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Atrial mapping and ablation catheter system

  • US 5,487,385 A
  • Filed: 12/03/1993
  • Issued: 01/30/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of mapping and ablating surface tissue in the right atrial cardiac chamber comprising the steps of:

  • (a) navigating a main catheter or sheath carrying a deployable flexible distal working catheter section through the vascular system of a patient of interest;

    (b) causing the distal end of the catheter to enter the right atrial chamber optionally through a vessel selected from the group consisting of the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava;

    (c) wherein said main catheter or sheath comprises;

    (1) a vascular navigating guidewire disposed to protrude from a distal end of said main catheter or sheath;

    (2) a single member flexible working catheter section having a proximal and a distal end and adapted to be deployed from said main catheter or sheath via a lumen therein for containing said working catheter section and a plurality of spaced separately connected serially situated electrodes on said single member working catheter section;

    (3) means for causing said working catheter section to assume an arcuate shape of controlled curvature for contacting an internal surface of said chamber and assuming an adjustable posture enabling positioning for the production of substantially linear ablation lesions along a predetermined line of the chamber surface using said plurality of spaced electrodes;

    (d) causing the distal area of the working catheter section to assume a controlled curvature in contact with a desired inner atrial surface such that a relatively linear ablation lesion can be formed by energizing a plurality of said spaced serial electrodes;

    (e) adjusting and positioning said single member working catheter section to ablate desired areas of said inner atrial surface;

    (f) ablating tissue to form linear lesions where indicated; and

    (g) reversing steps (b) and (a).

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