Patent ID: 8057466
Filing Date: 2011-11-15
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: generating energy; and directing the energy from a catheter to patient tissue along a cone-shaped ablation path, wherein at least a portion of the patient tissue within the cone-shaped ablation path is ablated, and patient tissue outside of the cone-shaped ablation path is not ablated, wherein directing the energy along the cone-shaped ablation path comprises introducing a phase delay to at least a portion of the energy, wherein introducing the phase delay to at least a portion of the energy comprises: splitting the energy into a plurality of branches; and introducing a phase delay to at least one branch of the plurality of branches to direct the energy along the cone-shaped ablation path, and wherein introducing a phase delay to at least one branch of the plurality of branches includes selecting a path length of the at least one branch to introduce the phase delay.