Irrigated ablation device assembly

• US 20030060822A1
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan K. Schaer, Aurelio Valencia
• Original Assignee: Alan K. Schaer, Aurelio Valencia
• Inventors: Schaer, Alan K., Valencia, Aurelio
• Granted Patent: US 7,276,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• 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 2017/22038 with a guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00011 with fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00065 porous
• 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 2018/00797 measured by multiple temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1437 whereby the windings of the spiral touch each other such as to create a continuous surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation

Abstract

A tissue ablation device assembly ablates a region of tissue in a body of a patient. The tissue ablation device assembly comprises an elongated body having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. A tubular porous membrane having a porous wall with an inner surface that defines an inner space is located along the distal end portion of the elongated body. An ablation element is disposed over the porous membrane, with the ablation element having a fixed position with respect to the porous membrane. A fluid passageway extending through the elongated body and communicates with the inner space. The fluid passageway is adapted to be fluidly coupled to a pressurizeable fluid source for delivering a volume of pressurized fluid from the fluid source to the inner space. The porous membrane allows at least a substantial portion of the volume of pressurized fluid to pass through the porous wall for enhancing ablative coupling between the electrode and the region of tissue.

Claims

1. A tissue ablation device assembly for ablating a region of tissue in a body of a patient, comprising:

an elongated body having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;

a tubular porous membrane located along the distal end portion, the porous membrane having a substantially non-compressible porous wall with an inner surface that defines an inner space;

an ablation element disposed over the porous membrane, the ablation element having a fixed position with respect to the porous membrane; and

a fluid passageway extending through the elongated body and communicating with the inner space, the fluid passageway being adapted to be fluidly coupled to a pressurizeable fluid source for delivering a volume of pressurized fluid from the fluid source to the inner space, wherein the porous membrane allows at least a substantial portion of the volume of pressurized fluid to pass through the porous wall.

2. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1, further comprising a tubular support structure disposed within the inner space of the porous membrane for supporting the porous membrane.

3. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the elongated body and the tubular porous membrane are constructed for advancement through a patient'"'"'s vasculature for forming a lesion in a left atrium of a heart.

4. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner space is substantially closed in a substantially fluid tight seal such that the volume of pressurized fluid can flow from with the inner space to an external location only across the porous wall.

5. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 4, further comprising an end cap attached to a distal end of the tubular porous membrane for sealing the distal end of the tubular porous membrane.

6. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one conductor coupled to the ablation element and extending proximally through the elongated body for coupling to an ablation actuator.

7. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 6, further comprising an electrical lead lumen extending through the elongated body, the electrical lead lumen adapted for receiving the conductor.

8. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1, further comprising an elongated fluid tube that defines the fluid passageway, the fluid tube extending through the elongated body.

9. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one thermal sensor disposed along an outer surface of the porous membrane.

10. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 9 wherein the thermal sensor is an annular temperature sensor.

11. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the porous membrane is adapted to disperse the portion of the volume of pressurized fluid across the porous wall in a substantially uniform manner.

12. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the portion of the volume of pressurized fluid is dispersed in a radial direction across the porous wall.

13. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1, further comprising a return passageway in communication with the inner space and extending through the elongated body, the return passageway being adapted to remove fluid from the inner space.

14. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the distal end portion of the elongated body further comprises an outer surface and the porous membrane further comprises a proximal end portion that is coupled to the proximal outer surface.

15. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the porous wall is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene material.

16. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the ablation element comprises at least one electrode.

17. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 16 wherein the electrode is a wire coil having a helical shape with an inner diameter adapted to receive the porous membrane.

18. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 16 wherein the electrode comprises at least one arcuate section that is disposed at least partially over a longitudinal axis of the porous membrane.

19. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 16 wherein the electrode comprises a plurality of braided wires forming a substantially tubular shape.

20. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the ablation element comprises a plurality of wire coil electrodes positioned in a longitudinally spaced arrangement.

21. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1, further comprising a guidewire lumen extending through at least a portion of the elongated body and terminating at a distal port for slideably receiving a guidewire.

22. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the elongated body further comprises an outer tubular member containing a fluid tube, an electrical lead tube and a guidewire tube, the fluid tube defining the fluid passageway, the electrical lead tube receiving a conductor coupled to the ablation element, and the guidewire tube adapted to slideably receive a guidewire.

23. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein said pressurizable fluid source contains an electrolyte solution and wherein a volume of said electrolyte solution permeates across the porous wall when the volume of the electrolyte fluid is pressurized to a predetermined pressure within the inner space.

24. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1 wherein the proximal end portion of the elongated body is stiffer than the distal end portion for providing enhanced pushability during advancement through a patient'"'"'s vasculature.

25. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 1, further comprising first and second delivery members each having a distal end portion, the tubular porous membrane being supported between the distal end portions of the first and second delivery members, respectively.

26. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 25, further comprising first and second anchors located at least in part along the distal end portions of the first and second delivery members, respectively.

27. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 26, wherein at least one of the anchors comprises a guidewire tracking member which forms a bore that is adapted to slideably engage and track over a guidewire.

28. The tissue ablation device assembly of claim 26, wherein the at least one anchor comprises a guidewire having a guidewire proximal end portion, a guidewire distal end portion, and a stop on the guidewire distal end portion which has a diameter larger than the guidewire distal end portion.

29. A tissue ablation device assembly for ablating a region of tissue in a body of a patient, comprising:

an elongated body having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;

a tubular porous membrane located along the distal end portion, the porous membrane having a porous wall with an inner surface that defines an inner space;

an ablation element disposed over the porous membrane, the ablation element having a fixed position with respect to the porous membrane; and

a fluid passageway extending through the elongated body and communicating with the inner space, the fluid passageway being adapted to be fluidly coupled to a pressurizeable fluid source for delivering a volume of pressurized fluid from the fluid source to the inner space, wherein the porous membrane allows at least a substantial portion of the volume of pressurized fluid to pass through the porous wall for enhancing ablative coupling between the electrode and the region of tissue.

30. A tissue ablation device assembly for ablating a region of tissue in a body of a patient, comprising:

a flexible elongated body having a distal end portion and guidewire lumen for slideably receiving a guidewire;

a tubular porous membrane having a proximal end portion bonded to an outer surface of the distal end portion of the elongated body, the porous membrane having a substantially non-compressible porous wall with an inner surface and an outer surface;

an end cap attached to a distal end of the tubular porous membrane for providing a fluid tight seal in the inner space of the tubular porous membrane;

a plurality of wire coil electrodes disposed along a longitudinal axis over the outer surface of the porous membrane, the electrodes having a fixed position with respect to the porous membrane;

a plurality of conductors coupled to the electrodes and extending through the elongated body for electrically connecting the electrodes to a current source;

an elongated fluid tube defining a fluid passageway, the elongated fluid tube extending through the elongated body and through an inner diameter of each of the electrodes, the fluid passageway including at least one port along a distal end portion for fluid communication with the inner space, the fluid passageway being adapted for delivering a pressurized fluid from a fluid source to the inner space; and

a plurality of thermal sensors disposed along the outer surface of the porous membrane for monitoring a temperature at the region of tissue;

wherein the porous membrane allows at least a substantial portion of the pressurized fluid to permeate across the porous wall for ablatively coupling the electrodes to the region of tissue.