CATHETER WITH PRESSURE MEASURING TIP

• US 20110130648A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Govari, Assaf, Beeckler, Christopher Thomas, Ephrath, Yaron
• Granted Patent: US 10,688,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• 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 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0069 Tip not integral with tube

Abstract

A medical probe, consisting of a flexible insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity of a patient, and a distal tip, which is disposed at the distal end of the flexible insertion tube is configured to be brought into contact with tissue in the body cavity. The probe also includes a coupling member, which couples the distal tip to the distal end of the insertion tube and which consists of a tubular piece of an elastic material having a plurality of intertwined helical cuts therethrough along a portion of a length of the piece.

Claims

1. A medical probe, comprising:

a flexible insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity of a patient;

a distal tip, which is disposed at the distal end of the flexible insertion tube and is configured to be brought into contact with tissue in the body cavity; and

a coupling member, which couples the distal tip to the distal end of the flexible insertion tube and which comprises a tubular piece of an elastic material having a plurality of intertwined helical cuts therethrough along a portion of a length of the piece.

2. The probe according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the helical cuts comprises an enlarged termination.

3. The probe according to claim 2, wherein the enlarged termination comprises a partial ellipse.

4. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of intertwined helical cuts comprises n cuts, where n is an integer greater than 1, and wherein the cuts are configured so that the tubular piece has n-fold rotational symmetry about an axis of the piece.

5. The probe according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the helical cuts subtends an angle between 360°

and 720°

about an axis of the tubular piece.

6. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member is configured to bend in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the distal tip engages the tissue, and wherein at least one of the helical cuts has a width chosen so as to provide a predetermined angular limit on initial bending of the coupling member.

7. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member comprises a tubular part connected by a fixed connection to the tubular piece.

8. The probe according to claim 7, wherein the tubular piece comprises a stem, and wherein the fixed connection comprises the stem welded to the tubular part.

9. The probe according to claim 7, wherein the tubular part and the tubular piece are arranged so as to form a common circumference thereto, and wherein the fixed connection comprises welds on the common circumference absent regions thereon proximal to respective terminations of the helical cuts.

10. The probe according to claim 7, and comprising a position sensor within the tubular piece.

11. The probe according to claim 10, wherein the position sensor is configured to sense a position of the distal tip relative to the distal end of the insertion tube, the position changing in response to deformation of the coupling member.

12. The probe according to claim 10, wherein the position sensor is configured to generate a signal in response to a magnetic field, and wherein the signal is indicative of a position of the distal tip.

13. The probe according to claim 12, and comprising a magnetic field generator within the tubular part for generating the magnetic field.

14. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the insertion tube, the distal tip and the coupling member are configured for insertion through a blood vessel into a heart of a patient.

15. A method for performing a medical procedure, comprising:

inserting into a body cavity of a patient a probe, which comprises a flexible insertion tube and a distal tip, which is disposed at a distal end of the flexible insertion tube, and a coupling member, which couples the distal tip to the distal end of the flexible insertion tube and comprises a tubular piece of an elastic material having a plurality of intertwined helical cuts therethrough along a portion of a length of the piece; and

bringing the distal tip into contact with tissue in the body cavity.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein inserting the probe comprises passing the probe through a blood vessel into a heart of the patient.

17. The method according to claim 15, and comprising ablating the tissue with which the distal tip is in contact.

18. A method for producing a medical probe, comprising:

providing a flexible insertion tube, having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity of a patient, and a distal tip, which is disposed at the distal end of the flexible insertion tube and which is configured to be brought into contact with tissue in the body cavity; and

coupling the distal tip to the distal end of the flexible insertion tube using a coupling member, which comprises a tubular piece of an elastic material having a plurality of intertwined helical cuts therethrough along a portion of a length of the piece.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the helical cuts comprises an enlarged termination.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the enlarged termination comprises a partial ellipse.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of helical cuts comprises n cuts, where n is an integer greater than 1, and comprising configuring the n cuts so that the tubular piece has n-fold rotational symmetry about an axis of the piece.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the helical cuts subtends an angle between 360°

and 720°

about an axis of the tubular piece.

23. The method according to claim 18, comprising configuring the coupling member to bend in response to pressure exerted on the distal tip when the distal tip engages the tissue, and configuring at least one of the helical cuts to have a width chosen so as to provide a predetermined angular limit on initial bending of the coupling member.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the coupling member comprises a tubular part connected by a fixed connection to the tubular piece.