Method and system for ablation of atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias

• US 20060009755A1
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Sra, Jasbir S.
• Application Number:
  US10/932,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20060009755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/32
• 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 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00267 having a basket shaped structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00357 Endocardium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

A method is provided for ablation in treatment of heart arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation that includes positioning a catheter apparatus with multiple electrodes within a cardiac chamber, visualizing the catheter apparatus with an interventional system, navigating the catheter apparatus within the cardiac chamber, and delivering energy to selected electrodes of the catheter apparatus from an external source to ablate heart tissue at select locations. Preferably, the external source is an external patch placed on the patient for the delivery of radio-frequency energy. The electrodes of the catheter apparatus are connected to the patch through a patient interface unit where the interface unit selects the electrodes to which radio-frequency energy is to be delivered. In another aspect of the invention, a system for ablation of heart arrhythmias is provided that has a catheter apparatus with multiple electrodes, an interventional system for visualizing the catheter apparatus within a cardiac chamber, and an external source for delivering energy to selected electrodes of the catheter apparatus within the cardiac chamber to ablate heart tissue. Preferably, the system further includes a digital imaging system for obtaining cardiac image data, an image generation system for generating a 3D model of the cardiac chamber from the cardiac image data, and a workstation for registering the 3D model with the interventional system and for visualizing the catheter apparatus over this registered 3D model upon the interventional system.

Claims

1. A method for ablation in treatment of a heart arrhythmia in a patient comprising:

positioning a catheter apparatus with multiple electrodes within a cardiac chamber;

visualizing the catheter apparatus with an interventional system;

navigating the catheter apparatus within the cardiac chamber; and

delivering energy to selected electrodes of the catheter apparatus from an external source to ablate heart tissue at select locations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy delivered is radio-frequency energy, whereby the electrodes are inductively coupled to the external source.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the external source is an external patch placed on the patient, the patch being connected to the electrodes through a patient interface unit, whereby the interface unit selects the electrodes to which radio-frequency energy is delivered.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the interventional system is a fluoroscopic system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining cardiac image data from a digital imaging system;

generating a 3D model of the cardiac chamber and surrounding structures from the cardiac image data;

registering the 3D model with the interventional system;

visualizing the catheter apparatus over the registered 3D model with the interventional system; and

navigating the catheter apparatus within the cardiac chamber utilizing the registered 3D model.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the digital imaging system is a computer tomography (CT) system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the heart arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation and wherein the 3D model is of the left atrium and pulmonary veins.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the energy delivered is radio-frequency energy, whereby the electrodes are inductively coupled to the external source.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the external source is an external patch placed on the patient, the patch being connected to the electrodes through a patient interface unit, whereby the interface unit selects the electrodes to which radio-frequency energy is delivered.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the interventional system is a fluoroscopic system.

11. A system for ablation in treatment of a heart arrhythmia in a patient comprising:

a catheter apparatus having multiple electrodes;

an interventional system for visualizing the catheter apparatus within a cardiac chamber; and

an external source for delivering energy to selected electrodes of the catheter apparatus within the cardiac chamber to ablate heart tissue at select locations.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the energy delivered is radio-frequency energy, whereby the electrodes are inductively coupled to the external source.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the external source is an external patch placed on the patient, the patch being connected to the electrodes through a patient interface unit, whereby the interface unit selects the electrodes to which radio-frequency energy is delivered.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the interventional system is a fluoroscopic system.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a digital imaging system for obtaining cardiac image data;

an image generation system for generating a 3D model of the cardiac chamber and surrounding structures from the cardiac image data; and

a workstation for registering the 3D model with the interventional system and for visualizing the catheter apparatus over the registered 3D model with the interventional system.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the digital imaging system is a computer tomography (CT) system.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the heart arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation and wherein the 3D model is of the left atrium and pulmonary veins.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the energy delivered is radio-frequency energy, whereby the electrodes are inductively coupled to the external source.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the external source is an external patch placed on the patient, the patch being connected to the electrodes through a patient interface unit, whereby the interface unit selects the electrodes to which radio-frequency energy is delivered.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the interventional system is a fluoroscopic system.