Ablative catheter with electrode cooling and related methods of use

A medical device for modulation of renal nerve activity, the medical device comprising:

• a sheath;
• an elongate shaft slidably disposed within the sheath, the shaft having a distal region;
• a self-expanding umbrella frame attached to the shaft, the frame including a plurality of struts and a membrane attached to the struts;
• wherein the frame is configured to shift between a collapsed configuration when the frame is disposed within the sheath and a conical configuration when the sheath is disposed proximally of the frame;
• one or more electrodes coupled to the frame;
• wherein the membrane defines a plurality of pleated regions that extend radially inward relative to the struts when the frame is in the conical configuration;
• and
• wherein the pleated regions are configured to increase blood flow adjacent to the electrodes.

A method for modulating renal nerves, the method comprising:

• providing a renal nerve modulation device, the device comprising:
• a sheath,
• an elongate shaft slidably disposed within the sheath, the shaft having a distal region,
• a self-expanding umbrella frame attached to the shaft, the frame including a plurality of struts and a membrane attached to the struts,
• wherein the frame is configured to shift between a collapsed configuration when the frame is disposed within the sheath and a conical configuration when the sheath is disposed proximally of the frame,
• one or more electrodes coupled to the frame,
• wherein the membrane defines a plurality of pleated regions that extend radially inward relative to the struts when the frame is in the conical configuration, and
• wherein the pleated regions are configured to increase blood flow adjacent to the electrodes;
• advancing the renal nerve modulation device through a blood vessel to a position within a renal artery;
• proximally retracting the sheath relative to the frame;
• wherein proximally retracting the sheath relative to the frame shifts the frame from the collapsed configuration to the conical configuration;
• and
• activating at least one of the one or more electrodes.