Patent ID: 7288092
Filing Date: 2007-10-30
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A method for ablating the pulmonary veins of a patient including: making at least one percutaneous incision to define at least one opening of an instrument receiving passage; providing at least one flexible elongated guide facility having a first end, a second end and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second ends; providing an ablation instrument including at least a pair of relatively movable clamping jaws adapted to be connected to an ablation activation source, the jaws being disposed to engage cardiac tissue at a selected cardiac location to ablate tissue therebetween; introducing the first end of the at least one guide facility through selected one of the at least one opening of the instrument receiving passage to a selected cardiac location adjacent one of the right and left pulmonary veins; advancing the guide facility to the selected cardiac location such that the intermediate portion engages the selected cardiac location; extending the first end of the at least one guide facility through selected one of the at least one opening of the instrument receiving passage to a position disposed outside the instrument receiving passage such that the first and second ends are positioned outside of the instrument receiving passage and the intermediate portion engages the selected cardiac location; engaging one jaw of the ablation instrument with one of the ends of the guide facility; inserting the ablation instrument through the instrument receiving passage; guiding the ablation instrument to the selected cardiac location with the aid of the guide facility such that the cardiac tissue at the selected location is disposed between the jaws; and ablating the cardiac tissue at the selected location.