Patent ID: 7811313

Claim:
An apparatus for treatment of tissue within a body requiring thermotherapy, said apparatus comprising: a) a catheter to be inserted into a bodily conduit, the catheter defines a central lumen and at least one lumen circumferentially surrounding the central lumen; b) an energy-emitting source disposed within the central lumen of said catheter; c) a compression balloon surrounding the energy-emitting source within said catheter and having an inflated diameter that is greater than that of the bodily conduit in a relaxed state, the compression balloon including a proximal portion and a distal portion, the catheter including a plurality of inlet ports located near the proximal portion of the compression balloon and in fluid communication with the at least one lumen circumferentially surrounding the central lumen and a plurality of outlet ports spaced distally apart from the plurality of inlet ports and in fluid communication with the central lumen, the plurality of inlet ports and the plurality of outlet ports allowing fluid communication between the catheter and the compression balloon such that a circulating fluid can flow into the compression balloon via the plurality of inlet ports and out of the compression balloon and into the central lumen of the catheter via the plurality of outlet ports; d) anchoring means for positioning said energy-emitting source and said compression balloon adjacent the tissue to be treated; e) means for activating the energy-emitting source to radiate energy and to heat the tissue to be treated to greater than about 43° C.; f) means for circulating fluid at a temperature in the range of approximately 30° C. to approximately 60° C. into the compression balloon surrounding the catheter to inflate the compression balloon to a sufficient pressure thereby maintaining the temperature of the bodily conduit and expanding the bodily conduit while the energy source is controlled to heat the tissue; g) means for terminating the radiation of energy from the energy-emitting source upon completion of the time period to destroy diseased tissue; and h) means for maintaining the pressure of the compression balloon during and after thermotherapy.