Patent ID: 9301801
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A method for ablating tissue within a tubular region of or near the heart having an inner circumference, the method comprising: inserting into the tubular region an ablation assembly at a distal end of a catheter, the catheter comprising an elongated tubular catheter body having an axis and proximal and distal ends, the ablation assembly having a preformed generally circular curve having an outer circumference and being generally transverse to the axis of the catheter body, the ablation assembly comprising a flexible tubing carrying a tip electrode at its distal end, the tip electrode having an asymmetric design in which a first side of the tip electrode extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end of the tip electrode and being adapted to contact tissue extends radially beyond an outer wall of the flexible tubing and a second side of the tip electrode generally opposite the first side and extending longitudinally from the proximal end to the distal end of the tip electrode is generally even with the outer wall of the flexible tubing; contacting the inner circumference of the tubular region with at least a portion of the outer circumference of the generally circular curve so that the tip electrode is in a first position in contact with tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region; and ablating the tissue along the inner circumference of the tubular region at the first position with the tip electrode.