Monitoring and tracking bipolar ablation
First Claim
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1. A medical apparatus, comprising:
- a probe defining a longitudinal axis and having a bipolar ablation element disposed on a distal portion of the probe, the bipolar ablation element consisting of first and second ablation electrodes concentrically disposed on the distal portion of the probe relative to the longitudinal axis and a dedicated sensing electrode concentrically disposed on the distal portion of the probe relative to the longitudinal axis and between the first and second ablation electrodes, the first and second ablation electrodes being configured to operate as a bipolar pair in a bipolar mode to deliver RF energy to ablate tissue and form a lesion that extends between the first and second ablation electrodes, the dedicated sensing electrode being separate and distinct from the first and second ablation electrode and configured to sense local electrical activity in the heart when the ablation electrodes are delivering RF energy;
an ablation energy generator connected to the first and second ablation electrodes; and
a monitor connected to the sensing electrode and operative to detect cardiac electrical activity via the sensing electrode when the probe is brought into contact with a target tissue in a heart of a subject, the monitor comprising monitoring circuitry configured to track the progress of lesion formation by detecting a drop in the electrical amplitude of the electrical activity and a graphical display operative for displaying a map of a portion of the heart that includes the target tissue and a progression of energy application along an ablation path.
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Abstract
Methods and systems treat abnormal cardiac electrical activity employing a probe having first and second ablation electrodes disposed on a distal portion of the probe and a sensing electrode disposed between the first and second ablation electrodes, bringing the probe into contact with cardiac tissue, and applying energy through the first and second ablation electrodes to ablate target tissue along an ablation path, monitoring cardiac electrical activity using the sensing electrode to detect the cardiac electrical activity. After making an observation that the cardiac electrical activity is no longer detectable by the sensing electrode, energy application is terminated.
28 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A medical apparatus, comprising:
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a probe defining a longitudinal axis and having a bipolar ablation element disposed on a distal portion of the probe, the bipolar ablation element consisting of first and second ablation electrodes concentrically disposed on the distal portion of the probe relative to the longitudinal axis and a dedicated sensing electrode concentrically disposed on the distal portion of the probe relative to the longitudinal axis and between the first and second ablation electrodes, the first and second ablation electrodes being configured to operate as a bipolar pair in a bipolar mode to deliver RF energy to ablate tissue and form a lesion that extends between the first and second ablation electrodes, the dedicated sensing electrode being separate and distinct from the first and second ablation electrode and configured to sense local electrical activity in the heart when the ablation electrodes are delivering RF energy; an ablation energy generator connected to the first and second ablation electrodes; and a monitor connected to the sensing electrode and operative to detect cardiac electrical activity via the sensing electrode when the probe is brought into contact with a target tissue in a heart of a subject, the monitor comprising monitoring circuitry configured to track the progress of lesion formation by detecting a drop in the electrical amplitude of the electrical activity and a graphical display operative for displaying a map of a portion of the heart that includes the target tissue and a progression of energy application along an ablation path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification