Ablation techniques for the treatment of atrial fibrillation

Abstract

A catheter device provides a balloon structure and a side-firing laser lumen within the balloon to create lesions in the pulmonary vein (PV) in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Mounted on the balloon so as to contact the PV when the balloon is inflated are one or more electrodes which may be used in a measurement mode, a treatment mode, or both.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A device suitable for insertion into the pulmonary vein for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, the device comprising:
 at least one apertured lumen having distal and proximal ends; an inflatable balloon in the vicinity of the distal end of the lumen; an optical fiber at least partially within the at least one lumen; at least one opening in the vicinity of the distal end and within the inflatable balloon;   an optical device in the lumen in the vicinity of the distal end and within the balloon to deflect a laser beam introduced in the vicinity of the proximal end and exiting in the vicinity of the distal end of the lumen; at least one electrode formed on the balloon, wherein the at least one electrode is suitable for one or both of measurement and treatment of the pulmonary vein,   a controller operatively connected to the at least one electrode;   wherein, when the inflatable balloon is inflated, the at least one electrode comes into contact with the pulmonary vein wall for one or more of measurement and treatment.