Appeal No. 2001-1621 Page 4
Application No. 09/111,308
Claim 50, the only independent claim on appeal, reads as follows:
A device for creating a lesion in body tissue, comprising:
a catheter body including a curved region defining an arc of at least about
180 degrees; and
at least two spaced electrodes on the curved region of the catheter body
separated by an arc of at least about 180 degrees and adapted to face each
other across an area of tissue with no portions of the catheter body or other
electrodes therebetween;
wherein the respective sizes and spacing of the at least two electrodes,
and the size and curvature of the curved region, is such that a substantially
continuous lesion will be formed across the area of tissue between the
electrodes in response to simultaneous transmission of energy from each of the
electrodes into the tissue area to an indifferent electrode.
Avitall's invention is directed to the use of a deflectable, preferably size and
shape adjustable, electrode array loop catheter which allows the operator to rapidly
map heart chambers and including the tricuspid annulus and ablate the desired tissue
using the same mapping electrode in the array that is positioned on or near the site that
should be ablated. Figures 1A-2E show one embodiment of the electrode array loop
having a series of spaced tubular noble metal electrodes shown in part at 36 on either
half of the elliptical loop. Avitall teaches (column 5, lines 16-17) that the electrodes 36
are preferably made of platinum tubing 2 mm thick and 4 mm long. Avitall further
teaches (column 3, lines 56-59; claims 12 and 20) that "[i]n one arrangement, each
electrode back side is shaved or flattened to permit the majority of the exposed surface
to be in contact with the tissue and not with the blood." Figures 6A-6D show a second
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