ENERGY DELIVERY DEVICES AND METHODS
This relates to methods and devices for achieving contact between the wall of a cavity or passageway and a medical device when used in tortuous anatomy.
1 . A catheter for delivering radio frequency energy to an airway wall of a human lung, the catheter comprising:
a flexible elongate shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion adapted for insertion into an airway of a human lung;
an expandable basket comprising a plurality of radio frequency electrode legs coupled to the distal portion of the shaft, each leg having a proximal end, a distal end, and a flexure length;
a proximal alignment component having a plurality of proximal seats extending along an axis of the proximal alignment component, the proximal alignment component secured to the distal portion of the shaft; and
a distal alignment component having a plurality of distal seats extending along an axis of the distal alignment component, wherein the plurality of distal seats are in alignment with the plurality of proximal seats;
wherein the distal end of each leg is nested within a distal seat and the proximal end of each leg is nested within a proximal seat such that an angle between adjacent legs is determined by an angle between adjacent seats and the flexure length is determined by the distance proximal and distal alignment components.
2 - 25 . (canceled)