Patent ID: 9179962
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A method for ablating tissue that is located radially outward from an interior surface of a target vessel of a human body, the method including the following steps: a) providing a tissue ablation catheter having a proximal end and a distal end and also having three or more outwardly expandable needle guiding elements through which three or more injection needles are advanced, the three or more needle guiding elements and injection needles being located at a distal portion of the catheter; the distal portion of the catheter also including a mechanical support structure that supports the three or more outwardly expandable needle guiding elements; b) advancing the distal end of the tissue ablation catheter to a site within the target vessel where tissue ablation is to be performed; c) advancing the three or more needle guiding elements supported by the support structure to expand outwardly against an interior wall of the target vessel; d) advancing the three or more injection needles through the three or more guiding elements and into the interior wall; and e) injecting an ablative fluid through the three or more injection needles into an adventitia of the target vessel creating three or more ablative fluid zones, wherein the ablative fluid travels laterally and the fluid zones intersect to form an ablation ring around the circumference of, and outside the interior surface of the vessel; and wherein the vessel is a renal artery; and wherein the ablative fluid is injected in a region that is 2 to 8 mm beyond the interior surface of the renal artery to accomplish renal denervation for the treatment of high blood pressure.