Patent ID: 7422586

Claim:
A tissue surface treatment apparatus, comprising: a housing having a proximal end and, a distal end including a tissue contacting surface having a plurality of apertures thereon, the housing defining an interior therein, wherein at least a portion of the tissue contacting surface is a conductive contact surface; an energy delivery device positionable in the housing interior, the energy delivery device including a plurality of energy delivery electrodes, each having a tissue penetrating distal end, the plurality of energy delivery electrodes configured to be advanced from the housing interior through the apertures and deployed into a target tissue site, the tissue contacting surface and the energy delivery electrodes being configured to define an ablation volume that is at least partly bounded by a tissue surface in contact with the tissue contacting surface of the housing; and an advancement device coupled to the energy delivery device, the advancement device being configured to selectively advance at least a portion of at least one of the energy delivery electrodes from the housing interior into the target tissue site and withdraw the at least one electrode into the housing interior.