Method and apparatus for treatment of air way obstructions

An apparatus for ablating at least a portion of an interior of a body structure, comprising:

• a catheter including a catheter tissue interface surface and a port formed in the catheter tissue interface surface;
• an electrode at least partially positioned in an interior of the catheter and configured to be advanced and retracted in and out of the port, the electrode including an electrode electromagmetic energy delivery surface positionable at a tissue ablation site;
• a cooling element including a cooling medium inlet conduit and a cooling medium exit conduit both extending through an interior of the catheter cooling at least a portion of the catheter tissue interface surface, wherein the cooling element is configured to provide a cooling of tissue physically separated from the tissue ablation site;
• an electrode advancement and retraction device at least partially positioned in the interior of the catheter;
• and
• a cable coupled to the electrode.

An apparatus for ablating at least a portion of an interior of a body structure, comprising:

• a catheter including a catheter interior, a catheter distal end, a catheter proximal end, a catheter tissue interface surface and a port formed in the catheter;
• an electrode at least partially positioned in the interior of the catheter and configured to be advanced and retracted to and from the port into an interior of the body structure to deliver sufficient electromagnetic energy to debulk a portion of the interior of the body structure at an ablation tissue site;
• means for cooling at least a portion of the catheter tissue interface surface sufficiently to reduce a swelling of an exterior surface of the body structure following a delivery of electromagnetic energy to the interior of the body structure, wherein the means for cooling is configured to provide a cooling of tissue physically separated from the tissue ablation site;
• an electrode advancement and retraction device at least partially positioned in the interior of the catheter;
• and
• a cable coupled to the electrode.

An apparatus for ablating at least a portion of an interior of a tongue, comprising:

• a catheter including a proximal end, a distal end and a catheter tissue interface surface;
• an electrode at least partially positioned in an interior of the catheter and configured to be advanced and retracted in and out of the catheter;
• an electrode advancement and retraction device at least partially positioned in the interior of the catheter;
• means for reducing an adenomas response to a surface of the tongue upon delivery of electromagnetic energy to an interior of the tongue at a tissue ablation site by the electrode, wherein the means for reducing an adenomas response is configured to provide a cooling of tissue physically separated from the tissue ablation site;
• and
• a cable coupled to the electrode.

An apparatus for creating an ablation in an interior of a tongue, comprising:

• a catheter including a proximal end, a distal end and a catheter tissue interface surface;
• an electrode at least partially positioned in an interior of the catheter and configured to be advanced and retracted in and out of the catheter through an exterior surface of the tongue, wherein the electrode has a RF energy delivery surface configured to be positioned in the interior of the tongue configured to form an ablation zone in the interior of the tongue;
• means for cooling at least a portion of the catheter tissue interface surface and at least a portion of the exterior surface of the tongue while thermally isolating without cooling the RF energy delivery surface, wherein the means for reducing an adenomas response is configured to provide a cooling of tissue physically separated from the tissue ablation site for reducing an adenomas response from the tissue ablation site;
• an electrode advancement and retraction device at least partially positioned in the interior of the catheter;
• and
• a cable coupled to the electrode.

A method for treating airway obstructions, comprising:

• providing an ablation apparatus including a catheter with a catheter tissue interface surface, an electrode at least partially positioned in an interior of the catheter and advanceable and retractable to and from the catheter into an interior of a body structure, and a means for cooling the catheter tissue interface surface;
• advancing the electrode from the interior of the catheter through a body structure external surface into the interior of the body structure;
• delivering sufficient energy from the electrode into the interior of the body structure to ablate a portion of the interior of the body structure;
• cooling the catheter tissue interface surface sufficiently to reduce a swelling of the body structure external surface;
• and
• retracting the electrode from the interior of the body structure.

An apparatus for ablating at least a portion of an interior of a body structure, comprising:

• a catheter including a catheter tissue interface surface and a port formed in the catheter tissue interface surface;
• an RF electrode at least partially positioned in an interior of the catheter and configured to be advanced and retracted in and out of the port, the electrode including an RF energy delivery surface positionable at a tissue ablation site;
• a cooling element including a cooling medium inlet conduit and a cooling medium exit conduit both extending through an interior of the catheter cooling at least a portion of the catheter tissue interface surface, wherein the cooling element is configured to provide a cooling of tissue physically separated from the tissue ablation site;
• and
• a cable coupled to the electrode.

An apparatus for ablating at least a portion of an interior of a body structure, comprising:

• a catheter including a catheter interior, a catheter distal end, a catheter proximal end, a catheter tissue interface surface and a port formed in the catheter;
• an RF electrode configured to be coupled to a RF source, the RF electrode being at least partially positioned in the interior of the catheter and configured to be advanced and retracted to and from the port into an interior of the body structure to deliver sufficient RF energy to debulk a portion of the interior of the body structure at a tissue ablation site;
• means for cooling at least a portion of the catheter tissue interface surface sufficiently to reduce a swelling of an exterior surface of the body structure following a delivery of RF energy to the interior of the body structure, wherein the cooling element is configured to provide a cooling of tissue physically separated from the tissue ablation site;
• and
• a cable coupled to the electrode.

An apparatus for creating an ablation in an interior of a tongue, comprising:

• a catheter including a proximal end, a distal end and a catheter tissue interface surface;
• an electrode at least partially positioned in an interior of the catheter and configured to be advanced and retracted in and out of the catheter through an exterior surface of the tongue, wherein the electrode has a RF energy delivery surface configured to be positioned in the interior of the tongue configured to form an ablation zone in the interior of the tongue;
• a cooling device configured to cool at least a portion of the catheter tissue interface surface and at least a portion of the exterior surface of the tongue without cooling the RF energy delivery surface, wherein the cooling device is configured to provide a cooling of tissue physically separated from the ablation zone;
• and
• a cable coupled to the electrode.