Patent ID: 6926714

Claim:
A method of catheter ablation and pulmonary vein isolation in the left atrium to treat atrial fibrillation, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a three-dimensional rendering of the left atrium and pulmonary veins utilizing cardiac image data; providing a catheter apparatus operable to ablate selected cardiac tissue upon contact therewith, the catheter apparatus comprising: a hollow catheter shaft having a main body extending along a central axis and a tip section joined to the main body, the catheter shaft being rotatable about the central axis and the tip section being movable above and below a base plane extending through a transition point between the main body and the tip section, the base plane being generally perpendicular to the central axis; an ablation catheter positioned in the catheter shaft, the ablation catheter having an electrode section selectively movable into and out of the tip section of the catheter shaft, the electrode section of the ablation catheter having a plurality of electrodes each operable to ablate a selected area of tissue in contact with the electrode; and a steering handle coupled to both the catheter shaft and the ablation catheter for controlling the rotation of the catheter shaft about the central axis, the movement of the catheter shaft about the base plane and the extension of the ablation catheter out of the catheter shaft; tracking the movement of the catheter apparatus on the three-dimensional rendering of the left atrium and pulmonary veins as the catheter is inserted into the heart until the catheter apparatus is in a desired location; extending the electrode section of the ablation catheter from the catheter shaft such that the electrode section is positioned in contact with the pulmonary vein to be ablated; and actuating the electrodes on the electrode section of the ablation catheter to ablate desired locations on the pulmonary vein.