Apparatus for ablating turbinates

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for ablating at least a portion of a nasal concha. By ablating at least a portion of a nasal concha, the size of the nasal concha is reduced. The three nasal concha in the body (inferior, middle and superior nasal concha) form at least a portion of the three nasal meatus (inferior, middle and superior nasal meatus) in the body. By reducing the size of a nasal concha, obstruction of a nasal meatus is reduced or eliminated. As a result, air flow through the nasal meatus is improved. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a catheter having a distal portion with a dimension configured for positioning the catheter distal portion through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus at a surface of a nasal concha, an expandable member positioned adjacent the catheter distal portion, an energy delivery device for delivering ablative energy positioned adjacent the catheter distal portion, and a lumen coupled to the catheter for delivering a medium into the expandable member to expand the expandable member.

1 . An apparatus for ablating at least a portion of a nasal concha comprising: 
 a catheter having a distal portion with a dimension configured for positioning the catheter distal portion through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus adjacent a surface of a nasal concha;    an expandable member positioned at the catheter distal portion;    an energy delivery device coupleable to an energy source and positioned at the catheter distal portion for delivering ablative energy to the surface of the nasal concha; and    a lumen coupled with the catheter and configured to deliver a medium into the expandable member to expand the expandable member.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the expandable member when expanded conforms to the surface of the nasal concha.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the energy delivery device is positioned within the expandable member.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the energy delivery device is positioned on a surface of the expandable member.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the energy delivery device includes one or more ring electrodes.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein the one or more ring electrodes are disposed in parallel with their axes aligned with a long axis of the catheter.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the expandable member is permeable to an electrolytic solution.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the expandable member includes a sheath substantially surrounding the lumen having apertures through which the medium can pass from the lumen into the expandable member.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the apparatus further includes an insulator for preventing the delivery of ablative energy through at least a portion of the expandable member.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the insulator is an insulative covering positioned over a portion of a surface of the expandable member.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the expandable member is an expandable porous membrane.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11  wherein the expandable porous membrane conforms to a surface of the nasal concha when expanded.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11  wherein the energy delivery device is positioned within the expandable porous membrane.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 11  wherein the energy delivery device is positioned on a surface of the expandable porous membrane.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 11  wherein the apparatus further includes an insulator for preventing the delivery of ablative energy through at least a portion of the expandable member.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein the insulator is an insulative covering positioned over a portion of a surface of the expandable member.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the energy delivery device is for delivering electromagnetic energy.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the energy delivery device is for delivering energy selected from the group consisting of RF, microwave, ultrasonic, pulsed laser and diffuses laser energy.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the energy source provides electromagnetic energy and a signal generator coupled to the energy source for generating pulses of electromagnetic energy having a frequency between about 300 and 700 megahertz.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the energy source produces RF energy and the apparatus further includes a processor coupled to the signal generator for generating pulses of RF energy which provide between about 5 and about 30 watts of RF energy.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the expandable member further includes at least one sensor coupled to the processor.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the sensor measures a property selected from the group consisting of an amount of energy delivered by the energy delivery device, an amount of heat generated at a location; an amount of impedance generated, and a temperature at a location.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the energy delivered to the energy delivery device is controlled by the processor in response to a measured property selected from the group consisting of an amount of energy delivered by the energy delivery device, an amount of heat generated at a location; an amount of impedance generated, and a temperature at a location.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the apparatus includes a sensor for measuring the measured property.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for ablating a selected portion of a nasal concha comprising: 
 a catheter having a distal portion with a dimension configured for positioning the catheter distal portion through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus adjacent a surface of a nasal concha;    an energy delivery device coupleable to an energy source and positioned at the catheter distal portion for delivering ablative energy to the surface of the nasal concha; and    an insulator positioned to cause delivery of ablative energy to a selected portion of a nasal concha while insulating other tissue forming the nasal meatus from the ablative energy.    
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein the apparatus includes an expandable member positioned at the catheter distal portion, the insulator including an insulative covering positioned over a portion of a surface of the expandable member.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein the insulator is positioned to selectively deliver ablative energy to an anterior portion of the nasal concha.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein the insulator is positioned to selectively deliver ablative energy to an anterior portion of the nasal concha without delivering energy to a posterior portion of the nasal concha.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus according to  claim 25  wherein the apparatus further includes an expandable member positioned between the energy delivery device and the surface of the nasal concha and the insulator covers a surface of the expandable member.  
     
     
         30 . An apparatus for ablating an internal section of a nasal concha comprising: 
 a catheter having a distal portion with a dimension configured for positioning the catheter distal portion through a nostril of a patient into a nasal meatus adjacent a surface of a nasal concha;    an expandable member positioned at the catheter distal portion;    an energy delivery device coupleable to an energy source and positioned at the catheter distal portion for delivering ablative energy to the surface of the nasal concha;    a lumen positioned within the catheter for delivering a medium into the expandable member to expand the expandable member to adjacent a surface of the nasal concha; and    a medium source for delivering medium of a sufficiently low temperature to cool the surface of the nasal concha during energy delivery so as to prevent ablation of tissue adjacent the surface of the nasal concha.    
     
     
         31 . The apparatus according to  claim 30  wherein the apparatus further includes an insulator for preventing the delivery of ablative energy through at least a portion of the expandable member.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus according to  claim 31  wherein the insulator is an insulative covering positioned over a portion of a surface of the expandable member.