Near-critical argon based loop catheter for circumferential ablation of nerve fibers

Abstract

A method and near-critical argon-based loop catheter for circumferential ablation of nerve fibers are disclosed. According to one aspect, cryogenic catheter is configured to deliver near-critical-temperature argon cooling fluid to ablate parasympathetic innervation in nerve fibers in a wall of a passageway within a patient into which a distal portion of the cryogenic catheter is inserted, the passageway being one of an air passageway of a lung and a blood passageway. The cryogenic catheter includes at least one shaft to deliver argon cooling fluid to at least one expandable treatment element at the distal portion of the cryogenic catheter, an expandable treatment element being biased to form a multiple loop coil structure when expanded to make circumferential contact with the wall of the passageway. The cryogenic catheter also includes at least one expandable treatment element configured to be expandable by at least one of fluid pressure and mechanical force applied to a push wire within the shaft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.