Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Guided ablation instruments are disclosed for creating lesions in tissue, especially cardiac tissue for treatment of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation. In one aspect of the invention, a percutaneous catheter is disclosed with an endoscope positionable in the instrument's distal end region to obtain an image. The image allows the clinician to determine whether contact has been achieved (or blood has been cleared from an ablative energy transmission path) before ablation begins or while ablation is occurring. In one embodiment, percutaneous ablation catheters are disclosed having at least one central lumen and one or more balloon structures at the distal end region of the instrument. Also disposed in the distal end region are an illuminating light source and an endoscope capable of collecting sufficient light to relay an image to the user. The instruments can further include an ablation element.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim