Patent ID: 6918906

Claim:
An endoscopic ablation system for electrosurgically treating bodily tissue of a patient, said endoscopic ablation system comprising: at least two electrodes, each of said electrodes having a perimeter P, and adjacent electrodes have adjacent parallel edges spaced apart by a distance d, wherein an ablation index I=P/d is between approximately 1 and 200; a viewing window positioned between adjacent electrodes; an ablation cap for creating space in the lumen of a bodily organ, wherein said at least two electrodes are positioned on said ablation cap, and said viewing window forms a portion of said ablation cap; a sheath, wherein said ablation end cap is hollow and mounted on the distal end of said sheath, wherein a distal end of a flexible endoscope may be inserted through said sheath and at least partially into said ablation end cap, and said sheath and said ablation end cap are rotatable with respect to said flexible endoscope; a seal located near the proximal end of said sheath, said seal adapted to allow passage therethrough of the distal end of the flexible endoscope, whereby said sheath and said ablation cap form an enclosure substantially sealed from the air external to the patient; and an RF generator electrically connected to said at least two electrodes, wherein an operator may actuate said RF generator and ablate tissue endoscopically viewable through said viewing window.