System and method for forming a non-ablative cardiac conduction block

Abstract

A system forms a cardiac conduction block at a location in a heart of a patient without substantially ablating cardiac tissue. The system includes a delivery system coupled to a source of material that is substantially non-ablative with respect to cardiac tissue. The delivery system delivers the material to the location, and the material at the location forms a conduction block without ablating the cardiac cells there. The material may include living cells, such as for example skeletal myocytes, and/or may include a non-living matter such as biopolymers such as a fibrin glue agent, or collagen agents. An expandable member with needle assembly is used to deliver the material so as to form a non-ablative circumferential conduction block at a location where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium.

1 . A system for treating a cardiac arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, comprising: 
 a delivery system; and    a source of material coupled to the delivery system;    wherein the delivery system is adapted to deliver a volume of the material from the source to a location associated with the patient's heart that includes cardiac cells;    wherein the material is substantially non-ablative with respect to cardiac cells; and    wherein the material is adapted to form a substantially non-ablative conduction block at the location; and    wherein the material comprises a collagen agent.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the material further comprises living cells.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the living cells comprise myocytes.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the material further comprises a non-living material.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the material further comprises a polymer agent.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the polymer agent comprises a fibrin glue agent.  
   
   
       7 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the material is adapted to be delivered into extracellular matrix between cardiac cells at the location.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the material is adapted to interfere with gap-junctions between cardiac cells at the location.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the delivery system is adapted to deliver the material to the location along a ventricle wall of a ventricle in the patient's heart.    
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the delivery system is adapted to deliver the material to the location along an atrial wall of an atrium in the patient's heart.    
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the delivery system is adapted to deliver the material to the location where a pulmonary vein extends from an atrium in the patient's heart.    
   
   
       15 - 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises: 
 a first material that comprises living cells; and    a second material that is non-living and that is adapted to enhance formation of the conduction block.    
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the second material comprises a polymer agent.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the polymer agent comprises a fibrin glue agent.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the second material is adapted to enhance retention of the living cells at the location.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the second material is adapted to intervene at gap-junctions between adjacent cells at the location.  
   
   
       25 . (canceled)  
   
   
       26 . A method for treating a cardiac arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, comprising: 
 providing a material that comprises a collagen agent; and    forming a conduction block at a location associated with the patient's heart that includes cardiac cells by delivering the material to the location and without substantially ablating cardiac cells, wherein the material being delivered to the region comprises a non-living material.    
   
   
       27 - 34 . (canceled)  
   
   
       35 . A system for treating a cardiac arrhythmia in a heart of a patient, comprising: 
 a delivery system; and    an injectable collagen agent coupled to the delivery system;    wherein the delivery system is adapted to deliver the injectable collagen agent to a location associated with the patient's heart that includes cardiac cells; and    wherein the delivery system is not coupled to a source of living cells.    
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the delivery system is adapted to provide intracardiac delivery of the injectable collagen agent to the location via at least one of the cardiac chambers.  
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the injectable collagen agent comprises collagen.  
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the injectable collagen agent comprises: 
 at least one precursor material; and    wherein the at least one precursor material when delivered to the location is adapted to form collagen.    
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the delivery system is adapted to mix the collagen agent with another agent before delivering the collagen agent to the location.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the delivery system is adapted to deliver the collagen agent to the location and another agent to the location separately such that they mix at the location.  
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the delivery system comprises at least one needle.  
   
   
       42 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the delivery system comprises: 
 a catheter having an elongate body with a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and at least one lumen extending between a proximal port located along the proximal end portion and a distal port located along the distal end portion; and    wherein the proximal port is adapted to couple to a source that contains at least a part of the injectable collagen agent.    
   
   
       43 . (canceled)  
   
   
       44 . A method for treating a medical condition associated with a heart of a patient, comprising: 
 injecting an injectable material that comprises a collagen agent into a region of cardiac tissue within the heart of the patient in a manner such that the injected collagen agent provides a primary therapeutic effect to the heart.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising: 
 injecting the injectable collagen agent into the region of cardiac tissue without delivering living cells into the region.    
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the injectable collagen agent being delivered into the region comprises collagen.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising: 
 forming a polymerized fibrin glue in-vivo by mixing a first precursor material and a second precursor material within the patient's body.    
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising: 
 injecting the injectable collagen agent into the location from within a cardiac chamber of the patient's heart.    
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising: 
 injecting the injectable collagen agent along a predetermined pattern at the location that is adapted to provide the primary therapeutic effect to the heart with the injected collagen agent.