| abstract |
An ultrasonic medical or surgical device creates holes in heart tissue utilizing an ultrasonic needle or probe. The ultrasonic needle is inserted into heart tissue and activated to cause cavitation of fluid surrounding the needle. The cavitation heats the surrounding tissue and causes reversible tissue damage. The ultrasonic device consists of a transducer, a needle, and a regulator. The device can be a hand held device for external application or may be a catheter device for performing a minimally invasive procedure. A temperature sensor may be positioned on the needle for sensing a temperature of the heart tissue in which the needle has been inserted. |