Patent ID: 6849075

Claim:
A method for ablating epicardial tissue on a heart of a patient to treat a cardiac arrhythmia, the method comprising: contacting epicardial tissue with an ablation device having at least one tissue contacting member coupled with at least one ablation member; positioning the ablation device on the epicardial tissue in a position adjacent to at least one pulmonary vein for ablating the tissue to treat the arrhythmia; applying sufficient suction force through a plurality of suction apertures aligned on the at least one tissue contacting member to secure the contacting member to the tissue and to cause the at least one ablation member to directly contact the tissue; and applying ablation energy to at least a portion of the epicardial tissue with the at least one ablation member to disrupt one or more conduction pathways in the heart, wherein said ablation member is aligned through or between said aligned suction apertures.