Epicardial ablation using focused ultrasound

1 . Apparatus for treating cardiac arrhythmias comprising:

(a) an ultrasonic ablation device including an ultrasonic emitter and means for focusing ultrasonic waves emitted by said emitter into an ablation region; and

(b) means for positioning said ablation device outside of the heart adjacent the epicardial surface of the heart so that said ablation region is disposed within the wall of the heart.

2 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for positioning includes an elongated probe having a lengthwise direction, said ultrasonic ablation device being carried by said probe, said means for focusing being operative to focus the energy from said emitter into an elongated ablation region extending generally parallel to said lengthwise direction of said probe and offset from the probe in a lateral direction transverse to said lengthwise direction.

3 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said ultrasonic emitter includes one or more ultrasonic emitting elements mounted to said probe, said one or more emitting elements defining an emitting surface extending in said lengthwise direction.

4 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said focusing means includes a lens carried on said probe, said lens being elongated in said lengthwise direction, said emitting surface facing toward said lens so that ultrasonic waves emanating from said emitting surface are directed into said lens.

5 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said lens is inflatable.

6 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said lens is a multi-element lens.

7 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said focusing means includes a concave reflective surface facing in the lateral direction.

8 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said probe includes structure defining first and second chambers and a common wall separating said first and second chambers, said emitter being disposed in said second chamber, and wherein said probe further includes a connector for connecting said first chamber to a source of a liquid and connecting said second chamber to a source of a gas, whereby said common wall forms said concave reflective surface.

9 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said focusing means includes one or more structures carried by said probe defining a pair of reflective surfaces disposed bounding a slot extending lengthwise along said probe, said slot having an entry opening adjacent said emitting surface and an exit opening remote from said emitting surface, said reflective surfaces converging with one another from said entry opening to said exit opening.

10 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said structures defining said reflective surfaces include one or more walls bounding one or more chambers, the apparatus further including a gas inlet communicating with said one or more chambers.

11 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said emitting surface includes surface regions positioned on said probe so that vectors normal to said surface regions converge with one another, said focusing means including said surface regions.

12 . Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said surface regions include surface regions disposed on opposite sides of a medial plane extending in said lengthwise direction and said lateral direction, and wherein said surface regions include regions disposed on opposite sides of said medial plane having normal vectors sloping towards said medial plane.

13 . A method of treating cardiac arrhythmias comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning an elongated ultrasonic emitter outside of the heart but adjacent the heart so that the emitter extends along an elongated path on the heart wall; and

(b) actuating the ultrasonic emitter to emit ultrasonic waves while directing such ultrasonic waves into an ablation region extending along said path within the heart wall and focusing such ultrasonic waves into the ablation region.