Treating heart tissue

1. A method of treating heart tissue, comprising:

detecting a blockage in a coronary artery of a heart;

prior to intervening on the blockage in the coronary artery, advancing a distal tip portion of a coronary sinus occlusion catheter through a guide sheath in a right atrium and into a coronary sinus, the coronary sinus occlusion catheter comprising an inflatable balloon device configured to occlude the coronary sinus when inflated;

intermittently occluding the coronary sinus using the inflatable balloon device of the coronary sinus occlusion catheter to redistribute venous blood flow into heart muscle tissue affected by the blockage, wherein the coronary sinus is intermittently occluded for periods of time determined by a control system coupled to a proximal portion of the coronary sinus occlusion catheter, wherein the control system provides automated control of the inflatable balloon device of the coronary sinus occlusion catheter for providing pressure-controlled intermittent coronary sinus occlusion treatment to the heart, the control system comprising a display device that shows heart sensor data during the intermittent occlusion of the coronary sinus,

wherein during an initial phase the control system determines a time period for occluding the coronary sinus based on a predetermined pattern of predetermined occlusion times independent of coronary sinus pressure sensor data;

wherein during a second phase the control system determines the time period for occluding the coronary sinus based in part on previously recorded coronary sinus pressure measurements received by the control system,

wherein the control system uses a pressure-dependent pattern that is at least partially defined by the received previously recorded coronary sinus pressure measurements to determine the time period for occluding the coronary sinus; and

after intermittently occluding the coronary sinus, delivering a coronary intervention tool via a body artery and to the blockage in the coronary artery of the heart to perform a coronary intervention procedure; and

after performing the coronary intervention procedure, removing the coronary sinus occlusion catheter through the guide sheath.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable balloon device of the coronary sinus occlusion catheter intermittently occludes the coronary sinus so as to pretreat the heart muscle tissue affected by the blockage with venous blood before the blockage is repaired using the coronary intervention tool.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coronary intervention tool comprises at least one of an angioplasty balloon catheter and a stent delivery instrument.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising intermittently occluding the coronary sinus using the inflatable balloon device of the coronary sinus occlusion catheter during repair of the blockage using the angioplasty balloon catheter or the stent delivery instrument.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coronary sinus occlusion catheter comprises a catheter shaft that carries the inflatable balloon device on a distal portion, a pressure sensor lumen extending centrally through the catheter shaft to a plurality of distal ports that are positioned distally of the balloon for communication with fluid in the coronary sinus, and an inflation lumen to inflate and deflate the balloon.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the inflation lumen has a cross-sectional shape in the form of a ring segment and is arranged radially outside the pressure sensor lumen extending centrally through the catheter shaft.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the coronary sinus occlusion catheter further comprises a catheter tip element in fluid communication with the pressure sensor lumen extending centrally through the catheter shaft, the catheter tip element defining the plurality of distal ports that are positioned distally of the balloon for communication with fluid in the coronary sinus, the plurality of distal ports comprising a plurality of radial openings that are substantially uniformly distributed over a circumferential periphery of the catheter tip element.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein during a third phase after the second phase and after performing the coronary intervention procedure, the control system repeats the time period for occluding the coronary sinus based on the predetermined pattern independent of the coronary sinus pressure sensor data.

9. A method of treating heart tissue, comprising:

detecting a blockage in a coronary artery of a heart;

prior to intervening on the blockage in the coronary artery, advancing a distal tip portion of a coronary sinus occlusion catheter through a guide sheath in a right atrium and into a coronary sinus, the coronary sinus occlusion catheter comprising an inflatable balloon device configured to occlude the coronary sinus when inflated;

intermittently occluding the coronary sinus using the inflatable balloon device of the coronary sinus occlusion catheter to redistribute venous blood flow into heart muscle tissue affected by the blockage, wherein the coronary sinus is intermittently occluded for periods of time determined by a control system coupled to a proximal portion of the coronary sinus occlusion catheter, wherein the control system provides automated control of the inflatable balloon device of the coronary sinus occlusion catheter for providing pressure-controlled intermittent coronary sinus occlusion treatment to the heart, the control system comprising a display device that shows heart sensor data during the intermittent occlusion of the coronary sinus,

wherein the control system determines a time period for occluding the coronary sinus based on sensor data received by the control system, the sensor data comprising coronary sinus pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) information,

wherein the control system uses the received ECG information to properly time a start time of inflation of the inflatable balloon device, and wherein the control system uses both the received ECG information and the received coronary sinus pressure information to properly time a start time of deflation the inflatable balloon device during the intermittent occlusion of the coronary sinus;

after intermittently occluding the coronary sinus, delivering a coronary intervention tool via a body artery and to the blockage in the coronary artery of the heart to perform a coronary intervention procedure;

wherein the control system starts the deflation of the inflatable balloon device after an occlusion period that includes multiple heart beats; and

wherein during an initial phase the control system determines the time period for occluding the coronary sinus based on a predetermined pattern of predetermined occlusion times independent of coronary sinus pressure sensor data; and

wherein, after the initial phase, the control system determines the time period for occluding the coronary sinus based in part on previously recorded coronary sinus pressure measurements.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein during a second phase the control system determines the time period for occluding the coronary sinus based on sensor data received by the control system, the sensor data comprising coronary sinus pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) information.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising performing the coronary intervention procedure, and after performing the coronary intervention procedure, removing the coronary sinus occlusion catheter through the guide sheath.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein during a third phase after the second phase and after performing the coronary intervention procedure, the control system repeats the time period for occluding the coronary sinus based on the predetermined pattern independent of the coronary sinus pressure sensor data.