MULTIPOLARITY EPICARDIAL RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION

• US 20140296850A1
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: CONDIE, Catherine R., AHLBERG, Sarah E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,814,523 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 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00267 having a basket shaped structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00363 Epicardium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• 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 2218/002 Irrigation

Abstract

A method of ablating an epicardial tissue region, including positioning a medical device adjacent the epicardial tissue region, the medical device having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode located in between the first and second electrodes; delivering an irrigation fluid to the tissue region; and ablating at least a portion of the tissue region by sequentially activating the third electrode in a monopolar radiofrequency delivery mode and activating the first and second electrodes in a bipolar radiofrequency delivery mode.

Claims

1. A method of treating tissue, comprising:

ablating a first tissue region with a first portion of a medical device; and

ablating a second tissue region with a second portion of the medical device, the second tissue region substantially surrounding the first tissue region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein ablating the first tissue region includes conducting an electrical current between the medical device and a return electrode separate from the medical device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein ablating the second tissue region includes conducting an electrical current between two portions of the medical device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the medical device includes a first electrode and the second portion of the medical device includes a second electrode and a third electrode.

5. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising positioning the first electrode in proximity to the first tissue region and positioning the second and third electrodes in proximity to the second tissue region.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the ablating the first tissue region includes conducting an electrical current between the first electrode the return electrode.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein ablating the second tissue region includes conducting an electrical current between the second electrode and the third electrode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the medical device includes a plurality of arms.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of arms are extendable.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of arms includes a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the first, second, and third arms includes a distal portion and a proximal portion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first electrode is on the proximal portion of one of the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of arms includes four arms, each arm having a proximal portion and a distal portion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first electrode, second electrode, and third electrode are on the distal portion one of one of the four arms.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein ablating the first tissue region with the first portion of the medical device is performed before ablating the second tissue region with the second portion of the medical device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second tissue region is at least substantially continuous with the first tissue region.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first tissue region has a first tissue depth and the second tissue region has a second tissue depth, the second tissue depth being greater than the first tissue depth.

18. A method of treating tissue, comprising:

ablating a first tissue region with a first electrode of a medical device; and

then ablating a second tissue region with a second electrode and a third electrode of the medical device, the second tissue region at least substantially surrounding the first tissue region.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein ablating the first tissue region includes conducting an electrical current between the first electrode and a return electrode separate from the medical device and ablating the second tissue region includes conducting an electrical current between the second electrode and the third electrode.

20. A method of treating tissue, comprising:

ablating a first tissue region by conducting an electrical current between a first electrode on a medical device and a return electrode separate from the medical device; and

ablating a second tissue region by conducting an electrical current between a second electrode on the medical device and a third electrode on the medical device,

ablating the first tissue region creating a first lesion having a first tissue depth and ablating the second tissue region creating a second lesion having a second tissue depth, the second region of tissue being at least substantially continuous with the first region of tissue and the second tissue depth being greater than the first tissue depth.