Patent ID: 7112198

Claim:
A radio-frequency heating balloon catheter comprising: a catheter tube including an outer tube and an inner tube extending slidably through said outer tube; an inflatable balloon that is connected to an extremity of said outer tube and a part near an extremity of said inner tube and that is capable of coming into contact with a target lesion when inflated; a radio-frequency electrode serving as a counter to a surface electrode to be attached to a surface of a patient's body, said radio-frequency electrode being placed in a wall of said balloon or inside said balloon to supply radio-frequency power between said surface electrode and said radio-frequency electrode; a temperature sensor capable of sensing temperature inside said balloon; a guide shaft projecting from the extremity of said inner tube, said guide shaft being capable of holding said balloon on a target lesion; and a guide wire extending through said catheter tube and said guide shaft; wherein said guide shaft has a length such that a side surface of said guide shaft is able to contact an inner surface of a wall of a vein when said inflated balloon is in contact with a target lesion.