SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF PERFORMING MEDICAL PROCEDURES

• US 20140364842A1
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: WERNETH, Randell L., STEWART, Mark T., FLAHERTY, J. Christopher, SHERMAN, Marshall
• Granted Patent: US 9,867,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/20
• 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 18/0206 ultrasonic, e.g. for destroying tissue or enhancing freezing
• 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 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0262 using a circulating cryogenic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2046 Tracking techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/063 using impedance measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6885 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots

Abstract

A medical method is provided, including a medical device having a distal assembly including at least one electrode and at least one treatment element, the medical device generating information regarding at least one of a physiological measurement and an operational parameter of the medical device; a plurality of surface electrodes affixable to a skin of the patient, wherein the surface electrodes are in electrical communication with the distal assembly to obtain position information of the medical device; and a processor pairing the position information and the at least one of a physiological measurement and an operational parameter of the medical device.

Claims

1. A medical method comprising:

inserting a medical device into the body of a patient;

obtaining position information of the medical device;

treating a tissue site with the medical device;

obtaining at least one of a physiological measurement of the tissue site and an operational parameter of the medical device;

pairing the position information of the medical device with the at least one of a physiological measurement of the tissue site and an operational parameter of the medical device; and

modifying the treatment of the tissue site based at least in part on the paired information.

2. The medical method of claim 1, further comprising applying at least three pairs of surface electrodes to an area of skin of the patient.

3. The medical method of claim 2, wherein obtaining position information includes applying an electric potential between each of the three pairs of the surface electrodes and obtaining three-dimensional position information of the medical device.

4. The medical method of claim 1, wherein modifying the treatment includes terminating the treatment.

5. The medical method of claim 1, wherein the position information and the at least one of a physiological measurement of the tissue site and an operational parameter of the medical device are obtained simultaneously.

6. The medical method of claim 1, wherein the position information and the at least one of a physiological measurement of the tissue site and an operational parameter of the medical device are obtained sequentially.

7. The medical method of claim 1, further comprising graphically displaying the paired information.

8. The medical method of claim 1, wherein the medical device has a distal assembly with at least one electrode and at least one ablation element.

9. The medical method of claim 8, wherein the physiological measurement includes measuring an impedance proximate the tissue site.

10. The medical method of claim 1, wherein the position information of the medical device and the at least one of a physiological measurement of the tissue site and an optical parameter of the medical device are obtained by a processor, the processor also pairing the position information of the medical device and the at least one of a physiological measurement of the tissue site and an operational parameter of the medical device.

12. The medical method of claim 10, further comprising applying a reference electrode to the patient'"'"'s skin, the reference electrode being in electrical communication with the distal assembly.

13. The medical method of claim 10, wherein ablating the tissue at the tissue site with the ablation element includes ablating the tissue at the tissue site with radiofrequency energy.

14. The medical method of claim 10, wherein ablating the tissue at the tissue site with the ablation element includes cryoablating the tissue at the tissue site.

15. The medical method of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional position information of the medical device and the impedance measurement are obtained sequentially.

16. The medical method of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional position information of the medical device and the impedance measurement are obtained simultaneously.

17. The medical method of claim 10, wherein modifying the operation of the ablation element includes terminating the ablation.

18. The medical method of claim 10, further comprising delivering ablation energy with an energy generator to the ablation element in unipolar mode and bipolar mode simultaneously.

19. The medical method of claim 10, wherein the position information and the measured impedance are paired by a processor.

11. A medical method comprising:

applying at least three pairs of surface electrodes to a patient'"'"'s skin;

applying an electric potential between each of the at least three electrode pairs;

providing a medical device having a distal assembly with at least one electrode and at least one ablation element;

inserting the medical device into the patient'"'"'s body;

obtaining three-dimensional position information of the medical device;

ablating tissue at a tissue site with the ablation element;

measuring an impedance proximate the tissue ablation site;

pairing the position information with the measured impedance;

processing the paired position information and the measured impedance into a computer readable signal;

graphically displaying the paired information; and

modifying the operation of the ablation element based at least in part on the paired information.

20. A medical method comprising:

applying at least three pairs of surface electrodes to a patient'"'"'s skin;

applying an electric potential between each of the at least three electrode pairs;

providing a medical device having a distal assembly with at least one electrode and at least one ablation element, the distal assembly being in electrical communication with an energy generator, the energy generator being configured to deliver ablation energy to the ablation element in unipolar mode and bipolar mode simultaneously;

inserting the medical device into the patient'"'"'s body;

obtaining with a processor from the medical device three-dimensional position information of the medical device;

ablating tissue at a tissue site with the ablation element;

measuring an impedance proximate the tissue ablation site;

obtaining with the processor when ablation energy is being delivered to the ablation element the measured impedance proximate the tissue ablation site simultaneously with obtaining with the processor from the medical device the three-dimensional position information of the medical device;

pairing with the processor the position information with the measured impedance;

processing the paired position information and the measured impedance into a computer readable signal;

graphically displaying the paired information; and

modifying the operation of the ablation element based at least in part on the paired information.