Actively cooled electrode assemblies for forming lesions to treat dysfunction in sphincters and adjoining tissue regions

An assembly for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising

• a support structure for deployment in the tissue region, the support structure including an array of at least two spines having distal and proximal ends, and
• each spine including an electrode support lumen for carrying an electrode, a cooling lumen attachable to a fluid source, and an aspiration lumen attachable to an aspiration source,
• the cooling lumen having an outlet near the respective electrode to dispense fluid into heat conductive contact with tissue, and
• the aspiration lumen having an inlet to remove fluid from the tissue region, the inlet of one of the spines being located at or near the respective distal end, and the inlet of the other one of the spines being located at or near the respective proximal end.

An assembly for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising

• a support structure having an interior region for deployment in the tissue region, the support structure including a spine extending outward of the interior region that includes an electrode support lumen having an exit port,
• an electrode carried in the electrode support lumen for advancement through the exit port to penetrate tissue,
• the spine including a cooling lumen attachable to a fluid source, the cooling lumen having an outlet near the exit port to dispense fluid into heat conductive contact with tissue in the tissue region while the electrode is advanced through the exit port and penetrating tissue, and
• an aspiration lumen in the interior region and being attachable to an aspiration source, the aspiration lumen having an inlet in the interior region to remove fluid from the tissue region.

An assembly for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising

• an array of at least two spines creating a support structure having distal and proximal ends for deployment in the tissue region, the support structure peripherally defining an interior region, each spine including an electrode support lumen having an exit port,
• an electrode carried in each of the electrode support lumens for advancement through the exit port to penetrate tissue,
• each spine also including a cooling lumen attachable to a fluid source, the cooling lumen having an outlet near the respective exit port to dispense fluid into heat conductive contact with tissue while the electrode is advanced through the exit port and penetrating tissue, and
• an aspiration lumen in the interior region and attachable to an aspiration source, the aspiration lumen having inlets located at or near both the distal and proximal ends to remove fluid from the tissue region.

An assembly for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising

• a spine creating a support structure having distal and proximal ends for deployment in the tissue region,
• the spine including an electrode support lumen having an exit port,
• an electrode carried in the electrode support lumen for advancement through the exit port to penetrate tissue,
• the spine also including a cooling lumen attachable to a fluid source, the cooling lumen having an outlet near the exit port to dispense fluid into heat conductive contact with tissue while the electrode is advanced through the exit port and penetrating tissue, and
• an aspiration lumen attachable to an aspiration source, the aspiration lumen having an inlet extending beyond the distal end of the support structure to remove fluid from the tissue region.

An assembly for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising

• at least two spines creating a support structure having distal and proximal ends for deployment in the tissue region, the support structure peripherally defining an interior region,
• each spine including an electrode support lumen having an exit port,
• an electrode an electrode carried in each of the electrode support lumens for advancement through the exit port to penetrate tissue,
• each spine also including a cooling lumen attachable to a fluid source, the cooling lumen having an outlet near the respective exit port to dispense fluid into heat conductive contact with tissue while the electrode is advanced through the exit port and penetrating tissue, and
• an aspiration lumen extending through the interior region and attachable to an aspiration source, the aspiration lumen having an inlet extending beyond the distal end of the support structure to remove fluid from the tissue region.

An assembly for treating a tissue region at or near a sphincter comprising

• an electrode, and
• a support structure having an interior region for deployment in the tissue region, the support structure including a spine extending outward of the interior region to support the electrode for contact with tissue,
• an expandable balloon in the interior region, the balloon including a porous surface region adjacent the electrode, and
• an inflation lumen in the balloon attachable to a fluid source, the lumen having an outlet to dispense fluid into the balloon under pressure sufficient to expand the balloon and to dispense fluid through the porous surface region into heat conductive contact with tissue in the tissue region.