Patent ID: 8394037

Claim:
A system for characterizing a patient uterus, comprising: a probe having a distal end; an expandable member at the distal end of the probe, the expandable member having an expansible-collapsible frame which supports a fluid-tight wall and being adapted to occupy a uterine cavity when expanded; a source of a pressurized flow of a fluid; an integrity test lumen located in the probe, connected to the source, and configured to deliver the fluid from the source to a region surrounding an exterior of the fluid-tight wall of the expandable member when the expansible-collapsible frame is expanded in the uterine cavity of a patient; a flow sensor for measuring a flow rate of the fluid from the lumen into the region surrounding the fluid-tight wall of the expandable member when expanded in the uterine cavity; and a controller operatively coupled to the flow sensor and to the source of the pressurized fluid flow, said controller being configured to (1) initiate a flow of fluid from the fluid source through the lumen into the uterus to the region surrounding the exterior of the fluid-tight wall of the expandable member after the expandable-collapsible frame has been expanded to cause the expandable member to occupy the uterine cavity and before neutral gas is delivered to an interior of the expandable member to enable ablation, and (2) measure the flow rate of the flow of fluid into the uterus region surrounding the exterior of the fluid-tight wall of the expandable member using the flow sensor, and (3) determine if the measured flow rate of the fluid flow into the region drops below a predetermined minimum threshold rate within a predetermined period of lime in the range from 1 second to 60 seconds, wherein the controller generates a signal indicating that the uterus is perforated if the flow rate fails to fall below said predetermined minimum threshold rate within said predetermined time period.