Patent ID: 9572624
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A radiofrequency ablation system for treating a tissue of a patient, comprising: an ablation apparatus having a first electrode assembly carried by a flexible tube structure and a second electrode assembly carried by the flexible tube structure, wherein the first electrode assembly comprises a plurality of electrodes present as a continuous set of alternating delivery and return electrodes disposed along a first length of the flexible tube structure, the plurality of electrodes of the first electrode assembly comprising a first delivery electrode and a first return electrode disposed distal to the first delivery electrode, and the second electrode assembly comprises a plurality of electrodes present as a continuous set of alternating delivery and return electrodes disposed along a second length of the flexible tube structure, the plurality of electrodes of the second electrode assembly comprising a second delivery electrode and a second return electrode disposed distal to the second delivery electrode, wherein the second electrode assembly is disposed distal to the first electrode assembly along the flexible tube structure, wherein the first length of the flexible tube structure and the second length of the flexible tube structure do not overlap along the flexible tube structure, wherein the first delivery electrode of the first electrode assembly is configured to pair with the second return electrode of the second electrode assembly for producing bipolar ablation, wherein the second delivery electrode of the second electrode assembly is configured to pair with the first return electrode of the first electrode assembly for producing bipolar ablation, and wherein an ablation surface area of the first delivery electrode is greater than an ablation surface area of the second return electrode and an ablation surface area of the second delivery electrode is greater than an ablation surface area of the first return electrode; a radiofrequency generator configured to deliver a respective radiofrequency power signal to each of the delivery electrodes of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly of the ablation apparatus and to return each respective power signal from the corresponding paired return electrodes of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly; a plurality of wires comprising a respective wire corresponding to each delivery electrode of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly, wherein each respective wire is configured to transmit the respective radiofrequency power signal from the radiofrequency generator to the respective delivery electrode of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly; and a control mechanism configured to enable temperature-based power control to each of the delivery electrodes of the first electrode assembly and the second electrode assembly.