| abstract |
A nerve ablation device comprises a wire frame bearing one or more electrodes that are capable of conducting RF energy. The electrodes may be positioned in a circumferential or helical arrangement about the wire frame, which is positioned about an expandable balloon contained within a catheter, e.g., at the end thereof, and is movable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position. The device, including the collapsed balloon and wire frame encapsulated within a sheath, is advanced over a guidewire through the blood vessel to the relevant location, such as within the renal artery, and positioned within the inner circumference of the vessel, such as the renal artery ostium. The sheath is then withdrawn to expose the balloon and wire frame on the catheter, and the wire frame or stent is then expanded by inflating the balloon at the end of the catheter. |