Arrangement of multi-channel bipolar elecrode zones to minimize leakage and edge effects

• US 10,631,910 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2019
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Jameson, Allen D., Bagley, Christopher L., Huszar, Hillary K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hupczey, Jr., Ronald
• Application Number:
  US16/447,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20190298430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0016 Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00654 with individual control of each of a plurality of energy emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1465 Deformable electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems are described for minimizing various leakage effects of multi-zone ablation devices. Apparatuses may include an ablation device for treatment of tissue including an ablation structure with a plurality of bipolar electrode zones. Each of the zones may include an in-zone channel pair comprising a positive channel and a negative channel. The ablation structure may be configured such that, for any adjacent electrode zone pair comprising a first electrode zone and a second electrode zone adjacent to the first electrode zone, the positive channel of the first electrode zone is electrically distinct from the positive channel of the second electrode zone, and the negative channel of the first electrode zone is electrically distinct from the negative channel of the second electrode zone. Moreover, the ablation structure may be arranged such that a total number of electrically distinct channels that is less than twice a total number of the plurality of electrode zones.

Claims

1. A method of designing an ablation structure for treatment of tissue comprising three or more bipolar electrode zones, the method comprising:

providing each electrode zone with an in-zone channel pair comprising a positive channel and a negative channel;

limiting a total number of electrically distinct channels of the ablation structure such that the total number of electrically distinct channels is less than twice a total number of the three or more bipolar electrode zones;

arranging the positive channels of the three or more electrode zones such that, the positive channel of any electrode zone is electrically distinct from the positive channel of any adjacent electrode zone; and

arranging the negative channels of the three or more electrode zones such that the negative channel of any electrode zone is electrically distinct from the negative channel of any adjacent electrode zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ablation structure further comprises a plurality of shared-positive-channel electrode zone pairs, and further comprising:

arranging the positive and negative channels of the three or more electrode zones such that every shared-positive-channel electrode zone pair of the plurality of shared-positive-channel electrode zone pairs comprises a negative channel pair that is electrically distinct from the negative channel pair of every other shared-positive-channel electrode zone pair of the plurality of shared-positive-channel electrode zone pairs.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

arranging the positive and negative channels of the three or more electrode zones such that every in-zone channel pair is electrically distinct from every adjacent-zone channel pair.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging the positive and negative channels of the three or more electrode zones such that each electrode zone comprises an in-zone channel pair that is electrically distinct from the in-zone channel pair of every other electrode zone.