US6502576B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Device and method for forming a circumferential conduction block in a pulmonary vein
Assignee: University of California
•
Filing: 2000-08-17
•
Granted: 2003-01-07
•
Expires: 2020-08-17
Abstract
Abstract This invention is a method for treating a patient diagnosed with atrial arrhythmia by forming a circumferential conduction block along a circumferential path of tissue in a pulmonary vein wall that circumscribes the pulmonary vein lumen and transects the electrical conductivity of the pulmonary vein such that conduction is blocked along the longitudinal axis of the vein wall and into the left atrial wall. The method is performed to treat a patient with a focal arrythmogenic origin along the pulmonary vein wall by either ablating the focal origin or by isolating the focal origin from the atrial wall with the circumferential conduction block. The circumferential conduction block is also formed in a pulmonary vein in order to bridge the adjacent ends of two linear lesions, wherein each linear lesion is formed to extend between the pulmonary vein and another adjacent pulmonary vein in a less-invasive “maze”-type procedure. A circumferential ablation element in a circumferential ablation device assembly is used in a percutaneous translumenal catheter technique in order to form the circumferential conduction block in the pulmonary vein wall.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael D. Lesh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:11
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/04; A61B18/08; A61B18/10; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B18/1492; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/10; A61M25/1002; A61B18/18; A61B18/1815; A61B17/00; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00243; A61B17/22; A61B2017/22038; A61B2017/22051; A61B2017/22054; A61B2017/22065; A61B2017/22067; A61B2018/00005; A61B2018/00011; A61B2018/00053; A61B2018/00059; A61B2018/00071; A61B2018/00083; A61B2018/00107; A61B2018/00148; A61B2018/0016; A61B2018/00214; A61B2018/0022; A61B2018/00273; A61B2018/00279; A61B2018/00285; A61B2018/00291; A61B2018/00315; A61B2018/00345; A61B2018/00351; A61B2018/00369; A61B2018/00375; A61B2018/00571; A61B2018/00577; A61B2018/00636; A61B2018/00642; A61B2018/00773; A61B2018/00791; A61B2018/00797; A61B2018/00815; A61B2018/00821; A61B2018/00839; A61B2018/00898; A61B2018/00994; A61B2018/1405; A61B2018/1407; A61B2218/00; A61B2218/001; A61B2218/002; A61M2025/1043; A61M2025/1075; A61M2210/00; A61M2210/12; A61M2210/125; A61N; A61N7/00; A61N7/02; A61N7/022
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
A method for treating atrial arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, wherein the patient includes a plurality of pulmonary veins and each pulmonary vein extends distally along a lumenal axis from a location in an atrium of the heart, the method comprising: providing a medical device assembly having a distal end portion with an ablation element; positioning the ablation element at one of the locations where one of the pulmonary veins extends from the atrium, wherein the one location is along either a funneling region of a pulmonary vein ostium of the one pulmonary vein or along a region of the one pulmonary vein comprising cardiac tissue upstream from the pulmonary vein ostium; and using said ablation element to ablate a region of tissue that has a continuous circumferential pattern which extends about the lumenal axis of the one pulmonary vein without substantially repositioning the distal end portion.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
149 words
A method for treating atrial arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, wherein the patient includes a plurality of pulmonary veins and each pulmonary vein extends distally along a lumenal axis from a location in an atrium of the heart, the method comprising: providing a medical device assembly having a distal end portion with an ablation element; positioning the ablation element at one of the locations where one of the pulmonary veins extends from the atrium, wherein the one location is along either a funneling region of a pulmonary vein ostium of the one pulmonary vein or along a region of the one pulmonary vein comprising cardiac tissue upstream from the pulmonary vein ostium; and using said ablation element to ablate a region of tissue that has a continuous circumferential pattern which extends about the lumenal axis of the one pulmonary vein without substantially repositioning the distal end portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein ablating comprises contacting the region of tissue with an ablation element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein ablating comprises emitting energy from an ablation element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 3 , wherein ablating comprises emitting energy from at least on electrode ablation element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 3 , wherein ablating comprises emitting energy from at least one ultrasonic ablation element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as recited in claim 3 , wherein ablating comprises emitting energy from at least one light emitting ablation element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 3 , wherein ablating comprises emitting energy from at least one microwave ablation element.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 3 , wherein ablating comprises emitting heat from at least one thermal ablation element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein ablating comprises ablatively coupling an ablative fluid to the tissue.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein ablating comprises causing a conductive fluid to contact the region of tissue and passing electrical current through the conductive fluid so as to make the fluid ablative.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein ablating comprises ablatively coupling a cryogenic ablation element to the tissue.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
68 words
A method for treating atrial arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, wherein the patient includes a plurality of pulmonary veins and each pulmonary vein extends from a unique location in an atrium of the heart, the method comprising: ablating a first ablation lesion that substantially circumscribes only one of the locations; and ablating a second ablation lesion that substantially circumscribes only a different one of said locations.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
68 words
A method for treating atrial arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, wherein the patient includes a plurality of pulmonary veins and each pulmonary vein extends from a unique location in an atrium of the heart, the method comprising: ablating a first ablation lesion that substantially circumscribes only one of the locations; and ablating a second ablation lesion that substantially circumscribes only a different one of said locations.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 12 , further comprising forming a linear lesion between the first and second locations to connect the first and second ablation lesions.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-01-06 | 2006-07-08 | 2007-01-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-01-06 | 2010-07-08 | 2011-01-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-01-06 | 2014-07-08 | 2015-01-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |