Patent ID: 9333035
Filing Date: 2016-05-10
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A method of creating a lesion in adventitia tissue of a renal artery and/or a region of tissue surrounding the adventitia tissue while protecting intima and media tissue of the renal artery from injury, the method comprising: positioning a catheter carrying a microwave antenna within the renal artery, the microwave antenna being spaced from an inner wall of the renal artery; inflating a balloon having a first axial length with circulating cooling fluid flowing between the microwave antenna and the intima of the renal artery in thermal contact with the intima of the renal artery, the balloon being inflated to completely surround the microwave antenna and to occlude the renal artery, and the cooling fluid having a temperature that is less than basal body temperature; and supplying power to the microwave antenna to cause microwave energy to be emitted omnidirectionally from the microwave antenna along a second axial length that is less than the first axial length of the balloon; wherein the power supplied to the microwave antenna and the cooling fluid circulated around the microwave antenna are controlled to cause the adventitia tissue and/or the region of tissue surrounding the adventitia tissue to be heated to a temperature sufficient to cause thermal damage in no more than 180 seconds while the intima and media tissue are maintained at a temperature above freezing where thermal damage does not occur.