Surgical microwave ablation assembly

Abstract

An ablation assembly capable of ablating tissues inside the cavity of an organ is disclosed. The ablation assembly generally includes an ablative energy source and an ablative energy delivery device coupled to the ablative energy source. The ablative energy delivery device is configured for delivering ablative energy sufficiently strong to cause tissue ablation. The ablative energy delivery device generally includes a penetration end adapted to penetrate through a wall of an organ and an angular component that is used to position the device inside the organ after the device has penetrated through the wall of the organ.

1 . A method for ablating an interior region of an organ or duct within a body of a patient comprising: 
 providing an introducer comprising a proximal end, a sharpened distal end, and at least one lumen which is sized and dimensioned for slidable receipt of at least a portion of an ablation device therethrough;    penetrating a wall of the organ or duct with the sharpened distal end of the introducer;    advancing at least an energy delivery portion of the ablation device within the at least one lumen of the introducer into the interior of the organ or duct;    positioning at least a portion of the energy delivery portion into at least close proximity with a tissue region within the interior of the organ or duct;    applying energy to the energy delivery portion to effect ablation of the tissue region.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said penetrating comprises forming an opening in a wall of the heart of a patient into an interior chamber thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the interior chamber is selected from a right atrium or a left atrium of the heart.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said ablation device comprises a steering mechanism associated with the proximal end of the device, sand wherein said positioning further comprises manipulating said steering mechanism to cause at least a portion of the energy delivery portion to assume an angular orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the device.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said angular orientation is between about 0 and 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the device.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said angular orientation is between about 45 and 135 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the device.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said energy delivery portion comprises an antenna which is configured to be electrically coupled to a source of microwave energy.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said energy delivery portion is preshaped to extend at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the ablation device.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said energy delivery portion extends at an angle of between about 0 and 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the ablation device.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said energy delivery portion extends at an angle of between about 45 and 135 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the ablation device.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said energy delivery portion includes a biasing element which is configured to bias the energy delivery portion into its preshaped angular orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the ablation device.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said biasing element comprises a nitinol wire.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said organ or duct comprises a beating heart.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said ablation device is a microwave probe.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said ablation device is a radiofrequency probe.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said ablation device is a laser probe.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said ablation device is a cryosurgical probe.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said energy delivery portion is configured to substantially make no contact with a tissue region to be ablated within the interior of the organ or duct.  
     
     
         19 . A method for ablating an interior region of an organ or duct within a body of a patient comprising: 
 providing an ablation device comprising a proximal end, a sharpened distal end, and an energy delivery portion located proximate to said distal end;    penetrating a wall of the organ or duct with the sharpened distal end of the ablation device;    advancing at least the energy delivery portion of the ablation device into the interior of the organ or duct;    positioning at least a portion of the energy delivery portion into at least close proximity with a tissue region within the interior of the organ or duct;    applying energy to the energy delivery portion to effect ablation of the tissue region.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said penetrating comprises forming an opening in a wall of the heart of a patient into an interior chamber thereof.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the interior chamber is selected from a right atrium or a left atrium of the heart.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said ablation device comprises a steering mechanism associated with the proximal end of the device, sand wherein said positioning further comprises manipulating said steering mechanism to cause at least a portion of the energy delivery portion to assume an angular orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the device.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said angular orientation is between about 0 and 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the device.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said angular orientation is between about 45 and 135 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the device.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said energy delivery portion comprises an antenna which is configured to be electrically coupled to a source of microwave energy.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said energy delivery portion is preshaped to extend at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the ablation device.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said energy delivery portion extends at an angle of between about 0 and 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the ablation device.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said energy delivery portion extends at an angle of between about 45 and 135 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the ablation device.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said energy delivery portion includes a biasing element which is configured to bias the energy delivery portion into its preshaped angular orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the ablation device.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said biasing element comprises a nitinol wire.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said organ or duct comprises a beating heart.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said ablation device is a microwave probe.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said ablation device is a radiofrequency probe.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said ablation device is a laser probe.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said ablation device is a cryosurgical probe.  
     
     
         36 - 99 . (canceled)