Delivery system for delivering a medical device to a location within a patient's body

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are provided for deployment of one or more functional devices, such as therapeutic and/or diagnostic medical devices and/or positioning devices, at various locations relative to a defined operative path. The devices, systems, and methods can include a guide system and a positioning element. The guide system defines the operative path when deployed within a patient's body. The positioning element cooperates with the guide system to define one or more positions relative the defined operative path from which the one or more functional devices are deployed. The present inventions allow for the accurate and reliable placement of the one or more functional devices at the one or more positions relative the operative path. In one embodiment, the functional device is an ablation device adapted to ablate cardiac tissue for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of delivering energy to a bodily region comprising:
 inserting a rail member adjacent to the bodily region;   advancing the rail member adjacent to the bodily region to form a loop profile with the rail member;   stabilizing the rail member by expanding the loop profile against the bodily region;   sliding a sheath body of a device over the loop profile, wherein the device comprises an energy emitting portion with a planar loop section that is offset from the rail member and is not directly connected to the rail member such that the energy emitting portion can be moved relative to the rail member and relative to the sheath body without moving the sheath body on loop profile; and   delivering electromagnetic energy confined to an outer boundary of the loop profile using the energy emitting distal portion of the device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising repositioning the device through one or more of: rotating the device, translating the device over the rail member, and bending or deflecting a region of the device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising sliding the device over the rail member, such that the energy emitting portion can slidably advance along the rail member and move away from the rail member without moving the rail member. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the device comprises one or more electrodes and wherein the one or more electrodes are used for performing an electrophysiological mapping or pacing procedure. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the electrophysiological mapping or pacing procedure is performed before, during, or after delivering energy to the bodily region. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the electrophysiological mapping or pacing procedure is performed without repositioning the device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the electrophysiological mapping or pacing procedure is performed to determine cardiac activity after creation of a first lesion. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises creating a second lesion that is continuous with a first lesion. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second lesion is created after an electrophysiological mapping procedure demonstrates lack of electrophysiological activity. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein bodily region is a cardiac region and the method is used to treat a cardiac arrhythmia. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the rail member extends from a left inferior pulmonary vein to a right inferior pulmonary vein. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein bodily region comprises cardiac tissue in a left atrium and the rail member extends from a superior to an inferior pulmonary vein. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein bodily region comprises cardiac tissue in a left atrium and the rail member extends from a left inferior pulmonary vein or a right inferior pulmonary vein to a mitral valve. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein bodily region comprises cardiac tissue in a left atrium and the rail member extends within a pulmonary groove or in a posterior wall of the left atrium. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the rail member is open ended and further comprises an anchoring mechanism and the method further comprises deploying the anchoring mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the rail member is stabilized by creation of a loop inside an organ. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a distal region of the rail member is looped back into the device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein delivering energy to tissue is used for creating one or more of: a thermal lesion extending from a pulmonary vein to a mitral valve, a thermal lesion extending from a left to a right pulmonary vein, and a thermal lesion extending from an inferior to a superior pulmonary vein. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a thermal lesion is created without repositioning the rail member. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein delivering energy to tissue is used for creating mirroring ablations on opposing tissue surfaces of an operative path defined by the rail member and without repositioning the rail member.