Patent ID: 6830568
Filing Date: 2004-12-14
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
A method for performing transmyocardial revascularization of a region of a patient's heart wall defining a left ventricle, comprising:a) advancing a first guiding catheter through the patient's vasculature until a distal section of the first guiding catheter extends into the patient's left ventricle and is aligned with or parallel to a longitudinal axis of the left ventricle; b) advancing a second guiding catheter through an inner lumen of the first guiding catheter until a shaped distal section of the second guiding catheter extends out of the distal end of the first guiding catheter and adjusting the position of the second guiding catheter until a discharge axis of the second guiding catheter is oriented normal to the region of the heart wall in which the transmyocardial revascularization is to be performed; c) advancing an elongated ablation device through the second guiding catheter and out a port in a distal end of the second guiding catheter so that an operative distal end thereof contacts the desired region of the patient's heart wall; and d) activating the elongated ablation device so that the operative distal end thereof ablates tissue within the heart wall.