MAGNETICALLY GUIDABLE ENERGY DELIVERY APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING SAME

• US 20070123964A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Medical Device Limited (Boston Scientific Corporation), Stereotaxis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baylis Medical Company
• Inventors: Viswanathan, Raju, Davies, Gareth, Albert, Kelly, Pandey, Ashwini, Munger, Gareth Torrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,092,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/116
• 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 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/73 Manipulators for magnetic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0127 Magnetic means; Magnetic markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence

Abstract

An energy delivery apparatus for delivering electrical energy at a target location, the energy delivery apparatus being usable in combination with a magnetic field. The energy delivery apparatus includes an electrical conductor, the electrical conductor having a substantially elongated configuration; an electrode for delivering the electrical energy at the target location, the electrode being electrically coupled to the electrical conductor and located at a predetermined location therealong; and a guiding element mounted to the electrical conductor in a substantially spaced apart relationship relative to the electrode, the guiding element including a magnetically responsive material. The energy delivery apparatus is constructed such that a movement of the guiding element causes a corresponding movement of the electrode. The magnetic field is used to move the guiding element in order to position the electrode substantially adjacent to the target location.

Claims

1. An energy delivery apparatus for delivering electrical energy at a target location, said energy delivery apparatus being usable in combination with a magnetic field, said energy delivery apparatus comprising:

an electrical conductor, said electrical conductor having a substantially elongated configuration;

an electrode for delivering said electrical energy at said target location, said electrode being electrically coupled to said electrical conductor and located at a predetermined location therealong; and

a guiding element mounted to said electrical conductor in a substantially spaced apart relationship relative to said electrode, said guiding element including a magnetically responsive material;

wherein said energy delivery apparatus is constructed such that movement of said guiding element causes a corresponding movement of said electrode;

whereby said magnetic field is used to move said guiding element in order to position said electrode substantially adjacent to said target location.

2. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said guiding element is substantially longitudinally spaced apart from said electrode.

3. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising a heat shield made out of a substantially thermally insulating material, said heat shield being located, at least in part, between said electrode and said guiding element.

4. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said substantially thermally insulating material is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

5. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said heat shield extends substantially longitudinally from said electrode.

6. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said guiding element includes at least two substantially longitudinally spaced apart guiding components, each of said guiding components being mounted to said electrical conductor and including a respective magnetically responsive material.

7. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical conductor defines a conductor wider section and a conductor narrower section, said conductor narrower section being positioned distally relatively to said conductor wider section, said conductor wider section having a cross-sectional area substantially larger than a cross-sectional area of said conductor narrower section.

8. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical conductor defines a conductor proximal end and a substantially longitudinally opposed conductor distal end, said electrical conductor being substantially more flexible substantially adjacent said conductor distal end than substantially adjacent said conductor proximal end.

9. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising an electrically insulating material substantially covering said electrical conductor, said electrode being deprived of said electrically insulating material.

10. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 9, further comprising

a first electrically insulating layer made out of a first electrically insulating material, said first electrically insulating layer substantially covering a first section of said electrical conductor;

and

a second electrically insulating layer made out of a second electrically insulating material, said second electrically insulating layer substantially covering a second section of said electrical conductor, said second section being located distally relatively to said first section;

wherein said second electrically insulating layer is substantially thinner than said first electrically insulating layer.

11. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said first electrically insulating material is substantially more lubricious than said second electrically insulating material.

12. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrode is located substantially adjacent to said conductor distal end.

13. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said guiding element is substantially radially spaced apart from said electrode.

14. An energy delivery apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising a heat shield made out of a substantially thermally insulating material, said heat shield extending between said electrode and said guiding element.

15. A method for delivering electrical energy at a target location using an energy delivery apparatus, said method using a magnetic field, said target location being located in a body of a patient, said body including a body vessel, said energy delivery apparatus being substantially elongated, said energy delivery apparatus defining an apparatus proximal end and a substantially longitudinally opposed apparatus distal end, said energy delivery apparatus including a substantially elongated electrical conductor, an electrode electrically coupled to said electrical conductor and a magnetically responsive material mounted to said electrical conductor;

said method comprising;

inserting said apparatus distal end into said body vessel;

applying said magnetic field to exert a magnetic force onto said magnetically responsive material so as to move said electrode;

guiding said electrode to an electrode location, said electrode location being substantially adjacent to said target location; and

delivering said electrical energy at said target location through said electrode.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein delivering said electrical energy and applying said magnetic field are performed substantially simultaneously together so that applying said magnetic field moves said electrode to said electrode location.

17. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein

applying said magnetic field is performed prior to delivering said electrical energy;

and

guiding said electrode to said electrode location includes advancing said apparatus distal end into said body vessel while substantially simultaneously applying said magnetic field.

18. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein said target location is included in an occlusion, said occlusion at least partially occluding said body vessel.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein said body vessel is selected from the group consisting of a coronary blood vessel, a peripheral blood vessel and a cranial blood vessel.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, further comprising advancing said apparatus distal end into said occlusion to create a channel into said occlusion.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein advancing said apparatus distal end and applying said magnetic field are performed substantially simultaneously.

22. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein said body vessel defines a vessel wall, said method further comprising advancing said apparatus distal end through a section of said vessel wall.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising advancing said apparatus distal end back into said body vessel after advancing said apparatus distal end through said section of said vessel wall.

24. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein said body vessel defines a bifurcation from which another body vessel extends, said occlusion being located substantially adjacent to said bifurcation, wherein said magnetic field is applied so as to substantially prevent said apparatus distal end from entering said other body vessel while delivering said electrical energy.

25. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein

said patient has a lung, said lung including lung tissue defining airways, said body vessel being a target airway from said airways;

and

delivering said electrical energy includes creating an air pathway extending from said target airway into said lung tissue.

26. An energy delivery apparatus for delivering electrical energy at a target location, said energy delivery apparatus being usable in combination with a magnetic field, said energy delivery apparatus comprising:

an electrical conductor, said electrical conductor having a substantially elongated configuration;

an electrode for delivering said electrical energy at said target location, said electrode being electrically coupled to said electrical conductor; and

a guiding element mounted to said electrical conductor, said guiding element including a magnetically responsive material;

wherein said energy delivery apparatus is constructed such that movement of said guiding element causes a corresponding movement of said electrode.