Methods and apparatus for non-invasively treating atrial fibrillation using high intensity focused ultrasound

摘要

Methods and apparatus are provided that enable a physician to image tissue within the body that is to be ablated, and then to ablate that tissue using a device having an ultrasound imaging system and an aligned high intensity focused ultrasound system.

主权项

1. A method of non-invasively treating atrial fibrillation in a heart of a patient, the method comprising:
providing a housing having an ultrasound imaging system and a high intensity focused ultrasound system disposed in alignment with the ultrasound imaging system; inserting the housing into a body lumen of the patient with the housing located at a treatment location spaced from a target site on a posterior wall of the heart at which a lesion is to be formed to interrupt electrical conduction in the posterior wall so as to treat atrial fibrillation, wherein said inserting the housing into the body lumen includes inserting the housing into the patient's esophagus so that the treatment location is in the esophagus; operating the ultrasound imaging system to generate an image of a portion of the heart containing the target site; and while the housing is located at the treatment location, operating the high intensity focused ultrasound system, guided by the image, to ablate cardiac tissue at the target site so as to interrupt electrical-conduction pathways on the posterior wall of the heart, while patient tissue intervening between the housing and the cardiac tissue is not ablated.