Patent ID: 7294126

Claim:
A device for sealing a blood vessel, comprising: a catheter having an elongate body positionable within a blood vessel, the elongate catheter body selectively collapsible to a reduced diameter configuration to facilitate movement of the catheter within a blood vessel; a pair of inflatable balloon members on the elongate body, the balloon members expandable into contact with an interior wall of the blood vessel; a bipolar electrode array on the elongate body between the balloons; at least one opening in the elongate body, between the balloons; a source of flushing fluid coupled to the opening; a vacuum source fluidly coupled to the opening, the vacuum source providing sufficient vacuum pressure to aspirate blood and flushing fluid out of the blood vessel through the opening; and a source of ablation energy electrically coupled to the electrode array such that energization of the electrode array causes ablation of blood vessel tissue in contact with the electrode array.