Importance

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Abstract

A catheter having expandable electrodes for applying energy to a vein for a minimally invasive treatment of venous insufficiency, and having expandable stent members for limiting vein shrinkage to a final desired vein diameter. The catheter includes a set of expandable arms that are pre-formed into an outwardly bowed configuration. An electrode is mounted on each arm. When uncovered by sliding a control sleeve proximally, the electrode arms expand outwardly into apposition with the vein wall for applying energy to the vein wall to heat and shrink the vein. The catheter further includes a set of expandable stent arms deployed to the final desired diameter of the vein. The electrode arms and the stent arms are decoupled so that each is separately controllable. In a method, the stent arms are expanded outward to the desired final diameter of the vein. The electrode arms are then expanded into apposition with the vein wall and energy is applied to shrink the vein into contact with the stent arms. The application of energy is ceased at that time.

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First Claim