Patent ID: 6589232
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method of treating boundary areas in myocardium within the left ventricle of the heart including the following steps:providing an apparatus having proximal and distal ends, at least one lumen therein, a steering mechanism operable from the proximal end and extending to the distal end, at least one treatment device having a treatment diameter substantially no greater than 1.0 mm slidably extendable through the at least one lumen and through the distal end wherein one of said at least one treatment device is a mechanical device having a first piercing tool, and a second piercing tool having a piercing diameter substantially no greater than 1.0 mm for creating a pilot entry path for the at least one treatment device to reach a selected boundary area; placing the distal end of such apparatus on a surface of the heart; advancing the second piercing tool through the surface a distance selected to reach the boundary area; advancing the at least one treatment device through a pilot entry created by the second piercing tool until a distal end thereof reaches the boundary area; and operating the at least one treatment device having the mechanical device with the first piercing tool to create a pattern of injury sites at the boundary area, the pattern having injuries no greater than 3.0 mm in diameter with each injury in the pattern spaced approximately no more than 1 cm from each contiguous injury.