The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein said fixation means comprises a first inflatable balloon positioned about at least one of said distal and proximal portions.ДЈ.

A transurethral ablation catheter for ablating prostatic tissue about a prostatic urethra positioned between internal and external sphincters, comprising:ДЄn elongated member having a distal portion, a proximal portion, and an intermediate portion, said intermediate portion being positioned between said distal and proximal portions and shaped and sized for intimate contact with said prostatic urethra, at least one of said distal and proximal portions including fixation means positionable about at least one of said internal and external sphincters, respectively, for maintaining longitudinally said intermediate portion in said prostatic urethra andДЄ thermally conductive heat-emitting element positioned in said intermediate portion and responsive to energy supplied thereto for producing a predetermined thermally conductive heat distribution in said tissue to ablate said tissue.Дў. The controller in response to the temperature information and the energy supplied to the heat-emitting element controls the supply of energy to the catheter as well as the pump circulating the coolant.ДЎ. Sensors are positioned about the heat-emitting element as well as in the cooling balloons for supplying information to the controller of the system.

A circulating pump of the ablation system circulates coolant through the balloons to maintain the temperature of the sphincters below an injurious temperature. The catheter also includes irrigation and aspiration passageways therein for communicating with the interior of the distal and proximal cooling balloons. A thermally conducted, heat-emitting element is positioned in the intermediate portion for producing a thermally conductive heat distribution to ablate the prostatic tissue.

The distal and proximal portions of the catheter include fixation and cooling balloons having an annular recess therein for positioning the internal and external sphincters therein and for maintaining the longitudinal position of the catheter in the prostatic urethra. The catheter includes an elongated member having distal, proximal, and intermediate portions, the intermediate portion being shaped and sized for intimate contact with the prostatic urethra. A catheter, system, and method for selectively ablating prostatic tissue about the prostatic urethra.

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