Patent ID: 8347891

Claim:
A method for non-continuous circumferential treatment of a renal blood vessel of a patient, the method comprising: positioning an energy delivery element at least proximate to a wall of the renal blood vessel; delivering energy from the energy delivery element to less than a full radial circumference of the renal blood vessel at a first lengthwise position relative to the renal blood vessel to form a first treatment zone, wherein the first treatment zone includes a first lesion; and delivering energy from the energy delivery element to less than a full radial circumference of the renal blood vessel at a second lengthwise position relative to the renal blood vessel to form at least a second treatment zone, wherein the second treatment zone includes a second lesion, and wherein the first lengthwise position and the second lengthwise position are spaced apart from one another along a lengthwise dimension of the renal blood vessel, and further wherein the first and second lesions do not overlap.