ABLATION CATHETER

• US 20110106074A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: ASCONEGUY, Alexander J., KUNIS, Christopher G., WERNETH, Randell L., Roman, Ricardo David, FLAHERTY, J. Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,337,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• 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 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• 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 2018/00267 having a basket shaped structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00375 Ostium, e.g. ostium of pulmonary vein or artery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1435 Spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1861 with an instrument inserted into a body lumen or cavity, e.g. a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/022 intracavitary

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for the mapping of electrical signals and the ablation of tissue. Embodiments include an ablation catheter that has an array of ablation elements attached to a deployable carrier assembly. The carrier assembly can be transformed from a compact, linear configuration to a helical configuration, such as to map and ablate pulmonary vein ostia.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

a catheter shaft defining a longitudinal axis;

a first carrier assembly coupled to the catheter shaft and having a first array of electrodes; and

a second carrier assembly coupled to the catheter shaft and having a second array of electrodes;

the first carrier assembly and the second carrier assembly each being independently movable between a configuration substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a radially expanded configuration.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the first carrier assembly is positioned proximal to the second carrier assembly.

3. The medical device of claim 2, further comprising:

a tubular body defining a tubular body lumen;

a first control shaft slidably received within the tubular body lumen, the first control shaft defining a control shaft lumen;

a second control shaft slidably received within the control shaft lumen, wherein a proximal portion of the first carrier assembly is coupled to the tubular body, a distal portion of the first carrier assembly and a proximal portion of the second carrier assembly is coupled to the first control shaft, and a distal portion of the second carrier assembly is coupled to the second control shaft.

4. The medical device of claim 3, wherein:

the first control shaft is independently movable between a first distal position and a first proximal position, such that moving the first control shaft to the first distal position moves the first carrier assembly to the configuration substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and moving the first control shaft to the first proximal position moves the first carrier assembly to the radially expanded configuration; and

the second control shaft is independently movable between a second distal position and a second proximal position, such that moving the second control shaft to the second distal position moves the second carrier assembly to the configuration substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and moving the second control shaft to the second proximal position moves the second carrier assembly to the radially expanded configuration.

5. The medical device of claim 1, the first array of electrodes having a series of longitudinally spaced electrodes.

6. The medical device of claim 1, the first carrier assembly further comprising a plurality of first carrier arms, and the second carrier assembly further comprising a plurality of second carrier arms.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the first and second carrier assemblies are each resiliently biased to a primary configuration.

8. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising a mapping element coupled to the first carrier assembly.

9. The medical device of claim 8, wherein the mapping element is distal to the first array of electrodes.

10. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the catheter shaft defines a guidewire lumen.

11. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the catheter shaft has a distal end, the medical device further comprising a tip coupled to the distal end.

12. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the first and second carrier assemblies are made at least partially from nitinol.

13. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to an electrode of the first array.

14. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the first and second carrier assemblies longitudinally overlap.

15. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the second carrier assembly is rotatable around the longitudinal axis.

16. The medical device of claim 14, further comprising a control element coupled to the second carrier assembly, wherein manipulation of the control element rotates the second carrier assembly around the longitudinal axis.

17. A medical device, comprising:

a catheter shaft;

a first carrier assembly coupled to the catheter shaft and having a first radially expandable array of electrodes; and

a second carrier assembly rotatably coupled to the catheter shaft and having a second radially expandable array of electrodes, the second carrier assembly rotatable about the first carrier assembly.

18. The medical device of claim 17, wherein the catheter shaft has a longitudinal axis, and the first carrier assembly and the second carrier assembly are each movable between a configuration substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and a radially expanded configuration.

19. A medical device, comprising:

a tubular shaft;

an expandable balloon coupled to the tubular shaft, the balloon having an expanded shape with a distal tapering portion;

a plurality of ablation elements affixed to the distal tapering portion, the ablation elements having a plurality of radial and longitudinal positions when the balloon has the expanded shape; and

a mapping element affixed to the distal tapering portion.

20. The medical device of claim 19, wherein the mapping element is positioned radially inward and distal of the ablation elements when the balloon has the expanded shape.

21. The medical device of claim 19, the tubular shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen therein, the medical device further comprising a tip having a distally tapering surface coupled to the distal end.

22. A method of medical treatment, comprising:

expanding a balloon proximate to a desired site for treatment;

contacting the desired site for treatment with an array of mapping elements and an array of ablation elements affixed to the balloon;

obtaining electrical signals through the mapping elements;

delivering energy through the ablation elements to tissue at the desired site for treatment; and

evaluating electrical activity through the mapping elements.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the desired site for treatment is an ostium of a body passage, further comprising temporarily occluding the body passage.

24. The method of claim 23, after evaluating electrical activity, further comprising delivering energy through the ablation elements to tissue at the desired site for treatment, and confirming ablation of the tissue.