Esophageal heat transfer devices and methods for cardiac tissue ablation

A method for preventing or reducing the risk of thermal injury to esophageal tissue in a patient undergoing a radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedure, the method comprising:

• orally or nasally inserting an esophageal heat transfer device into the patient, wherein the heat transfer device includes a heat transfer region and one or more lumens configured to provide a heat transfer fluid to the heat transfer region and to remove the heat transfer fluid from the heat transfer region;
• positioning the heat transfer region in thermal contact with esophageal tissue susceptible to damage during the RF ablation procedure;
• performing the RF ablation procedure while managing the temperature of the esophageal tissue susceptible to damage;
• wherein the RF ablation procedure comprises application of ablation energy to a posterior atrial wall segment of the patient and (a) a target minimum Ablation Index (AImin) value of at least 400 on the posterior atrial wall segment.

An esophageal heat transfer device, the device comprising:

• a multi-lumen tube having an inflow lumen fluidly connected to an outflow lumen, wherein the inflow lumen and outflow lumen define a fluid path for flow of a heat transfer medium;
• a heat transfer region comprising at least a portion of an outer wall of the multi-lumen tube;
• and
• a device-location sensing element.