Apparatus and method for ablating tissue

US8211096B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Benjamin D. Pless · Atherton, US
• Scott C. Anderson · Sunnyvale, US
• Jonathan L. Podmore · San Francisco, US
• Matthias Vaska · Palo Alto, US
• John E. Crowe · Palo Alto, US
• Roxanne L. Richman · Los Gatos, US
• Timothy E. Ciciarelli · San Jose, US
• David A. Gallup · Hayward, US
• Jack E. Ulstad, Jr. · Ramona, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 9, 2007
• Grant date: Jul 3, 2012
• Expiry date: May 1, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N2007/027
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A control system alters one or more characteristics of an ablating element to ablate tissue. In one aspect, the control system delivers energy nearer to the surface of the tissue by changing the frequency or power. In another aspect, the ablating element delivers focused ultrasound which is focused in at least one dimension. The ablating device may also have a number of ablating elements with different characteristics such as focal length. The invention provides an ablation apparatus and methods for ablating tissue wherein the ablation apparatus may have ablating elements that are moveable relative to the tissue to be ablated without the need to relocate the apparatus as a whole.