Patent ID: 8109926

Claim:
A method of delivering an electric field to a target tissue, comprising: advancing an ablation probe comprising a delivery member into a tissue of a patient, the delivery member having a long axis; deploying a plurality of electrodes at least partially around a current flow center to substantially define a treatment volume, wherein defining the treatment volume comprises: (i) deploying a guide microtube from a sidewall opening of the delivery member that penetrates into tissue along a guide tissue penetration path, the guide path curving in a first direction, wherein curving of the guide in the first direction directs advancement of the guide distally and away from the delivery member long axis, the guide microtube comprising a resilient, shape memory material configured to direct microtube advancement along the guide tissue penetration path; (ii) deploying an electrode from the guide microtube along an electrode tissue penetration path, the electrode path curving in a second direction, wherein curving of the electrode in the second direction directs advancement of the electrode distally, and parallel to or toward the delivery member long axis; and establishing current flow extending within the target tissue in a plurality of different directions through the treatment volume using the deployed electrode.