Systems and methods for treating tissue with radiofrequency energy

Abstract

A system for controlling operation of a radiofrequency treatment device to apply radiofrequency energy to tissue to heat tissue to create lesions without ablating the tissue. The system includes a first treatment device having at least one electrode for applying radiofrequency energy to tissue, a controller including a connector to which a first treatment device is coupled for use, and a generator for applying radiofrequency energy to the electrodes. The controller controls application of energy so that the tissue is thermally treated to create lesions but preventing thermal treatment beyond a threshold which would ablate the tissue.

1 . A system for controlling operation of a radiofrequency treatment device to apply radiofrequency energy to tissue to heat tissue to create tissue lesions without ablating the tissue, the system comprising:
 a first treatment device having at least one electrode for applying radiofrequency energy to tissue,   a controller including a connector to which the first treatment device is coupled for use, and   a generator for applying radiofrequency energy to the at least one electrode;   the controller further including an operation system to execute on a display screen a first graphical interface guiding use of the first treatment device, the controller visually prompting a user in a step-wise fashion to perform a process using the connected treatment device of forming a pattern of lesions in a body region in a plurality of axially spaced lesion levels, each lesion level including a plurality of circumferential spaced lesions, the controller controlling application of energy so that the tissue is thermally treated to create lesions but preventing thermal treatment beyond a threshold which would ablate the tissue.   
     
     
         2 - 25 . (canceled)