Patent ID: 7189231

Claim:
A method of making an elongated slit through a vessel wall and into a lumen of a body vessel, having a body vessel axis, of a patient comprising the steps of: obtaining access to a surface of the vessel wall; applying a ground electrode in contact with the body of the patient; applying an elongated electrosurgical cutting electrode to the surface of the vessel wall in substantially parallel alignment with the body vessel axis, the elongated electrosurgical cutting electrode having a predetermined cutting electrode length exceeding the cutting electrode width, wherein the step of applying a ground electrode further comprises introducing the ground electrode into the lumen of the body vessel in proximity with the elongated electrosurgical cutting electrode applied to an outer surface of the vessel wall; and applying RF energy between the electrosurgical cutting electrode and the ground electrode at an energy level and for a duration sufficient to cut an elongated slit through the vessel wall where the elongated electrosurgical cutting electrode is applied to the surface of the vessel wall.