Magnetically guided myocardial treatment system

Abstract

A magnetically topped catheter is used to tunnel into the myocardium for cardiac treatment.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method for myocardial treatment comprising the steps of: 
 navigating a catheter to a treatment site;    displacing the catheter into the tissue at the treatment site    directing the tip of the catheter with magnetic fields applied from outside the body;    advancing the tip through tissue causing mechanical disruption of tissue forming a tunnel in the tissue at the treatment site.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the catheter delivers ablation energy during the advancing step.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  including the further step of: 
 stopping the advancing prior to the catheter tip exiting the tissue, thereby creating a blind hole tunnel in the tissue.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the directing step causes the tip to orient through an angle of approximately 90 degrees as measured from the entry angle between the tissue plane and the catheter body.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising: 
 repeating the steps of  claim 3  sequentially while turning the catheter at the entry point, thereby forming a star shaped tunnel in the tissue.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further including the steps of: 
 injecting a drug through the catheter into the lesion;  
 withdrawing the catheter from the tunnel.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further including the step: 
 sealing the tunnel upon exit of the catheter from the tunnel whereby drug left in the wound is sealed in the tissue.  
 
     
     
         8 . A catheter comprising: 
 a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end;    a tunneling structure located at the distal end of the catheter body;    a magnetic element located proximate the distal tip of said catheter body; for guiding the catheter tip in response to external magnetic fields and gradients.    
     
     
         9 . The catheter of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 a lumen extending to the location proximate the distal tip for the delivery of drug to the site of the catheter.  
 
     
     
         10 . A method of treating the heart comprising the steps of: 
 navigating a catheter to the myocardium;    entering the myocardium assisted by the application of externally generated magnetic fields and gradients to create a treatment site;    delivering a magnetically bound drug to the treatment site;    withdrawing the catheter while retaining the drug of the site with a magnetic field or gradient.    
     
     
         11 . A method of treating the heart comprising: 
 navigating a catheter having a magnetic tip to the myocardium using externally applied magnetic fields or gradients to direct the tip;    advancing the catheter into the myocardium at a singular treatment site;    injecting a drug through a lumen in the catheter into the myocardium at the treatment site;    withdrawing the catheter from the treatment site.