Abstract: An intraluminal catheter with an elongated tubular shaft with proximal, intermediate, and distal shaft sections for positioning a therapeutic or diagnostic device within a patient's body region such as a heart chamber. The intermediate shaft section has greater flexibility than the proximal or distal shaft sections, and is preferably of sufficient flexibility to easily assume the curvature of the patient's aortic arch, and reduce the force of contact between the catheter distal end and tissue defining the patient's body region to thereby reduce restriction on the rotation of the catheter. The flexible intermediate shaft section is preferably of a length to occupy a significant portion of the aortic arch, and the catheter overall length is preferably sufficient to have a catheter proximal extremity extending out of the patient and a distal extremity extending at least into an aortic passageway adjacent the patient's left ventricle.

Abstract: A delivery catheter system for delivering a substance delivery member into a patient's left ventricle which includes a first delivery catheter with a shaped distal extremity configured to be aligned with or parallel to a longitudinal axis or long dimension of the patient's left ventricle and a second delivery catheter slidably and rotatably disposed within an inner lumen of the first delivery catheter which has a shaped distal shaft section and an inner lumen configured to slidably receive a substance delivery member such as an elongated cannula slidably disposed within a polymer sheath. The shaped distal section of the first delivery catheter is shaped or is shapeable within the patient's heart chamber.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a system and method for revascularization of a patient's heart tissue by at least one burst of RF energy over an interval of about 1 to about 500 msec, preferably about 30 to about 130 msec. The device preferably has an elongated insulated, electrical conducting shaft with an uninsulated distal tip which is configured to emit RF energy. A method is described for myocardial revascularization of a human heart in which an elongated flexible device is used which includes a radiofrequency ablation device. In some embodiments, the device is configured to be introduced percutaneously, on other embodiments, the device is configured to be introduced intraoperatively. The RF energy emitter is advanced to a position adjacent a desired area of the heart wall. The device is activated, moving tissue to form a revascularization channel.