Patent ID: 8137342

Claim:
A tissue ablation system for treating atrial arrhythmia by ablating a circumferential region of tissue at a location where a pulmonary vein (PV) extends from an atrium of a heart of a subject, said system comprising: a guide catheter comprising a shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion; a guide wire disposed in said guide catheter shaft having a proximal portion, distal portion and distal tip, said guide wire adapted to travel through said guide catheter to be inserted into the atrium; an interface member disposed on said guide wire; a first balloon disposed on said guidewire distally beyond said interface member; said first balloon adapted to center or align said guide wire in the pulmonary vein (PV) and/or its pulmonary vein ostium (PVO) so that the interface member is coaxially aligned with the pulmonary vein ostium (PVO) to provide optimal coaxial alignment with the pulmonary vein ostium (PVO); an actuator element disposed on said interface member; and said interface member to be positioned to center and/or align said guide wire, said interface member and/or actuator element in the pulmonary vein (PV) and/or it's pulmonary vein ostium (PVO) so that the interface member and/or actuator element is coaxially aligned with the pulmonary vein ostium (PVO) to provide optimal coaxial alignment with the pulmonary vein ostium (PVO).