Patent ID: 8548600

Claim:
An apparatus for renal neuromodulation, the apparatus comprising: an electric field generator configured to deliver non-pulsed thermal RF energy to renal nerves that modulate renal neural activity of a human patient; a catheter having a distal portion configured for percutaneous placement within a renal blood vessel of the patient; an expandable balloon at the distal portion of the catheter, wherein the expandable balloon is selectively transformable between a low-profile, delivery configuration and a deployed configuration sized to fit within the renal blood vessel, and wherein the expandable balloon comprises a weeping balloon for infusion of a selected agent therefrom; and a helical conductor electrically connectable to the electric field generator and arranged about the expandable balloon such that, when the balloon is in the deployed configuration, the helical conductor is configured to deliver the thermal RF energy through an inner wall of the renal blood vessel to neural fibers that innervate a kidney of the patient to reduce renal sympathetic nerve activity.