US 12,137,969 B2
Heated vapor ablation systems and methods for treating cardiac conditions
Virender K. Sharma, Paradise Valley, AZ (US); Kevin Holbrook, Los Gatos, CA (US); Holger Friedrich, Meerbusch (DE); and Eric Steven Fain, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Assigned to Aqua Heart, Inc., Santa Ana, CA (US)
Filed by Aqua Heart, Inc., Santa Ana, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/658,279.
Application 17/658,279 is a continuation of application No. 16/567,984, filed on Sep. 11, 2019, granted, now 11,331,140.
Application 16/567,984 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/600,670, filed on May 19, 2017, granted, now 10,695,126, issued on Jun. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/844,222, filed on May 7, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/729,777, filed on Sep. 11, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/425,144, filed on Nov. 22, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/338,871, filed on May 19, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0296294 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1492 (2013.01) [A61B 5/6853 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00232 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00357 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00791 (2013.01); A61B 2018/048 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system configured to ablate cardiac tissue, comprising:
a catheter adapted to be positioned proximate a cardiac tissue of a patient, wherein the catheter comprises:
an elongate body having a lumen, a proximal end and a distal end;
an outer balloon and an inner balloon positioned at the distal end such that the inner balloon is positioned within the outer balloon; wherein the outer balloon is configured to be inflated with a first fluid, and the inner balloon is configured to be infused with heated vapor, to form an ablation zone having a surface area defined by a portion of the inner balloon contacting a portion of the outer balloon and thereby transfer heat from the heated vapor in the inner balloon through the ablation zone to the cardiac tissue; and
a controller, wherein the controller comprises programmatic instructions that, when executed:
cause the first fluid to be infused into the outer balloon and thereby increase a pressure of the outer balloon to a first outer balloon pressure;
cause heated water vapor to be infused into the inner balloon and thereby increase a pressure of the inner balloon to a first inner balloon pressure;
maintain the first inner balloon pressure for a first pre-determined period of time;
stop the infusion of heated vapor and thereby cause the pressure of the inner balloon to decrease to a second inner balloon pressure after expiry of the first pre-determined period of time; and
deflate the outer balloon to a second outer balloon pressure.