Ablation catheter system and methods for repairing a valvular annulus

Claim 1

A catheter system comprising: a flexible catheter shaft having a distal tip section, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end; a flexible tissue-contactor ring located at the distal tip section and inside the at least one lumen of said catheter shaft for contacting an inner wall of an annular organ structure, wherein said tissue-contactor ring is deployable out of the at least one lumen by a tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and is preformed to have an appropriate shape compatible with said inner wall of the annular organ structure, wherein said appropriate shape is a circular shape, a D-shape, a kidney shape, or an oval shape; a needle electrode element located at or within the flexible tissue-contactor ring for penetrating into a tissue, wherein the needle electrode element is deployable out of the tissue-contactor ring in a manner essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft; a handle attached to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the handle comprises the tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and an electrode deployment means for advancing the needle electrode out of said tissue-contactor ring; and a high frequency current generator, wherein an electrical conductor means for transmiting high frequency current to said needle electrode element is provided.

Claim 6

A method for operating a catheter system for repairing a valvular annulus, the catheter system comprising a flexible catheter shaft having a distal tip section, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end; a flexible tissue-contactor ring located at the distal tip section and inside the at least one lumen of said catheter shaft for contacting an inner wall of an annular organ structure, wherein said tissue-contactor ring is deployable out of the at least one lumen by a tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and is preformed to have an appropriate shape compatible with said inner wall of the annular organ structure; a needle electrode element located at or within the flexible tissue-contactor ring for penetrating into a tissue, wherein the needle electrode element is deployable out of the tissue-contactor ring in a manner essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft; a handle attached to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the handle comprises the tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and an electrode deployment means for advancing the needle electrode element out of said tissue-contactor ring; and a high frequency current generator, wherein an electrical conductor means for transmitting high frequency current to said needle electrode element is provided; the method comprising: (a) percutaneously introducing the catheter system through a blood vessel to a valvular annulus; (b) positioning the tissue-contactor ring of the catheter shaft on the inner wall of the valvular annulus; (c) advancing the needle electrode element for penetrating the needle electrode element into a tissue of the valvular annulus; and (d) applying high frequency current through the electrical conductor means to the needle electrode element for repairing a valvular annulus.

Claim 7

A method for operating a catheter system for repairing a valvular annulus, the catheter system comprising a flexible catheter shaft having a distal tip section, a distal end, a proximal end, and at least one lumen extending between the distal end and the proximal end; a flexible tissue-contactor ring located at the distal tip section and inside the at least one lumen of said catheter shaft for contacting an inner wall of an annular organ structure, wherein said tissue-contactor ring is deployable out of the at least one lumen by a tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and is preformed to have an appropriate shape compatible with said inner wall of the annular organ structure; a needle electrode element located at or within the flexible tissue-contactor ring for penetrating into a tissue, wherein the needle electrode element is deployable out of the tissue-contactor ring in a manner essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft; a handle attached to the proximal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the handle comprises the tissue-contactor deployment mechanism and an electrode deployment means for advancing the needle electrode element out of said tissue-contactor ring; and a high frequency current generator, wherein an electrical conductor means for transmitting high frequency current to said needle electrode element is provided; the method comprising: (a) percutaneously introducing the catheter system through a blood vessel to a valvular annulus; (b) positioning the tissue-contactor ring of the catheter shaft on the inner wall of the valvular annulus; (c) advancing the needle electrode element for penetrating the needle electrode element into a tissue of the valvular annulus; and (d) applying high frequency current through the electrical conductor means to the needle electrode element for repairing a valvular annulus.