Claims
- 1. A surgical ablation probe for insertion through an opening in a patient's chest for ablating a circumferential region of tissue at a location where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium, comprising:
a substantially rigid shaft configured for insertion through said opening and having proximal and distal end portions and a longitudinal axis, wherein said distal end portion has an angle relative to said longitudinal axis of said shaft; a handle coupled to said proximal end portion of said shaft for manipulating said surgical ablation probe; and a circumferential ablation member mounted on said distal end portion and adapted for ablating said circumferential region of tissue, wherein said angle in said distal end portion of said shaft is adapted to facilitate placement of said circumferential ablation member at said location.
- 2. The surgical ablation probe of claim 1, wherein said distal end portion of said shaft is deflectable, such that deflection of said distal end portion changes said angle.
- 3. The surgical ablation probe of claim 2, further comprising a deflection mechanism with a deflection actuator disposed on said handle.
- 4. The surgical ablation probe of claim 3, wherein said deflection mechanism comprises a pull wire having proximal and distal ends, said proximal end of said pull wire coupled to said deflection actuator and said distal end of said pull wire coupled to said distal end portion of said shaft.
- 5. The surgical ablation probe of claim 1, further comprising an anchoring member located along said distal end portion of said shaft for releasably anchoring said circumferential ablation member at said location.
- 6. The surgical ablation probe of claim 5, wherein said anchoring member comprises an expandable member.
- 7. The surgical ablation probe of claim 6, further comprising an expansion actuator in fluid communication with said expandable member and a pressurized fluid source, wherein actuation of said expansion actuator causes pressurized fluid to radially expand said expandable member.
- 8. The surgical ablation probe of claim 6, wherein said expandable member comprises an inflatable balloon.
- 9. The surgical ablation probe of claim 1, wherein said ablation member comprises a cylindrical ultrasound transducer coaxially disposed over said distal end portion of said shaft.
- 10. The surgical ablation probe of claim 9, wherein said ultrasound transducer has an inner wall and an inner diameter which is greater than an outer diameter of said shaft, such that an air gap is provided in a radial separation between said inner wall of said ultrasound transducer and said shaft.
- 11. The surgical ablation probe of claim 10, further comprising a support structure coupled to said ultrasound transducer and said shaft so as to maintain said radial separation therebetween.
- 12. The surgical ablation probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential ablation member further comprises a circumferential band adapted to ablatively couple to said circumferential region of tissue.
- 13. The surgical ablation probe of claim 12, wherein said circumferential band comprises at least one ablation electrode electrically coupled to an electrical current source.
- 14. The surgical ablation probe of claim 1, further comprising a radiopaque marker disposed along said shaft.
- 15. The surgical ablation probe of claim 1, further comprising a thermocouple positionable along said circumferential region of tissue for providing temperature feedback.
- 16. The surgical ablation probe of claim 1, further comprising a biocompatible outer extrusion on said outer surface of said shaft.
- 17. A surgical ablation probe for insertion through an opening in a patient's chest for ablating a circumferential region of tissue at a location where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium, comprising:
a substantially rigid shaft configured for insertion through said opening and having proximal and distal end portions and a longitudinal axis, wherein said distal end portion has an angle relative to said longitudinal axis of said shaft and said distal end portion of said shaft is deflectable, such that deflection of said distal end portion changes said angle; a handle coupled to said proximal end portion of said shaft for manipulating said surgical ablation probe; a cylindrical ultrasound transducer coaxially disposed over said distal end portion of said shaft and adapted for ablating said circumferential region of tissue, wherein said angle in said distal end portion of said shaft is adapted to facilitate placement of said ultrasound transducer at said location; and an anchoring member located along said distal end portion of said shaft for releasably anchoring said ultrasound transducer at said location.
- 18. A method for treating atrial arrhythmia in a patient by forming a conduction block along a circumferential region of tissue at a location where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium, comprising:
providing a surgical ablation probe having a handle and a shaft with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, wherein said shaft further comprises an anchoring mechanism and an circumferential ablation member located along said distal end portion of said shaft; inserting said shaft through an opening in a patient's chest; advancing said surgical ablation probe into said atrium; anchoring said circumferential ablation member at said location; and supplying energy to said circumferential ablation member, such that said circumferential ablation member ablatively couples to at least a portion of said circumferential region of tissue, thereby forming said conduction block.
- 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising monitoring an electrical activity of said atrium before supplying energy to said circumferential ablation member, in order to identify said location.
- 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising monitoring an electrical activity of said atrium after supplying energy to said circumferential ablation member, in order to evaluate said efficacy of said conduction block in treating said arrhythmia.
- 21. The method of claim 18, wherein said surgical ablation probe is advanced into said atrium via trans-thoracic surgery.
- 22. The method of claim 18, wherein said surgical ablation probe is advanced into said atrium through an atriotomy in a left atrial appendage.
- 23. The method of claim 18 wherein said surgical ablation probe is advanced into said atrium via a minimally invasive access technique.
- 24. The method of claim 23 wherein said access technique comprises a chest access device.
- 25. The method of claim 24 wherein said chest access device comprises a trocar.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/212879, filed Jun. 13, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60212879 |
Jun 2000 |
US |