A device for cryoablating exposed tissue having a contoured contact
surface includes a tube-shaped shaft and a flexible, thermally conductive
enclosure that is attached to the distal end of the tube-shaped shaft.
The enclosure is formed with a wall having an outer surface for
contacting the target tissue and an inner surface which establishes and
surrounds a cryochamber. A shapeable element is attached to the distal
end of the shaft and extends into the cryochamber. The element can be
permanently deformed into a pre-selected shape to cause a portion of the
enclosure wall to conform to the contour of the target tissue. A
high-pressure tube in the shaft passes a refrigerant through the shaft
for expansion into the cryochamber. This expansion cools the wall of the
enclosure, which in turn, extracts heat from the target tissue resulting
in the cryoablation of the target tissue.