RF ENERGY DELIVERY SYSTEM

• US 20140288546A1
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: SHERMAN, Marshall L., WERNETH, Randell L., FLAHERTY, J. Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,219,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators 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 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00375 Ostium, e.g. ostium of pulmonary vein or artery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop
• 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

Abstract

A radio frequency tissue ablation system with a radio frequency generator, the generator comprising a radio frequency source, at least four independently controllable radio frequency outputs, a user interface and a controller configured to delivery radio frequency energy from the radio frequency source to the radio frequency outputs in one of at least two different output configurations in response to a configuration selection made through the user.

Claims

1. A radio frequency energy generation system for delivering radio frequency energy to a cardiac ablation catheter, comprising:

a radio frequency generator adapted to deliver radio frequency energy in both monopolar and bipolar modes to an ablation catheter, wherein the ablation catheter comprises an electrode array comprising at least one electrode;

an EKG monitoring unit adapted to monitor and map signals detected by the at least one electrode; and

an interface unit comprising an inductor which couples the radio frequency generator and EKG monitoring unit to filter radio frequency signals from EKG signals received by the EKG monitoring unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode is configured to monitor the temperature of atrial tissue adjacent the electrode, and wherein the generator generates radio frequency energy based on the temperature of the atrial tissue.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes, and wherein the generator is configured to independently monitor the temperature of atrial tissue measured by each of the plurality of electrodes, and wherein the radio frequency generator is configured to generate and deliver radio frequency energy to each of the plurality of electrodes based on the independently monitored temperatures.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the EKG monitoring unit comprises a plurality of inputs and an inductor associated with each input.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the generator is configured to deliver energy in a bipolar mode, a monopolar mode, and a combination of both bipolar and monopolar modes.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the generator is configured to deliver a combination of bipolar and monopolar radio frequency energy to the electrode array in bipolar to monopolar ratios of at least 4:

1, 2;

1, and 1;

1.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the combination of bipolar and monopolar radio frequency energy is delivered at a constant duty cycle, a constant field length, and a constant bipolar delivery phase angle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the field length is 17 msec.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the phase angle is 90°

.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a ratio of 1:

1 bipolar to monopolar energy is achieved by delivering by delivering a first monopolar fields and a second monopolar field, followed by one bipolar field.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a ratio of 2:

1 bipolar to monopolar energy is achieved by delivering one monopolar field followed by one bipolar field.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein a ratio of 4:

1 bipolar to monopolar energy is achieved by delivering one monopolar field followed by a first bipolar field and a second bipolar field.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the electrode array includes a first carrier arm, a second carrier arm, a third carrier arm, and a fourth carrier arm.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth carrier arms are arranged in an umbrella configuration in which the first, second, third, and fourth carrier arms are approximately 90°

from each other.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the electrode array includes eight electrodes.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein each electrode has a mass of between 17 and 37 milligrams.

17. A radio frequency energy generation system for delivering radio frequency energy to a cardiac ablation catheter, comprising:

a radio frequency generator adapted to deliver radio frequency energy in both monopolar and bipolar modes to an ablation catheter, wherein the ablation catheter comprises an electrode array comprising at least one electrode configured to monitor the temperature of atrial tissue adjacent the electrode, the generator generating radio frequency energy based at least in part on the temperature of the atrial tissue;

an EKG monitoring unit adapted to monitor and map signals detected by the at least one electrode; and

an interface unit comprising an inductor which couples the radio frequency generator and EKG monitoring unit to filter radio frequency signals from EKG signals received by the EKG monitoring unit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes, the generator being adapted to independent monitor the temperature of atrial tissue measured by each of the plurality of electrodes, the generator being configured to generate and deliver radio frequency energy to each of the plurality of electrodes based at least in part on the independently monitored temperatures.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the generator is configured to deliver a combination of bipolar and monopolar radio frequency energy to the electrode array in bipolar to monopolar ratios of at least 4:

1, 2;

1, and 1;

1.

20. A radio frequency energy generation system for delivering radio frequency energy to a cardiac ablation catheter, comprising:

a radio frequency generator adapted to deliver radio frequency energy in both monopolar and bipolar modes to an ablation catheter, wherein the ablation catheter comprises an electrode array comprising a plurality of electrodes configured to monitor a temperature of atrial tissue adjacent the plurality of electrodes, a first carrier arm, a second carrier arm, a third carrier arm, and a fourth carrier arm, the generator generating radio frequency energy based at least in part on the temperature of the atrial tissue;

an EKG monitoring unit configured to independently monitor temperature of atrial tissue measured by each of the plurality of electrodes and to map signals detected by each of the plurality of electrodes, the generator being configured to generate and deliver radio frequency energy in a monopolar mode, a bipolar mode, and a combination of both bipolar and monopolar modes to each of the plurality of electrodes based at least in part on the independently monitored temperatures; and

an interface unit comprising an inductor which couples the radio frequency generator and EKG monitoring unit to filter radio frequency signals from EKG signals received by the EKG monitoring unit.