Device and method for the creation of a circumferential cryogenic lesion in a pulmonary vein
AssigneeCryoCor, Inc.
InventorsEugene Brian Reu, Thomas M. Castellano, Gregory M. Ayers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and method for ablating tissue includes a sheath system with an occlusion structure. In certain embodiments, arrhythmias originating in pulmonary veins are treated cryogenically.
Claims23
A method of ablating tissue within a patient comprising the steps of:
- inserting into a patient a substantially rigid sheath;
- maneuvering a flexible section mounted on the rigid sheath into an operative position in which a distal end of the flexible section is located within one of a pulmonary vein and a pulmonary vein ostium adjacent to a portion of tissue to be ablated, the flexible section including an occluding structure which has a retracted position and extended position;
- extending the occluding structure to the extended position once the flexible section is in the operative position to block blood flow past the occluding structure;
- and
- passing an ablation catheter through the flexible section so that an ablation tip of the ablation catheter exits the flexible section adjacent to the portion of tissue to be ablated.
The method according to claim, wherein the flexible section includes a dye opening adjacent to the distal end thereof, the dye opening being operatively associated with a dye source that remains outside the body, the method further comprising the step of injecting, after the occluding structure has been radially extended, a radiopaque dye into the pulmonary vein via the dye opening in order to confirm the position of the flexible section or occlusion structure.
A system for ablating tissue comprising:
- a guide sheath having a curved section dimensioned so that, when the guide sheath extends from a right atrium of a patient through an interatrial septum to a left atrium, a distal end of the guide sheath may be rotated to face a pulmonary vein ostium laterally spaced from an axis of a portion of the sheath extending through the interatrial septum;
- an axially flexible section mounted on the sheath;
- an occluding structure mounted on a distal end of the axially flexible sheath, the occluding structure having an extended configuration for blocking a flow of blood therepast and a retracted configuration;
- and
- an ablation catheter including an ablation tip at a distal end thereof, the ablation catheter being slidably mounted within the sheath and the axially flexible section so that the ablation tip may be moved from a first position in which the ablation tip is received within the sheath to a second position in which the ablation tip is extended therefrom.
A method of ablating tissue within one of a pulmonary vein and a pulmonary vein ostium comprising the steps of:
- inserting into a patient's left atrium a sheath;
- sliding an axially flexible section over the sheath into an operative position in which a distal end of the axially flexible section is located adjacent to a portion of tissue to be ablated, the axially flexible section including an occluding structure which has a retracted position and an extended position;
- passing an ablation catheter through the axially flexible section so that an ablation tip of the ablation catheter is adjacent to the portion of tissue to be ablated;
- and
- extending the occluding structure to the extended position once the axially flexible section is in the operative position to block blood flow through the pulmonary vein past the portion of tissue to be ablated.
A system for ablating tissue within a pulmonary vein comprising:
- a guide sheath having a curved section dimensioned so that, when the guide sheath extends from a right atrium of a patient through an interatrial septum to a left atrium, a distal end of the guide sheath may be rotated to face an opening into a pulmonary vein laterally spaced from an axis of a portion of the guide sheath extending through the interatrial septum;
- an axially flexible section including an occluding structure mounted to a distal end thereof, the occluding structure having an extended configuration for blocking a flow of blood therepast and a retracted configuration;
- and
- an ablation catheter including an ablation tip at a distal end thereof, the ablation catheter being slidably mounted within the guide sheath and the axially flexible section so that the ablation tip may be moved from a first position in which the ablation tip is received within the guide sheath to a second position in which the ablation tip is extended distally from a distal end thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.