Apparatus for rf intraluminal reduction and occlusion

Claim 2

Apparatus for intraluminally reducing a body lumen defined by a wall at a target lumen reduction site, said apparatus comprising: a catheter having a lumen passage; a guide wire slidably movable within said lumen passage, said guide wire configured for intraluminal deployment within a body lumen and comprising: a conductor of electrical current; and an insulative layer surrounding said conductor substantially along the length of said conductor, said conductor having a most distal portion thereof exposed to provide an electrode and wherein said insulative layer of said guide wire includes at least one microlumen disposed therein for delivering an unrestrained conductive fluid to the target lumen reduction site to create a virtual electrode for coupling the electrical current to the wall of the body lumen.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrode comprises a conductive coil.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said conductive coil defines an interior passage and said at least one microlumen terminates in said interior passage and wherein the conductive fluid provided by said at least one microlumen flows into said interior passage and between said coils into the body lumen.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrode comprises a pair of concentrically wound conductive coils.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said conductive coils define an interior passage and said at least one microlumen terminates in said interior passage and wherein the conductive fluid provided by said at least one microlumen flows into said interior passage and between said coils into the body lumen.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrode comprises a conductive mesh.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said mesh is metal.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said mesh defines an interior passage and said at least one microlumen terminates in said interior passage and wherein the conductive fluid provided by said at least one microlumen flows into said interior passage and through said mesh into the body lumen.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insulative layer includes a plurality of microlumens.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insulative layer includes a plurality of longitudinally extending segments having varying radial thicknesses about said conductor, said radial thicknesses increasing in a proximal direction such that said guide wire is able to be manipulated through curvatures associated with the body lumen.

Claim 12

Apparatus for intraluminally shrinking at least a portion of the wall of a body lumen, said apparatus comprising: a catheter having a proximal end and a lumen passage; a guide wire having a distal end slidably movable within said lumen passage, said guide wire comprising: a conductor of electrical current; and an insulative layer surrounding said conductor substantially along the length of said conductor, said conductor having a most distal portion thereof exposed to provide an electrode, wherein said insulative layer includes a plurality of longitudinally extending segments having varying radial thicknesses about said conductor, said radial thicknesses increasing in a direction extending from the distal portion of the conductor to the proximal end of the catheter, whereby said varying radial thicknesses provide a varying degree of flexibility for said distal end of said guide wire such that said guide wire is able to be manipulated through curvatures of a lumen system to a target lumen reduction site within the body lumen, wherein said electrode is one of a conductive coil, a pair of concentrically wound conductive coils, or a wire mesh.

Claim 13

Apparatus for intraluminally shrinking at least a portion of the wall of a body lumen, said apparatus comprising: a catheter having a proximal end and a lumen passage; a guide wire having a distal end slidably movable within said lumen passage, said guide wire comprising: a conductor of electrical current; and an insulative layer surrounding said conductor substantially along the length of said conductor, said conductor having a most distal portion thereof exposed to provide an electrode, wherein said insulative layer includes a plurality of longitudinally extending segments having varying radial thicknesses about said conductor, said radial thicknesses increasing in a direction extending from the distal portion of the conductor to the proximal end of the catheter, whereby said varying radial thicknesses provide a varying degree of flexibility for said distal end of said guide wire such that said guide wire is able to be manipulated through curvatures of a lumen system to a target lumen reduction site within the body lumen, wherein said electrode is one of a conductive coil, a pair of concentrically wound conductive coils, or a wire mesh.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said mesh is metal.

Claim 15

Apparatus for intraluminally shrinking at least a portion of the wall of a body lumen, said apparatus comprising: a catheter having a proximal end and a lumen passage; a guide wire having a distal end slidably movable within said lumen passage, said guide wire comprising: a conductor of electrical current; and an insulative layer surrounding said conductor substantially along the length of said conductor, said conductor having a most distal portion thereof exposed to provide an electrode, wherein said insulative layer includes a plurality of longitudinally extending segments having varying radial thicknesses about said conductor, said radial thicknesses increasing in a proximal direction extending from the distal portion of the conductor to the proximal end of the catheter, whereby said varying radial thicknesses provide a varying degree of flexibility for said distal end of said guide wire such that said guide wire is able to be manipulated through curvatures of a lumen system to a target lumen reduction site within the body lumen, wherein said insulative layer includes a plurality of microlumens disposed therein for delivering a conductive fluid to the target lumen reduction site to create a virtual electrode for coupling rf current to the wall of the lumen.

Claim 16

Apparatus for intraluminally shrinking at least a portion of the wall of a body lumen, said apparatus comprising: a catheter having a proximal end and a lumen passage; a guide wire having a distal end slidably movable within said lumen passage, said guide wire comprising: a conductor of electrical current; and an insulative layer surrounding said conductor substantially along the length of said conductor, said conductor having a most distal portion thereof exposed to provide an electrode, wherein said insulative layer includes a plurality of longitudinally extending segments having varying radial thicknesses about said conductor, said radial thicknesses increasing in a proximal direction extending from the distal portion of the conductor to the proximal end of the catheter, whereby said varying radial thicknesses provide a varying degree of flexibility for said distal end of said guide wire such that said guide wire is able to be manipulated through curvatures of a lumen system to a target lumen reduction site within the body lumen, wherein said insulative layer includes a plurality of microlumens disposed therein for delivering a conductive fluid to the target lumen reduction site to create a virtual electrode for coupling rf current to the wall of the lumen.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said electrode comprises a plurality of conductive coils.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said plurality of conductive coils define an interior passage and at least one of said microlumens terminates in said interior passage and wherein the conductive fluid provided by said at least one microlumen flows into said passage and between said plurality of conductive coils into said lumen.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said electrode comprises a pair of concentrically wound conductive coils.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said electrode comprises a conductive mesh.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said mesh defines an interior passage and at least one of said microlumens terminates in said interior passage and wherein the conductive fluid provided by said at least one microlumen flows into said interior passage and through said mesh into said lumen.