Ostial renal nerve ablation
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorMartin R. Willard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A catheter including an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, where the catheter includes a thermal element at the distal end thereof. The thermal element may be used in an ablation procedure or other procedure to heat a tissue adjacent a vessel. In some instances, the thermal element may be positioned in a first vessel and may operate to heat tissue adjacent a second vessel or adjacent an ostium between the first vessel and the second vessel. Further, the catheter may include an expandable portion on which the thermal element may be connected or positioned. The expandable portion(s) may comprise a basket or cage, a balloon, a memory shape and formable portion, and/or to other mechanical expanders.
Claims20
A method of ablating tissue, comprising:
- inserting an ablation assembly into a first lumen of a body of a patient adjacent a second lumen, the ablation assembly comprising an elongated member having a distal end and a proximal end, and a plurality of thermal elements disposed on the elongate member proximate the distal end;
- positioning a ground electrode within the patient's body;
- expanding the plurality of thermal elements radially away from the elongate member into contact with a wall of the first lumen;
- and
- directing ablation energy from the plurality of thermal elements toward the ground electrode to ablate tissue between the first and second lumens.
A method of treating tissue, comprising:
- inserting an energy delivery assembly into a first lumen of a body of a patient adjacent a second lumen, the energy delivery assembly comprising an elongated member having a distal end and a proximal end, and at least one energy delivery element disposed on the elongate member proximate the distal end;
- positioning a ground electrode within the patient's body;
- expanding the at least one energy delivery element radially away from the elongate member into contact with a wall of the first lumen;
- and
- directing energy along a localized electrical pathway between the at least one energy delivery element and the ground electrode to affect tissue between the first and second lumens without having to complete an electrical pathway to an exterior of the patient's body.
A method of affecting nerve tissue, comprising:
- inserting an RF assembly into a first lumen of a body of a patient adjacent a second lumen, the RF assembly comprising an elongated member having a distal end and a proximal end and at least one energy delivery element disposed on the elongate member proximate the distal end;
- positioning a ground electrode within the patient's body;
- expanding the at least one energy delivery element radially away from the elongate member into contact with a wall of the first lumen;
- and
- directing RF energy along a localized electrical pathway between the at least one energy delivery element and the ground electrode to nerve tissue between the first and second lumens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.