Ablation catheter

An ablation catheter comprising

• (a) a catheter body with proximal and distal ends and an external surface,
• (b) a lumen within the catheter body,
• (c) a plurality of conductive media outlet openings in the external surface of the catheter body which are in communication with the lumen, wherein the conductive media outlet openings comprise a linear line of openings extended down the catheter body,
• (d) an electrode fixedly secured to the catheter body and located within the lumen,
• (e) an introduction system to introduce a conductive media into the lumen to contact the electrode, and
• (f) a conductive media flow control system structured to expel the conductive media through the conductive media outlet openings, wherein the conductive media flow control system is substantially contained within the lumen of the catheter body, and wherein the conductive media flow control system is capable of regulating the flow of conductive media through the conductive media outlet openings to form a reasonably consistent flow of the conductive media through substantially all of the conductive media outlet openings.

A process for catheter ablation of human tissue comprising

• (a) introducing an ablation catheter into a location within the human body to be ablated, wherein the ablation catheter comprises a catheter body, a lumen within the catheter body, a plurality of conductive media outlet openings in an external surface of the catheter body which are in communication with the lumen, wherein the conductive media outlet openings comprise a linear line of openings extending down the catheter body, an electrode fixedly secured to the catheter body located within the lumen, an introduction system capable of introducing a conductive media into the lumen, and a conductive media flow control system structured to expel the conductive media through substantially all of the conductive media outlet openings, wherein the conductive media flow control system is capable of regulating the flow of conductive media through the conductive media outlet openings to form a reasonably consistent flow of the conductive media through substantially all of the conductive media outlet openings,
• (b) passing conductive media through the lumen of the catheter body to contact the electrode,
• (c) expelling the conductive media through substantially all of the conductive media outlet openings in the catheter body in a reasonably consistent flow to contact the human tissue, and
• (d) conducting energy from the electrode to the human tissue using the conductive media for a sufficient period of time to ablate the tissue.

A process for catheter ablation of human tissue comprising

• (a) introducing an ablation catheter into a location within the human body to be ablated, wherein the ablation catheter comprises a catheter body, a lumen within said catheter body, a plurality of conductive media outlet openings in an external surface of the catheter body which are in communication with the lumen, wherein the conductive media outlet openings comprise a linear line of openings extending down the catheter body and an electrode fixedly secured to the catheter body located within the lumen, an introduction system capable of introducing a conductive media into the lumen, and a conductive media flow control system structured to expel the conductive media through substantially all of the conductive media outlet openings, and wherein the conductive media flow control system is contained substantially within the lumen of the catheter body, and wherein the conductive media flow control system is capable of regulating the flow of conductive media through the conductive media outlet openings to form a reasonably consistent flow of the conductive media through substantially all of the conductive media outlet openings,
• (b) passing a conductive media through the lumen of the catheter body to contact the electrode,
• (c) expelling the conductive media through substantially all of the conductive media outlet openings in the catheter body in a reasonably consistent flow to contact the human tissue, and
• (d) conducting energy from the electrode to the human tissue using the conductive media for a sufficient period of time to ablate the tissue.