Patent ID: 8607800

Claim:
A method for ablating tissue, said method comprising: providing an elongate flexible shaft having an ultrasound transducer coupled to a distal portion thereof: positioning the ultrasound transducer adjacent target tissue; ablating the target tissue with a beam of energy from the ultrasound transducer thereby forming a lesion in the target tissue, wherein the lesion is formed without contact between the ultrasound transducer and the target tissue; and sensing a distance between the ultrasound transducer and the target tissue with a sensor, wherein the sensor and the ultrasound transducer are the same ultrasound transducer; moving the distal portion of the elongate flexible shaft and the ultrasound transducer thereby forming a continuous lesion in the target tissue, wherein the ablating is performed while the ultrasound transducer and the distal portion of the elongate flexible shaft are moving; and controlling the movement of the ultrasound transducer or controlling the beam of energy based on the sensed distance between the ultrasound transducer and the target tissue.