Abstract: Devices for insertion into an atrial appendage of stasis reducing components such as mesh members, chemical bonding agents or expandable anchors are disclosed.

Abstract: Devices for insertion into an atrial appendage of stasis reducing components such as mesh members, chemical bonding agents or expandable anchors are disclosed.

Abstract: Devices for insertion into an atrial appendage of stasis reducing components such as mesh members, chemical bonding agents or expandable anchors are disclosed.

Abstract: Devices for insertion into an atrial appendage of stasis reducing components such as mesh members, chemical bonding agents or expandable anchors are disclosed.

Abstract: An electrode support structure comprises a guide body having at its distal end a flexible spline leg. The spline leg is flexed to define an arcuate shape to facilitate intimate contact against tissue. An electrode element is carried by the spline leg for movement along its axis. The structure includes a control element coupled to the electrode element. The control element remotely imparts force to move the electrode element along the axis of the spline leg. Therefore, in use, the physician can cause the electrode element to travel along a path that the spline leg defines, without otherwise changing the location of the guide body.

Abstract: Devices for insertion into an atrial appendage of stasis reducing components such as mesh members, chemical bonding agents or expandable anchors are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and associated methods position arrays of multiple emitters of ablating energy in straight or curvilinear positions in contact with tissue to form elongated lesion patterns. The elongated lesion patterns can continuous or interrupted, depending upon the orientation of the energy emitters.

Abstract: Devices for insertion into an atrial appendage of stasis reducing components such as mesh members, chemical bonding agents or expandable anchors are disclosed.

Abstract: Devices for insertion into an atrial appendage of stasis reducing components such as mesh members, chemical bonding agents or expandable anchors are disclosed.

Abstract: Devices for insertion into an atrial appendage of stasis reducing components such as mesh members, chemical bonding agents or expandable anchors are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods supply ablation energy to an electrode in contact with tissue to form a tissue-electrode interface. The system and methods sense, simultaneously with ablation, at least two tissue temperature conditions using at least two tissue temperature sensing elements which are held within a carrier that is substantially isolated from thermal conductive contact with the electrode. The carrier holds the tissue temperature sensing elements in a spaced apart relationship in thermal conductive contact with tissue at different depths beneath the tissue-electrode interface. The systems and methods control the supply of ablation energy to the electrode based, at least in part, upon temperatures sensed by the tissue temperature sensing elements.

Abstract: Systems and associated methods for ablating body tissue employ an electrode for contacting tissue to form a tissue-electrode interface. The electrode is adapted to be connected to a source of ablation energy to conduct ablation energy for transmission by the electrode into tissue at the tissue-electrode interface. The systems and methods also include an element to cool the electrode. The systems and methods hold a tissue temperature sensing element in a carrier in thermal conductive contact with tissue beneath the tissue-electrode interface. The systems and methods include a controller that is coupled to the tissue temperature sensing element to control either the supply of ablation energy, or the rate at which the electrode is cooled, or both based, at least in part, upon temperature sensed by the temperature sensing element.

Abstract: Systems and methods for ablating body tissue use an ablation element for contacting tissue to form a tissue interface. The ablation element is adapted to be connected to a source of ablation energy to conduct ablation energy for transmission by the ablation element into tissue at the tissue interface. The systems and methods include a tissue temperature sensing element held in a carrier in thermal conductive contact with tissue beneath the tissue interface. A mechanism attached to the carrier selectively advances the carrier relative to the ablation element to different depths beneath the tissue interface. A controller is coupled to the mechanism and to the tissue temperature sensing element to control advancement of the carrier beneath the tissue interface based, at least in part, upon tissue temperatures sensed by the sensing element beneath the tissue interface. Preferably, the controller controls the mechanism to locate the sensing element at the depth where the hottest sensed tissue temperature exists.

Abstract: A sleeve assembly for use in the transition region of a catheter between a relatively stiff catheter body and a less stiff distal catheter region mediates the difference in stiffness between these two catheter regions.

Abstract: An ablation catheter having self assembling large surface area distal component provided with one or more energy emitting surfaces for thermally destroying tissue. The distal component is oriented to present a compact, low profile for introduction into the heart, and after introduction is reconfigured to present a large surface area distal ablation tip assembly. The distal tip component is subsequently returned to the low profile configuration for removal from the heart. Once introduced, the energy emitting surfaces are thus carried by a distal component having significantly enlarged surface area. The enlargable distal component is produced using a plurality of pivoting sections capable of alignment into a compact profile for introduction into and removal from a living body. When reconfigured by pivoting of the sections into contact with each other, the distal component has an significantly enlarged dimension.

Abstract: A device for ablating tissue within the body has an element with an energy emitting region helically wound about and along the axis of the element. The element emits energy to create a lesion in body tissue. A sheath of a non-energy emitting material is movable over the region to adjust the impedance of the region.

Abstract: Systems and methods reduce the effective volume of an atrial appendage by deploying first and second devices into the atrium. The first device carries a first element to affect positioning of the tissue surface in a repositioned orientation. The second device carries a second element to affix the tissue surface in the repositioned orientation affected by the first device. In one embodiment, the first device carries a loop structure having a perimeter. The second device is deployed within the perimeter of said loop structure. The systems and methods attach the second device to an interior surface of an atrial appendage, and pull the atrial appendage through said loop structure to cause inversion thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for ablating body tissue has an electrode for contacting tissue to transmit ablation energy. A tissue temperature sensing element is held in a thermally conducting carrier on the electrode. The carrier holds the tissue temperature sensing element in thermal conductive contact with tissue, while keeping the temperature sensing element in isolation from thermal conductive contact with the electrode. The carrier has prescribed thermal conductive characteristics that significantly improve the sensitivity of the temperature sensing element to tissue temperature and not the temperature of the electrode.

Abstract: A flexible electrode support is bent to define an arcuate shape that extends beyond the distal end of an associated guide body. At least one of the ends of the support is free of attachment to the distal end. By moving the free end, a user can push upon or pull against the structure to alter its arcuate shape to assure intimate contact with tissue.

Abstract: Systems and methods for ablating body tissue use an electrode for contacting tissue to form a tissue-electrode interface. The electrode is adapted to be connected to a source of ablation energy to conduct ablation energy for transmission by the electrode into tissue at the tissue-electrode interface. The electrode is preferably cooled. The systems and methods include multiple temperature sensing elements. One element senses tissue temperature. A second element senses electrode temperature. A third element senses the rate at which the electrode is cooled. The systems and methods control the supply of ablation energy to the electrode based, at least in part, upon the multiple temperatures sensed by the different temperature sensing elements.