Patent ID: 11969197
Assignee: MAYO FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method of performing electroporation of a ventricle, the method comprising:
inserting a distal end portion of a catheter into the ventricle of a heart of a patient, the distal end portion of the catheter comprising:
a catheter shaft
a balloon coupled to the catheter shaft;
a plurality of electrodes coupled to a distal-most portion of the catheter shaft that extends distally of the balloon,
wherein the distal-most portion of the catheter shaft defines a plurality of apertures, each aperture of the plurality of apertures positioned between two adjacent electrodes of the plurality of electrodes;

inflating the balloon coupled to the catheter shaft;
using the balloon to push against and occlude a mitral valve or a tricuspid valve of the heart;
while the mitral valve or the tricuspid valve is being occluded by the balloon, injecting a fluid from a lumen of the distal end portion of the catheter, through the plurality of apertures defined by the distal-most portion of the catheter shaft, and directly into the ventricle; and
while the mitral valve or the tricuspid valve is being occluded by the balloon, generating an electrical current via at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes so as to selectively deliver electroporation to Purkinje tissue in the ventricle using the fluid in the ventricle as an electrical conductor,
wherein selectively delivering the electroporation to the Purkinje tissue in the ventricle causes minimal damage to a healthy heart tissue in the ventricle.