Mapping and ablation catheter with individually deployable arms and method
First Claim
1. A catheter for mapping a wall forming a chamber in a heart comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities, a deflection tip carries by the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and having a curved deflecting surface, said flexible elongate member having a plurality of lumens therein extending through the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and opening onto the curved deflecting surface of the deflection tip, a plurality of arms slidably mounted in said lumens and having distal extremities, each of said arms having a plurality of electrodes spaced-apart longitudinally thereon and means secured to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate member and coupled to the plurality of arms for moving the distal extremities of the arms into engagement with the deflection tip for causing the arms to deflect proximally and outwardly from the deflection tip whereby the plurality of electrodes of each of the arms is moved into engagement with the wall to make measurements of the electrical activity in the wall.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities. A deflection tip is carried by the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and has a curved deflecting surface. The flexible elongate member has a plurality of lumens therein extending through the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and opening onto the curved deflecting surface of the deflecting tip. A plurality of arms are slidably mounted in the lumens. Each of the arms has a plurality of electrodes spaced-apart longitudinally thereon. A control mechanism is secured to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate member and is coupled to the plurality of arms for moving the distal extremities of the arms into engagement with the deflection tip to cause the arms to deflect proximally and outwardly from the deflection tip.
288 Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A catheter for mapping a wall forming a chamber in a heart comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities, a deflection tip carries by the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and having a curved deflecting surface, said flexible elongate member having a plurality of lumens therein extending through the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and opening onto the curved deflecting surface of the deflection tip, a plurality of arms slidably mounted in said lumens and having distal extremities, each of said arms having a plurality of electrodes spaced-apart longitudinally thereon and means secured to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate member and coupled to the plurality of arms for moving the distal extremities of the arms into engagement with the deflection tip for causing the arms to deflect proximally and outwardly from the deflection tip whereby the plurality of electrodes of each of the arms is moved into engagement with the wall to make measurements of the electrical activity in the wall.
- 11. A catheter for introduction into a chamber of a heart formed by a wall comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and having a plurality of lumens therein extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of arms slidably mounted in said lumens, each of said arms having an exterior surface and a distal extremity, a plurality of electrodes mounted on the exterior surface of the arms and being spaced longitudinally of the arms, each of said arms having at least one element therein extending longitudinally thereof having a shape-memory, a deflection tip secured to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member having a curved deflection surface facing proximally of the flexible elongate tubular member, said deflection surface overlying the lumens so that when the arms are slid out of the lumens they come into engagement with the curved deflection surface and forming means for deflecting the arms proximally and outwardly from the flexible elongate tubular member whereby the plurality of electrodes of each of the arms are moved into engagement with the wall to make measurements of the electrical activity in the wall, a control unit mounted on the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member and having a housing sized so that it is adapted to be held by a human hand, a plurality of control members slidably mounted on the housing, push/pull elements secured to the control members and extending into the lumens of the flexible elongate member and being secured to the proximal extremities of the arms so that as the control members are actuated, the arms can be moved out of the lumens into engagement with the curved deflection surface so that the electrodes carried by the arms can be moved into engagement with the wall forming the chamber in which the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member is disposed, said push/pull elements carrying conductors in communication with the electrodes carried by the arms and conductors which are connected to the shape-memory elements.
- 14. An arm comprising a flexible member having proximal and distal extremities, first and second elements disposed in said flexible elongate member at different longitudinal positions in said flexible elongate member, said first and second elements having first and second transition temperatures and electrical conducting means connected to at least one of said first and second elements for supplying electrical energy to at least one of said first and second elements.
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18. A method for mapping a chamber of a heart formed by a wall carrying electrical potentials and having an apex by the use of a catheter having a distal extremity with a deflection tip secured to the distal extremity, and having arms slidably mounted therein and movable into engagement with the deflection tip, the method comprising the steps of advancing the distal extremity of the catheter into the chamber of the heart so that the distal extremity comes into engagement with the apex of the chamber, advancing the arms out of the flexible elongate tubular member so that the distal extremity comes into engagement with the deflection tip and urges the arms proximally of the catheter and outwardly therefrom, causing the distal extremities of the arms to form pigtails so that the individual arms will not become entangled within the chamber of the heart, causing the arms to stiffen and move into engagement with the wall of the heart, and advancing the arms to different distances so that substantially all of the wall forming the chamber of the heart is encompassed by electrodes carried by the arms and sensing the electrical potentials which are encountered by electrodes carried by the arms engaging the wall forming the chamber during a single beat of the heart.
Specification