Apparatus for ablating turbinates

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for ablating at least a portion of a nasal concha. By ablating at least a portion of a nasal concha, the size of the nasal concha is reduced. The three nasal concha in the body (inferior, middle and superior nasal concha) form at least a portion of the three nasal meatus (inferior, middle and superior nasal meatus) in the body. By reducing the size of a nasal concha, obstruction of a nasal meatus is reduced or eliminated. As a result, air flow through the nasal meatus is improved. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a catheter having a distal portion with a dimension configured for positioning the catheter distal portion through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus at a surface of a nasal concha, an expandable member positioned adjacent the catheter distal portion, an energy delivery device for delivering ablative energy positioned adjacent the catheter distal portion, and a lumen coupled to the catheter for delivering a medium into the expandable member to expand the expandable member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.