Patent ID: 8048066

Claim:
A cryosurgical method for inducing controlled necrosis at a target site within the heart, comprising the steps of: providing a cryotreatment device having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and at least one lumen therein providing a cooling fluid path, the distal portion of said cryotreatment device including at least one ablation tip configured to contact and ablate tissue; advancing the cryotreatment device to the target site and inserting said at least one ablation tip into the tissue; controlling the transmural depth of said at least one ablation tip into the tissue by providing an ablation tip depth controller positioned a defined distance from said at least one ablation tip and monitoring the penetration depth of said at least one ablation tip into the tissue; and injecting a cryogenic fluid through said at least one lumen to the distal portion of the cryotreatment device, wherein the step of inserting said at least one ablation tip into the tissue is accomplished by inserting a first one of a plurality of ablation tips into the tissue to a controlled depth and anchoring the first one of the plurality of ablation tips by freezing to the tissue, and then successively so inserting and anchoring a second one of the plurality of ablation tips.