Renal nerve ablation using conductive fluid jet and RF energy

摘要

An ablation catheter is dimensioned for advancement through a vessel of the body. The catheter includes a lumen configured to receive a pressurized electrically conductive fluid. A nozzle is fluidly coupled to the distal end of the pressurizable lumen and configured to direct a jet of the pressurized conductive fluid at a wall of a target vessel, such as a renal artery, to create or expand a hole through the target vessel and to fill the hole and at least some of the space adjacent to the hole with the conductive fluid. An electrical conductor extends at least partially along the catheter and terminates proximate or at the distal end of the pressurizable lumen. The electrical conductor is configured to conduct radiofrequency energy to the conductive fluid sufficient to ablate target tissue, such as perivascular renal nerve tissue, proximate the hole.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a catheter comprising a flexible shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, a length, and a lumen arrangement extending between the proximal and distal ends, the length of the shaft sufficient to access a patient's renal artery relative to a percutaneous access location; a pressurizable lumen of the lumen arrangement configured to receive a pressurized conductive fluid; a nozzle fluidly coupled to a distal end of the pressurizable lumen, the nozzle configured to direct a jet of the pressurized conductive fluid at a wall of the renal artery to create or expand a hole through the artery wall and to fill the hole and at least some of perivascular space adjacent to the hole with the conductive fluid; and at least one electrical conductor extending at least partially along the shaft and terminating proximate or at the distal end of the pressurizable lumen, the at least one electrical conductor configured to conduct radio frequency energy to the conductive fluid sufficient to ablate perivascular renal nerve tissue in contact with the conductive fluid; wherein the pressurizable lumen comprises electrically conductive material that extends between the distal and proximal ends of the shaft.