Patent ID: 6758847
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: A61B,A61N,Y10T

Abstract:
A tissue ablation device assembly, comprising:an elongate catheter body with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; an expandable member mounted along said distal end portion of said elongate catheter body and defining an interior chamber, said expandable member having an exterior surface adapted for engagement with a region of tissue when in an expanded condition, said expandable member being formed at least in part with a porous membrane; first and second expansion elements coupled to said expandable member for expanding said expandable member; an ablation element disposed within said interior chamber, said ablation element being shaped for emitting ablative energy through said expandable member for ablating at least a portion of the region of tissue; and a fluid passageway extending through said elongate catheter body and communicating with said interior chamber, said fluid passageway being adapted to be fluidly coupled to a fluid source for delivering a volume of ablative medium from said fluid source to said interior chamber, wherein said ablative medium is allowed to pass through said porous membrane for ablatively coupling said ablation element to the region of tissue.