ABLATION CATHETER

• US 20090030411A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Currie, Gary Edward, Sherman, Marshall L., Castellano, Thomas M., Flaherty, J. Christopher, Werneth, Randell L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,486,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/33
• 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 18/16 Indifferent or passive electrodes for grounding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• 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 2018/00291 using suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for the ablation of tissue. Embodiments include an ablation catheter which has an array of ablation elements attached to a deployable carrier assembly. The carrier assembly can be constrained within the lumen of a catheter, and deployed to take on an expanded condition.

Claims

1. A method of ablating target tissue of a patient comprising:

placing an array of electrodes on or near the targeted tissue;

placing an indifferent electrode in contact with a part of the patient'"'"'s body other than the targeted tissue;

conducting electrical energy from a first electrode of the array through the target tissue to at least a second electrode of the array in a bipolar manner without conducting electrical energy to the indifferent electrode; and

conducting electrical energy from at least one of the electrodes of the array through the target tissue to the indifferent electrode in a monopolar manner without conducting electrical energy from the first electrode to the second electrode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising conducting energy simultaneously from the first electrode of the array through the target tissue to the second electrode of the array and from the first electrode of the array through the target tissue to the indifferent electrode.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising ceasing conduction of electrical energy from all electrodes after the first and second conducting steps, then conducting electrical energy from the first electrode to at least one of the other electrodes.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising measuring the electrode temperature after a conducting step and prior to a subsequent conducting step.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the target tissue is cardiac tissue.

6. A method of ablating cardiac tissue of a patient, the method comprising:

advancing an ablation catheter into contact with a target tissue in the patient'"'"'s heart, the ablation catheter comprising a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with an RF generator having a user interface;

placing an indifferent electrode in contact with the patient;

selecting an energy delivery mode from the user interface; and

delivering RF energy to at least one of the electrodes of the ablation catheter in the selected energy delivery mode to ablate the target tissue.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the selecting step comprises selecting from the group consisting of a monopolar only energy delivery mode, a bipolar only delivery mode, and a combined bipolar/monopolar energy delivery mode.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

assessing the condition of the target tissue;

selecting an energy delivery mode from the user interface that is different than the energy delivery mode selected in the first selecting step; and

delivering RF energy to at least one of the electrodes of the ablation catheter in the different energy delivery mode to ablate the target tissue.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the target tissue is a first tissue location within the patient'"'"'s heart, the method further comprising:

advancing the ablation catheter into contact with a second target tissue in the patient'"'"'s heart;

selecting an energy delivery mode from the user interface that is different than the energy delivery mode selected in the first selecting step; and

delivering RF energy to at least one of the electrodes of the ablation catheter in the different energy delivery mode to ablate the second target tissue.

10. A method of ablating cardiac tissue of a patient, the method comprising:

advancing a first ablation catheter into contact with a first target tissue in the patient'"'"'s heart, the first ablation catheter comprising a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with an RF generator having a user interface;

placing an indifferent electrode in contact with the patient;

selecting an energy delivery mode from the user interface; and

delivering RF energy to at least one of the electrodes of the first ablation catheter in the selected energy delivery mode to ablate the first target tissue;

advancing a second ablation catheter into contact with a second target tissue in the patient'"'"'s heart, the second ablation catheter comprising a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with the RF generator;

selecting an energy delivery mode from the user interface that is different than the energy delivery mode selected in the first selecting step; and

delivering RF energy to at least one of the electrodes of the second ablation catheter in the different energy delivery mode.

11. A method of ablating target tissue of a patient comprising:

placing an array of electrodes on or near the targeted tissue;

placing an indifferent electrode in contact with a part of the patient'"'"'s body other than the targeted tissue;

conducting electrical energy from a first electrode of the array through the target tissue to at least a second electrode of the array in a bipolar manner; and

conducting electrical energy from at least one of the electrodes of the array through the target tissue to the indifferent electrode in a monopolar manner without conducting electrical energy from the first electrode to the second electrode.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising conducting energy simultaneously from the first electrode of the array through the target tissue to the second electrode of the array and from the first electrode of the array through the target tissue to the indifferent electrode.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising ceasing conduction of electrical energy from all electrodes after the first and second conducting steps, then conducting electrical energy from the first electrode to at least one of the other electrodes.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising measuring the electrode temperature after a conducting step and prior to a subsequent conducting step.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the target tissue is cardiac tissue.