| US 7,512,445 B2 | ||
| Moisture transport system for contact electrocoagulation | ||
| Csaba Truckai, Sunnyvale, Calif. (US); Russel Mahlon Sampson, Mountain View, Calif. (US); Stephanie Squarcia, Palo Alto, Calif. (US); Alfonso Lawrence Ramirez, San Jose, Calif. (US); and Estela Hilario, Los Altos, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Cytyc Corporation, Marlborough, Mass. (US) | ||
| Filed on Aug. 03, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/196,025. | ||
| Application 11/196025 is a division of application No. 10/959771, filed on Oct. 06, 2004. | ||
| Application 10/959771 is a division of application No. 09/103072, filed on Jun. 23, 1998, granted, now 6,813,520, filed on Nov. 02, 2004. | ||
| Application 09/103072 is a continuation in part of application No. 08/632516, filed on Apr. 12, 1996, granted, now 5,769,880, filed on Jun. 23, 1998. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/084791, filed on May 08, 1998. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0267468 A1, Dec. 01, 2005 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. A61F 2/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/18 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 607—101 [607/105; 606/41; 604/35] | 20 Claims |
| 1. A method of treating tissue in a uterus, comprising the steps of:
providing a moisture permeable electrode member comprising an array of electrodes;
positioning at least a portion of the array of electrodes in contact with tissue in a region of a tubal ostium of a fallopian
tube;
delivering RF energy to the electrodes, causing the tissue to release liquid; and
applying suction through the moisture permeable electrode member to draw released liquid from the uterus, the suction substantially
preventing formation of a low-impedance liquid layer around the electrodes.
|