Patent ID: 7267674

Claim:
A method for treating atrial fibrillation of a patient, comprising: a. identifying a patient with atrial fibrillation susceptible to treatment by formation of a lesion in an atrial tissue; b. accessing said tissue; c. positioning a lesion formation tool against a surface of said tissue where said tool includes: i. an optical fiber for guiding a coherent waveform of a selected wavelength from a source to a fiber tip for discharge of light energy from said fiber tip in a direction of energy discharge; ii. said wavelength selected for said light energy to penetrate a thickness of a said atrial tissue to a form a volume of necrosed tissue through a thickness of said atrial tissue; iii. a guide member coupled to said fiber tip, said guide member having a discharge bore aligned with said fiber tip and said direction of energy discharge, said fiber tip recessed within said guide member and spaced from a discharge end of said discharge bore, said discharge bore defining an unobstructed light pathway from the fiber tip to said discharge end of said discharge bore; iv. said guide member further adapted to be placed against said tissue surface with said guide member slidable along said surface in atraumatic sliding engagement and with said end of said discharge bore opposing said surface; d. moving said guide member over said surface in a pathway while maintaining said guide tip in contact with said surface and with said discharge bore opposing said surface to form a transmural lesion in said atrial tissue extending a length of said pathway; and e. energizing said source during said moving with an application of energy selected to form said lesion without perforation of said atrial tissue through a thickness of said atrial tissue.