Maneuverable electrophysiology catheter for percutaneous or intraoperative ablation of cardiac arrhythmias

A method for myocardial ablation for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, comprising:

• providing a catheter comprising mapping electrodes, stimulating electrodes, and a stabilizer, the catheter being insertable into the heart of a patient and a distal end of the catheter being maneuverable from external to the patient;
• providing an optical fiber slidably disposed within the catheter, a distal end of the optical fiber comprising an ablation probe that is extensible beyond the distal end of the catheter and adapted for penetrating myocardial and endocardial tissue, the ablation probe being diffusive so as to deliver laser energy substantially radially into the tissue in which the probe is positioned;
• providing electronic stimulating and mapping instruments coupled to the mapping electrodes and to the stimulating electrodes, and providing a laser energy source coupled to the optical fiber;
• introducing the catheter into the body of a patient and guiding the catheter into the heart of the patient;
• stimulating the heart into an arrhythmic condition using said stimulating electrodes;
• mapping electrical signals produced by the heart and locating an arrhythmic site for ablation;
• placing the distal end of the catheter proximate the arrhythmic site;
• activating the stabilizer;
• advancing the optical fiber through the catheter, thus penetrating the ablation probe through the endocardium and into myocardial tissue at the arrhythmic site;
• ablating tissue at the arrhythmic site by introducing a desired amount of laser energy into the optical fiber, conducting the laser energy through the optical fiber to the ablation probe, and directing sufficient laser energy into the myocardial tissue at the arrhythmic site to ablate the tissue;
• deactivating the stabilizer and removing the catheter and optical fiber from the body of the patient.

A method for myocardial ablation for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias in a patient, comprising:

• providing a catheter having a distal end and comprising mapping electrodes, stimulating electrodes and a stabilizer, the catheter being insertable into a heart of a patient and said distal end of the catheter being maneuverable from external to the patient;
• providing an energy conductor having a distal end and slidably disposed within the catheter, said distal end of the energy conductor comprising an ablation probe that is extensible beyond the distal end of the catheter and adapted for penetrating endocardial and myocardial tissue;
• providing electronic stimulating and mapping instruments coupled to the mapping electrodes and to the stimulating electrodes, and providing an ablating energy source coupled to the energy conductor;
• introducing the catheter into the body of a patient and guiding the distal end of the catheter into the heart of the patient;
• stimulating the heart into an arrhythmic condition using said stimulating electrodes;
• mapping electrical signals produced by the heart and locating an arrhythmic site for ablation;
• placing the distal end of the catheter proximate the arrhythmic site;
• advancing the energy conductor through the catheter, thus penetrating the ablation probe through the endocardium and into the myocardium at the arrhythmic site;
• ablating tissue at the arrhythmic site by introducing a desired amount of energy into the energy conductor, conducting the energy through the energy conductor to the ablation probe, and directing sufficient energy into the myocardium at the arrhythmic site to ablate the tissue;
• and
• removing the catheter and optical fiber from the body of the patient.