IRRIGATED BALLOON CATHETER WITH FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY

• US 20170312022A1
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Biosense Webster Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Beeckler, Christopher Thomas, Keyes, Joseph Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 10,660,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00029 open
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0016 Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00375 Ostium, e.g. ostium of pulmonary vein or artery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1405 Electrodes having a specific shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1465 Deformable electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1497 Electrodes covering only part of the probe circumference
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/125 characterised by the manufacture of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 : Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 : Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 : with a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6857 : with a distal pigtail shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/16 : Coating processes; Apparatus therefor applying coatings to base materials in general B05; applying photosensitive compositions to base for photographic purposes G03C1/74
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4038 : Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4644 : by building the multilayer layer by layer, i.e. build-up multilayer circuits making via holes in the insulating layers H05K3/0011; special circuit boards as base or core whereon the multilayer is built H05K3/4602

Abstract

An irrigated balloon catheter for use in an ostium of a pulmonary vein, includes a flex circuit electrode assembly adapted for circumferential contact with the ostium when the balloon is inflated. Adapted for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications and procedures, the balloon catheter may be used with a lasso catheter or focal catheter. The flex circuit electrode assembly includes a substrate, a contact electrode on an outer surface of the substrate, the contact electrode having a “fishbone” configuration with a longitudinally elongated portion and a plurality of transversal fingers, and a wiring electrode on an inner surface of the substrate, and conductive vias extending through the substrate electrically coupling the contact electrode and the writing electrodes. Microelectrodes with exclusion zones are strategically positioned relative to the electrodes. The electrodes may also be split into electrode portions.

Claims

1. An electrophysiology catheter adapted for use in an ostium, comprising:

a balloon having an membrane, the balloon having a distal end and a proximal end defining a longitudinal axis; and

a contact electrode supported on the membrane, the contact electrode configured for contact with the ostium, the contact electrode having a fishbone configuration with a longitudinally elongated portion and a plurality of transversal fingers.

2. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 1, wherein at least two of the transversal fingers have different lengths.

3. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 1, wherein the contact electrode has longer fingers and shorter fingers, the longer fingers being situated near an equatorial region of the balloon.

4. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers include a distal finger, a proximal finger and fingers in between, wherein each of the fingers in between has a shorter adjacent finger.

5. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 1, wherein a width of the elongated portion is greater than a width of each finger.

6. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers are generally evenly spaced along the elongated portion.

7. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers have a generally uniform width.

8. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 1, wherein the contact electrode comprises gold.

9. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 8, wherein the contact electrode comprises a seed layer below the gold.

10. An electrophysiology catheter of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of contact electrodes generally evenly radially distributed on the balloon membrane.

11. An electrophysiology catheter, comprising:

a balloon with a membrane; and

a flex circuit electrode assembly on the membrane, having;

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface;

a contact electrode on the first surface;

a wiring electrode on the second surface; and

a conductive via extending through the substrate and adapted to conductively connect the contact electrode and the wiring electrode.

12. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 11, wherein the substrate includes a first irrigation aperture, the membrane includes a second irrigation aperture aligned with the first irrigation aperture.

13. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 12, wherein the contact electrode includes an exclusion zone surrounding the first irrigation aperture.

14. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 12, wherein the wiring electrode includes an exclusion zone surrounding the first irrigation aperture.

15. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 11, wherein the contact electrode has an elongated portion and a plurality of transversal fingers.

16. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 15, wherein the wiring electrode has an elongated body longitudinally aligned with the elongated portion.

17. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 11, wherein the wiring electrode includes a solder pad.

18. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 17, wherein the flex circuit electrode assembly includes a wire pair conductively connected to the solder pad.

19. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 11, wherein the flex circuit electrode includes:

a contact microelectrode;

a wiring microelectrode; and

a conductive via configured to conductively connect the contact microelectrode and the wiring electrode.

20. The electrophysiology catheter of claim 19, wherein the flex circuit electrode includes at least one exclusion zone configured to physically and electrically isolate the microelectrodes from the contact electrode and the wiring electrode.