Patent ID: 6383151
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: A61B,A61M,A61N

Abstract:
A tissue ablation device assembly for ablating a substantial portion of a circumferential region of tissue at a location where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium, comprising:an elongate body with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion having proximal and distal sections; an expandable member including a proximal end and a distal end coupled to the proximal and distal sections of the distal end portion, respectively, the expandable member being adjustable between a radially collapsed condition and a radially expanded condition with an expanded outer diameter which is adapted to engage the substantial portion of the circumferential region of tissue; and an ultrasound ablation element secured to the distal section at a fixed position within the expandable member, wherein the ultrasound ablation element is adapted to emit a substantially circumferential pattern of ultrasound energy and to ablatively couple to the substantial portion of the circumferential region of tissue.