Devices and methods for creating lesions in blood vessels without obstructing blood flow

Abstract

An ablation catheter that includes radially disposed inflatable chambers is provided. The ablation catheter includes an elongate catheter body and an electrode structure mounted on the distal end of the catheter body. The electrode structure includes a plurality of radially disposed inflatable chambers. The elongate catheter body may be composed of an inner shaft having an inner shaft lumen, a stiffening mandrel disposed within the inner shaft lumen, and an outer shaft having an outer shaft lumen, wherein the inner shaft is disposed within the outer shaft lumen. The outer shaft includes a plurality of inflation lumens in communication with the interior regions of the inflatable chambers, which deliver an inflation medium to the inflatable chambers. The inner shaft includes a plurality of lumens that house electrical leads for delivering ablation energy to the electrode structure.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.