Delivery system for delivering a medical device to a location within a patient's body

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are provided for deployment of one or more functional devices, such as therapeutic and / or diagnostic medical devices and / or positioning devices, at various locations relative to a defined operative path. The devices, systems, and methods can include a guide system and a positioning element. The guide system defines the operative path when deployed within a patient's body. The positioning element cooperates with the guide system to define one or more positions relative the defined operative path from which the one or more functional devices are deployed. The present inventions allow for the accurate and reliable placement of the one or more functional devices at the one or more positions relative the operative path. In one embodiment, the functional device is an ablation device adapted to ablate cardiac tissue for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 188,661 filed Feb. 24, 2014 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 027,215 filed Feb. 6, 2008 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,657,815 issued on Feb. 25, 2014, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 899,905 filed Feb. 6, 2007, the disclosures of all are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to delivery systems suitable for positioning various medical devices within a patient's body and, more specifically, to delivery systems designed to cooperate with certain therapeutic and diagnostic devices, or further positioning device, for positioning such devices within a patient's heart for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Very often there is a need to position a medical device, be it a diagnostic device,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The system reduces procedural time and costs by allowing for stable and accurate placement of devices along a defined path, minimizing the need for redeployment and reliance on costly imaging systems, thereby improving the efficiency of cardiac arrhythmia treatments.

Problems solved by technology

AF occurs when something imparts a change to the received electrical signal resulting in uncontrolled and uncoordinated beating of the atria, the atria receiving multiple signals which command the atrial chambers to beat in an uncoordinated manner.

While typically not fatal, the uncoordinated heart beat associated with AF results in blood pooling and clotting which, in turn, can lead to stroke.

Catheter ablation of the left atrial tissue to create a desired thermal lesion set can be problematic due to positioning constraints put on the user, primarily an electrophysiologist.

Such catheter systems, however, are highly problematic requiring a stable platform from which the ablating device can be accurately positioned at a desired location.

Known systems require tremendous amounts of time to create desired lesion sets due to positioning problems and the configuration of the ablating device itself, one which is directed to the creation of point ablations rather than linear lesions.

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