Patent ID: 8401667
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61N

Abstract:
1. A method for heating a body tissue region adjacent a body lumen, the region having both a first tissue type and a second tissue type, the method comprising: positioning an energy delivery portion of a catheter within the lumen adjacent the body tissue region to be heated, wherein the energy delivery portion comprises a radially expandable structure having a plurality of electrodes thereon; expanding the radially expandable structure within the body lumen so as to radially engage the body lumen with the plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes engaged against the body lumen complete a plurality of circuits, wherein at least some of the circuits include a first tissue type and a second tissue type while other circuits include a first tissue type without the second tissue type; determining a pulse characteristic in response to a thermal property of the first tissue type; applying pulsed electrical energy with the pulse characteristic from the energy delivery portion through the plurality of circuits without identifying which of the plurality of circuits include the second tissue type so as to heat both the first and second tissue type by thermal conduction, thereby therapeutically treating the second tissue type within the body tissue region by drawing heat from the first tissue type at a rate that avoids significant thermal damage to the first tissue type while building-up heat in the second tissue type; and controlling the pulse characteristic in response to differing values of the thermal property of the first tissue type during application of pulsed electrical energy.