the energy is non-RF energy;
• and
• a processor coupled to the tissue analyzer and energy source, the processor configured to determine an appropriate treatment energy to mildly heat the body tissue without ablating, to a temperature sufficient to efficaciously alter the diseased tissue, without causing excessive thermal damage to the healthy tissue so as to induce a long-term occlusive response.

A system for non-invasively inducing desirable temperature effects on tissue in a tissue treatment area within a body lumen, the system comprising:

• a focused ultrasound energy device configured to deliver focused ultrasound energy to the tissue treatment area;
• a tissue analyzer configured to characterize the tissue in the tissue treatment area;
• and
• a processor coupled to the tissue analyzer and focused ultrasound energy device, the processor configured to determine appropriate focused ultrasound parameters for the characterized tissue so as to gently heat the tissue with the appropriate focused ultrasound energy, without ablating, and without inducing a long-term occlusive response caused by excessive thermal damage to the tissue.

A method for non-invasively inducing desirable temperature effects on tissue in a tissue treatment area within a body lumen, the system comprising:

• positioning a focused ultrasound energy device configured to deliver focused ultrasound energy to the tissue treatment area;
• characterizing the tissue in the lumen proximate the energy delivery portion using a tissue analyzer;
• determining an appropriate treatment energy for the characterized tissue using a processor coupled to the tissue analyzer and the focused ultrasound energy device;
• energizing the focused ultrasound energy device with appropriate treatment energy;
• and
• gently heating the tissue with the appropriate treatment energy, without ablating, and without inducing a long-term occlusive response caused by excessive thermal damage to the tissue.