COOLED ABLATION CATHETER DEVICES AND METHODS OF USE

• US 20090093811A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Oley, Leslie, Koblish, Josef
• Granted Patent: US 9,023,030 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 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 for high-frequency therapy

Abstract

Discloses herein are ablative catheters and methods of use. The catheters can include a cooling chamber for circulating cooling fluid within the catheter tip to reduce hot spots within the catheter tip and/or to reduce the formation of coagulum. A proximal cooling chamber can be positioned proximally to a thermal mass for cooling a proximal portion of the catheter. In addition, or alternatively, a distal cooling chamber can be positioned for cooling a distal portion of the catheter tip. The cooling fluid can flow the ablative catheter in an open, closed, or open and closed loop.

Claims

1. A catheter device, comprising:

a catheter sized and shaped for vascular access and including an elongate body extending between a proximal end and a distal end and having at least one inner fluid lumen,

an electrode tip positioned proximate to the distal end of the catheter body, the tip including an outer wall and a thermal mass having at least one fluid passageway therethrough, a cooling chamber in fluid communication with the inner fluid lumen of the elongate body and positioned proximally to the thermal mass and adapted to cool a proximal portion of the electrode tip including the thermal mass, the tip further comprising multiple irrigation apertures in fluid communication with the fluid passageway in the thermal mass.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cooling chamber extends across substantially the entire width of the tip between the outer walls of the tip.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the inner thermal mass comprises a material having a high thermal conductivity.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a temperature sensor is positioned at least partially within the thermal mass.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein at least one of the multiple irrigation apertures is positioned distally of the temperature sensor.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the thermal mass extends across substantially the full width of the tip.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second cooling chamber positioned distally from the thermal mass.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the fluid passageway through the thermal mass is sized and shape to produce an increase in the fluid pressure within the fluid passageway through the thermal mass with respect to the cooling chamber.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a fluid ingress to the cooling chamber is offset from a fluid egress of the cooling chamber.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the multiple irrigation apertures are positioned distally with respect to the cooling chamber.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the thermal mass extends across substantially the full width of the tip.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein a fluid ingress to the proximal cooling chamber is offset from a fluid egress of the proximal cooling chamber.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the multiple irrigation apertures are positioned distally with respect to the cooling chamber.

11. A catheter device, comprising:

a catheter sized and shaped for vascular access and including an elongate body extending between a proximal end and a distal end and having at least one inner fluid lumen,

an electrode tip position proximate to the distal end of the catheter body, the tip including an outer wall and a thermal mass having at least one fluid passageway therethrough, a proximal cooling chamber in fluid communication with the inner fluid lumen of the elongate body and positioned proximally of the thermal mass and adapted to cool a proximal surface of the thermal mass, and a distal cooling chamber positioned distally of the thermal mass, wherein a fluid path extends from the proximal cooling chamber, through the at least one fluid passageway, and into the distal cooling chamber, the tip further comprising multiple irrigation apertures in communication with the distal cooling chamber,

wherein the at least one fluid passageway through the thermal mass is sized and shaped to produce a pressure increase within the at least one fluid passageway with respect to the proximal or distal cooling chamber.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the elongate body is formed from a flexible material.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising a temperature sensor positioned at least partially within the thermal mass.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the proximal cooling chamber extends across substantially the entire width of the tip between the outer walls of the tip.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the distal cooling chamber extends across substantially the entire width of the tip between the outer walls of the tip.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the thermal mass comprises a material having a high thermal conductivity.

20. A method of ablating tissue comprising the steps of:

providing an electrode tip having a thermal mass with at least one fluid passageway therethrough, a proximal cooling chamber positioned proximally of the thermal mass and in thermal communication with a proximal surface of the thermal mass, and at least one distal irrigation aperture;

delivering ablative energy to the electrode tip;

delivering cooling fluid into the proximal cooling chamber and through the at least one fluid passageway in the thermal mass to cool a proximal portion of the electrode tip.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of delivery the cooling fluid into a distal cooling chamber.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one fluid passageway through the thermal mass is sized and shaped to produce a pressure increase within the at least one fluid passageway with respect to the proximal or distal cooling chamber.

23. A catheter device, comprising:

an ablative catheter tip sized and shaped for vascular access and including an outer wall and a thermal mass having at least one fluid passageway therethrough, a proximal cooling chamber positioned proximally of the thermal mass and adapted to receive a flow of cooling fluid, and multiple irrigation aperture for delivering cooling fluid to the environment surrounding the catheter tip, wherein a first and second fluid lumen extend to the proximal cooling chamber and define a closed loop cooling flow path into and out of the proximal cooling chamber, and wherein a third fluid lumen is in fluid communication with the multiple irrigation apertures to provide open loop delivery of cooling fluid to the exterior of the catheter tip.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the a distal cooling chamber is positioned distally to the thermal mass.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the third fluid lumen is in fluid communication with the distal cooling chamber.