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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6572640 | Method and apparatus for cardiopulmonary bypass patient temperature control A cardiopulmonary bypass patient is precooled using an indwelling catheter. Cardiopulmonary bypass is initiated when a target temperature or range are achieved, as determined by automatic temperature feedback provided to a control module. The patient may ... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6565521 | System and method of vessel removal A method and system for removing body vessels from a patient is provided. An embodiment of the method includes a method for harvesting a vessel for subsequent use in a grafting procedure, such as, for example, saphenous vein graft harvesting for a coronar... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6565558 | High-frequency device for generating a plasma arc for the treatment of biological tissue High-frequency device to generate a plasma arc (5) for the treatment of biological tissue (1), in particular in medicine, with a high-frequency generator (3) having an internal resistor (8) and, connected thereto by means of a flexible lead (10), an elect... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6565561 | Electrosurgical instrument An electrosurgical instrument is provided for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid medium. The instrument comprises an instrument shaft (10), and a tissue treatment electrode (12) at the distal end of the shaft for e... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6558381 | Noninvasive devices, methods, and systems for shrinking of tissues The invention provides improved devices, methods, and systems for shrinking of collagenated tissues, particularly for treating urinary incontinence in a noninvasive manner by directing energy to a patient's own support tissues. This energy heats fascia an... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6558412 | Selective organ hypothermia method and apparatus A method and apparatus for performing hypothermia of a selected organ without significant effect on surrounding organs or other tissues. A flexible catheter is inserted through the vascular system of a patient to place the distal tip of the catheter in an... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6557559 | Electrosurgical systems and methods with temperature control Vascular catheter comprises a catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an electrode array disposed near the distal end. The electrode array is located proximally of a common electrode, typically located on a movable guidewire, and includes a... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6551349 | Selective organ cooling apparatus The present invention involves a selective organ heat transfer device having a flexible coaxial catheter capable of insertion into a selected feeding artery in the vascular system of a patient. A heat transfer element is attached to a distal portion of th... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6547776 | Systems and methods for treating tissue in the crura Tissue in the crura is treated by advancing a tissue penetrating element from a catheter tube through a wall of the esophagus. The tissue penetrating element is operated to affect a tightening of the crura, e.g., to treat hiatal hernia.... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6547811 | Method for inducing hypothermia Systems for phase-change particulate slurry cooling equipment and methods to induce hypothermia in a patient through internal and external cooling are provided. Subcutaneous, intravascular, intraperitoneal, gastrointestinal, and lung methods of cooling ar... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6546932 | Cryogenic method and apparatus for promoting angiogenesis A method of promoting blood vessel growth includes the steps of providing a cryocatheter having a thermally transmission region; placing the cryocatheter proximate an area of tissue to be treated; cooling the thermally transmissive region of the cryocathe... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6546935 | Method for transmural ablation A method for transmural ablation using an instrument containing two electrodes or cryogenic probes. A clamping force is exerted on the two electrodes or probes such that the tissue of the hollow organ is clamped therebetween. Bipolar RF energy is then app... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6544282 | Inhibition of platelet activation, aggregation and/or adhesion by hypothermia A method for treating acute coronary syndromes (i.e., unstable angina or non-Q-wave MI) or transient ischemic attacks in a human or animal patient by placing a heat exchange apparatus in the patient's vasculature and using that heat exchange apparatus to ... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6544261 | Systems and methods for electrosurgical treatment of submucosal tissue The present invention provides systems and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within the head and neck of a patient's body, particularly including tissue in the ear, nose and throat. The present invention includes a ch... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6540741 | Systems and methods for electrosurgical spine surgery The present invention provides systems and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within of a patient's body, particularly including tissue in the spine. The present invention applies high frequency (RF) electrical energy ... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6540742 | Intraoperative endocardial and epicardial ablation probe An elongate, malleable ablation probe including an elongate malleable body (38) and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart electrodes (40) disposed at a distal end thereof. The electrodes (40) are separated one from another by insulative material. In ... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6540771 | Inflatable catheter for selective organ heating and cooling and method of using the same A catheter system and method are provided which change the temperature of a fluid, such as blood, by heat transfer. Selective cooling or heating of an organ may be performed by changing the temperature of the blood feeding the organ. The catheter system i... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6537272 | Apparatus and method for creating, maintaining, and controlling a virtual electrode used for the ablation of tissue The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for producing a virtual electrode within or upon a tissue to be treated with radio frequency alternating electric current, such tissues including but not limited to brain, liver, cardiac, prostate, ... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6539265 | Apparatus for rf intraluminal reduction and occlusion The present invention provides an apparatus method for performing rf intraluminal reduction and/or occlusion with a virtual electrode. An apparatus in accord with the present invention includes a catheter and a guide wire. The guide wire includes a conduc... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6533779 | PMR catheter and associated methods A PMR catheter and associated methods are disclosed. A catheter in accordance with the present invention comprised, an elongate shaft having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending through at least the distal portion thereof, an electr... