Methods and apparatus for tissue cryotherapy

Abstract

A method for performing cryotherapy on a target tissue region in a body includes positioning a first cooling element in a first location in a body adjacent a target tissue region, positioning a second cooling element in a second location in the body adjacent the target tissue region, and cooling the respective first and second cooling elements so as to cool the target tissue region.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to therapeutic cooling of body tissue, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for deploying a plurality of cooling elements to at least partially surround and cool, e.g., to ablate by cryoplasty, a selected tissue region. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A number of medical conditions may be treated using ablative techniques or devices. Ablative therapy generally involves the killing of abnormal tissue at an area of interest, thereby resulting in an efficacious treatment for a medical condition. For example, atrial fibrillation may be treatable by ablation of the abnormal tissue within the left atrium and / or the pulmonary vein. [0003] Atrial fibrillation is a serious medical condition that is the result of abnormal electrical activity within the heart. This abnormal activity may occur at regions of the heart including the sino-atrial (SA) node, the atriovenricular (AV) node, or within other areas of car...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a method and apparatus for performing cryotherapy on a target tissue region in a body. The method involves positioning a first cooling element in a first location in the body and a second cooling element in a second location in the body, and cooling the first and second cooling elements to cool the target tissue region. The apparatus includes a first cooling element and a second cooling element, each with a locatable portion, and a coolant source. The first and second cooling elements can be controlled independently of each other. The technical effects of the invention include improved precision and control during cryotherapy procedures, as well as reduced risk of complications and improved safety.

Problems solved by technology

Moreover, atrial fibrillation may be caused by abnormal activity within one or more isolated focal centers within the heart.

The use of RF energy for ablation may, however, lead to untoward healing responses such as collagen build up at the area of interest after treatment.

In some cases, RF ablation may create lesions that cause occlusion of the coronary sinus in post procedure healing.

However, creating lesions in a heart using cryotherapy poses a challenge in that it may be difficult to deliver sufficient cooling to create a transmural (i.e., a through thickness) lesion.

In addition, blood delivered to and from the heart constantly provides heat to a target site at the heart, thereby counteracting against the cooling being delivered by the cryotherapy, and limiting the amount of cooling that can be delivered to the target site.

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