Patent ID: 8480664

Claim:
A method of performing cryotherapy on a patient, the method comprising: positioning an outer surface of a distal portion of a cryotherapy catheter in contact with body tissue to be treated; performing a treatment phase comprising regulating a temperature of the outer surface at a treatment value for a first period of time, the first period of time selected to allow a cold front having a cold front temperature to propagate from the outer surface and through a therapeutic portion of a thickness of the body tissue, but not substantially beyond the thickness; monitoring the progress of the cold front, and when the cold front has reached a desired distance from the outer surface of the cryotherapy catheter, then performing a recovery phase comprising allowing the temperature of the outer surface to warm up to a recovery value that is higher than the cold front temperature but substantially lower than a normal body temperature of the patient, wherein the recovery phase is performed until the cold front moves back through the body tissue to, or near, the outer surface of the cryotherapy catheter; and performing an additional treatment phase for a second period of time, the second period of time selected to allow the cold front to propagate from the outer surface and through the therapeutic portion of the thickness, but not substantially beyond the thickness, wherein the performing the additional treatment phase includes monitoring the progress of the cold front, and stopping the additional treatment phase when the cold front reaches a desired distance from the outer surface of the cryotherapy catheter.