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6533780 | Ribbed electrodes and methods for their use The invention provides improved devices, methods, and systems for shrinking of collagenous tissues, particularly for treating urinary incontinence in a noninvasive manner by directing energy to a patient's own support tissues. This energy gently heats fas... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6533804 | Inflatable catheter for selective organ heating and cooling and method of using the same A catheter system and method are provided which change the temperature of a fluid, such as blood, by heat transfer. Selective cooling or heating of an organ may be performed by changing the temperature of the blood feeding the organ. The catheter system i... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6530945 | System and method for controlling patient temperature A controller for a heat exchanger that heats and cools saline flowing through a closed loop heat exchange catheter cools the saline to achieve a target temperature, and then immediately upon reaching target temperature heats the saline. Upon detection of,... | 03/11/2003 |
| 6529756 | Apparatus for mapping and coagulating soft tissue in or around body orifices A probe that may be used to create circumferential lesions in body tissue and, in some implementations, may also be used to perform mapping functions. The probe includes a collapsible/expandable structure that supports electrodes or other operative elemen... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6522930 | Irrigated ablation device assembly A tissue ablation device assembly ablates a region of tissue of a body space wall of a patient. In a tissue ablation device assembly, an ablation member is disposed on the distal end portion of an elongated body. The ablation member includes an ablation e... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6520933 | Central venous line cooling catheter having a spiral-shaped heat exchange member A catheter and a method of using the catheter are disclosed that serve to create an efficient and rapid controlled manner of regulating a patient's body temperature. The catheter is a heat exchange catheter insertable into a blood vessel of a patient, cir... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6506189 | Cool-tip electrode thermosurgery system For heat ablating living tissue of a body, an ablation electrode, contacting a surface of the tissue or within tissue, is coupled to an RF power supply referenced to a second electrode contacting the body. Fluid coolant is circulated to cool the contact s... | 01/14/2003 |
| 6505629 | Cryosurgical system with protective warming feature A system and method for performing cryosurgery of the prostate while protecting surrounding tissue. Cryosurgical probes are provided with argon gas for cooling and with helium for warming. Probes are inserted into the prostate and supplied with argon gas ... | 01/14/2003 |
| 6500173 | Methods for electrosurgical spine surgery The present invention provides systems and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within of a patient's body, particularly including tissue in the spine. The present invention applies high frequency (RF) electrical energy ... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6500175 | Multiple antenna ablation apparatus and method with cooling element An ablation apparatus includes a handpiece, an electrode extending from a handpiece distal end, a probe, a thermal sensor and an energy source. The electrode includes a distal end and a lumen, a cooling medium inlet conduit and a cooling medium exit condu... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6494903 | Over the wire heat exchange catheter with distal valve An over-the-wire heat exchange catheter includes a heat transfer extension having at least one supply lumen and at least one return lumen for circulating heat exchange fluid within the catheter. The catheter has a distal tip and valve attached to the dist... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6494902 | Method for creating a virtual electrode for the ablation of tissue and for selected protection of tissue during an ablation The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for producing a virtual electrode within or upon a tissue to be treated with radiofrequency alternating electric current, such tissue including but not limited to liver, lung, cardiac, prostate, bre... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6496737 | Thermal therapy catheter A thermal therapy catheter includes a catheter shaft having an outer surface that is insertable into the body lumen. The catheter shaft carries an energy-emitting element. A multi-lobe balloon is positioned around the outer surface of the catheter shaft a... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6491716 | Method and device for applications of selective organ cooling The invention provides a method and device for heating or cooling a surrounding fluid in a feeding vessel. The device includes a catheter assembly capable of insertion to a selected feeding vessel in the vascular system of a patient. The assembly includes... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6493589 | Methods and apparatus for treatment of pulmonary conditions Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for introducing a conductive fluid and delivering an electrical current to the fluid at a target site in a body lumen. The electrical current is delivered to the site by a conductive electrode through the conductive f... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6490488 | Method of controlling thermal therapy A thermal therapy method includes inserting an applicator including an energy-emitting device into a body cavity such as a urethra adjacent a targeted tissue region such as a prostate, energizing the energy-emitting device, and circulating coolant between... | 12/03/2002 |
| 6482169 | Double-lumen catheter A catheter is described. In one embodiment, the catheter includes: a shaft segment including a shaft segment uptake lumen and a shaft segment return lumen; and a distal end segment coupled to the shaft segment, the distal end segment including a distal en... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6482201 | Systems and methods for tissue resection, ablation and aspiration The present invention provides systems and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within or on a patient's body. In particular, methods and apparatus are provided for resecting, cutting, partially ablating, aspirating or o... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6482202 | Under water treatment An electrosurgical instrument, which is used for the treatment of tissue in the presence of an electrically-conductive fluid medium, comprises an instrument shaft, and an electrode assembly at one end of the shaft. The electrode assembly comprises a tissu... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6478811 | Method for low temperature thrombolysis and low temperature thrombolytic agent with selective organ temperature control The invention provides a method for substantially reducing the size of a thrombus in a blood vessel in which blood is flowing. The method includes delivering a heat transfer element to a blood vessel in fluid communication with a thrombosed blood vessel. ... | 11/12/2002 |
