SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OBTAINING DESIRED LESION CHARACTERISTICS WHILE ABLATING BODY TISSUE

摘要

This invention is systems and methods for ablating body tissue use, and electrode (16) for contacting tissue. The electrode (16) is coupled to a source of ablation energy (12) for transmitting ablation energy at a prescribed ablation power level into tissue to form, over a prescribed time period, a therapeutic result. The systems and methods include an element (50) to cool the electrode (16). An input element (100) inputs a desired result, and a processing element (98) retains a function correlating an observed relationship among lesion boundary depth, ablation power level, ablation time and temperature. The processing element (98) compares the desired result to the function and selects an operating condition based upon the comparison to achieve the desired result.