Patent ID: 9125667
Filing Date: 2015-09-08
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for inducing desirable temperature effects on body tissue adjacent a lumen of a blood vessel of a patient body, the vessel having a vessel wall, the apparatus comprising: an intravascular catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end with an axis therebetween; a radially expandable member supported by the distal end of the catheter body, the expandable member having a low profile insertion configuration and a larger profile configuration; a plurality of bipolar electrode pairs carried by the expandable member so that expansion of the expandable member within the lumen urges each electrode pair against the vessel wall, wherein each bipolar electrode pair has an inner edge spacing between electrodes of x mm and each electrode has a length of L mm; a controller electrically coupled to the plurality of electrodes configured to energize the plurality of bipolar electrodes pairs so as to heat the tissues with the energized electrodes while inhibiting vaporization of the tissue and both acute and long-term occlusion of the lumen; and an electrical energy source coupled to the controller configured to apply a power in Watts for a time oft seconds such that: wherein b is a parameter in a range of 0.2 to 0.6.