IRRIGATED ABLATION CATHETER HAVING IRRIGATION PORTS WITH REDUCED HYDRAULIC RESISTANCE

• US 20140058386A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Israel Ltd. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Israel Ltd. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Clark, Jeffrey L., Tola, Jeffry
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• 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 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00357 Endocardium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0073 Tip designed for influencing the flow or the flow velocity of the fluid, e.g. inserts for twisted or vortex flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0127 Magnetic means; Magnetic markers

Abstract

An irrigated ablation catheter includes a tip electrode with a thin shell and a plug to provide a plenum chamber. The tip electrode has an inlet of a predetermined size and noncircular shape, and outlets in the form of fluid ports formed in the thin shell wall. The plurality of the fluid ports is predetermined, as is their diameter. Each fluid port has a tapered configuration, for example, a frustoconical configuration, with a smaller inlet diameter and a larger outlet diameter.

Claims

1. An irrigated ablation catheter:

an elongated catheter body;

a deflectable section distal to the catheter body;

a tip electrode distal to the deflectable section;

an outer shell defining a cavity, the shell having a predetermined plurality of fluid ports, each contributing to a total fluid output area of the tip electrode;

an internal member including a fluid inlet into the tip electrode, the fluid inlet having a fluid input area;

wherein each fluid port is tapered.

2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein each fluid port has an inlet diameter between about 0.003 inch and 0.005 inch.

3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein each fluid port has an inlet diameter between about 0.003 inch and 0.004 inch.

4. The catheter of claim 1, where each fluid port is tapered by an angle between about 0 and 6 degrees.

5. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the shell has a shell wall thickness between about 0.003 inch and 0.004 inch.

6. A catheter of claim 1, wherein, the predetermined plurality of ports is about 56.

7. An irrigated ablation catheter:

an elongated catheter body;

a deflectable section distal to the catheter body;

a tip electrode distal to the deflectable section, the tip electrode having a predetermined plurality of fluid ports, each contributing to a total fluid output area of the tip electrode, the tip electrode also having a fluid inlet with a fluid input area;

wherein the tip electrode has a diffusion ratio less than about 1.8, and each fluid port has a tapered configuration.

8. The irrigated ablation catheter of claim 7, wherein the tapered configuration includes a frustoconical configuration.

9. The irrigated ablation catheter of claim 7, wherein the tapered configuration has a taper angle between about 0 and 6 degrees.

10. The irrigated ablation catheter of claim 7, wherein each fluid port has an inlet diameter ranging between about 0.003 inch and 0.005 inch.

11. The irrigated ablation catheter of claim 7, wherein the tip electrode has a shell thickness ranging between about 0.003 inch and 0.004 inch.

12. An irrigated ablation catheter:

an elongated catheter body;

a deflectable section distal to the catheter body;

a tip electrode distal to the deflectable section;

an outer shell defining a cavity, the shell having a predetermined plurality of fluid ports, each contributing to a total fluid output area of the tip electrode;

an internal member including a fluid inlet into the tip electrode, the fluid inlet having a fluid input area;

wherein the tip electrode has a predetermined diffusion ratio, a predetermined fluid port ration and a predetermined inlet aspect ratio and a chamber with a variable inner cross section,

wherein the cavity has an inner cross-section that varies along a length of the tip electrode, and

wherein each fluid port has a tapered configuration.