Patent ID: 7963288

Claim:
A method of performing an intra-cardiac procedure using a robotic system, the system including a master input device, an instrument driver in communication with the master input device, and an elongate flexible instrument having a proximal portion operatively coupled to the instrument driver, the method comprising: inserting the instrument into a blood vessel accessing a patient's heart; manipulating the master input device to generate one or more control signals communicated to the instrument driver to thereby cause the instrument driver to maneuver a distal end portion of the instrument into an interior region of the heart; contacting a tissue surface or structure in the patient's heart with an energy transmitting element coupled to the distal end portion of the instrument; delivering energy through the energy transmitting element to thereby heat collagenous tissue in the respective tissue surface or structure to a temperature sufficient to cause denaturation; and introducing a biocompatible fixative into the denatured collagenous tissue, wherein the energy and fixative are both delivered using a needle electrode.