Cryotreatment device using a supercritical gas
AssigneeMedtronic CryoCath LP
InventorJean-Pierre LaLonde
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Abstract
A method of cryogenically treating a tissue region is provided, including positioning a treatment region of a medical device proximate the tissue region; transferring coolant in a substantially liquid phase from a coolant reservoir to a subcooler; transitioning the coolant from the liquid phase into a supercritical state; transferring the supercritical coolant to the treatment region; changing the coolant from the supercritical state to at least one of a liquid phase and a gaseous phase at the treatment region; ablating the tissue region; and evacuating coolant from the treatment region of the medical device.
Claims15
A method of delivering coolant to a medical device, comprising:
- transferring a coolant in a supercritical state to a treatment region of the medical device;
- and
- changing the coolant from the supercritical state to at least one of a liquid phase and a gaseous phase at the treatment region.
A method of cryogenically treating a tissue region, comprising:
- positioning a treatment region of a medical device proximate the tissue region;
- transferring coolant in a substantially liquid phase from a coolant reservoir to a subcooler;
- transitioning the coolant from the liquid phase into a supercritical state;
- transferring the supercritical coolant to the treatment region;
- changing the coolant from the supercritical state to at least one of a liquid phase and a gaseous phase at the treatment region;
- ablating the tissue region;
- and
- evacuating coolant from the treatment region of the medical device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.