Catheter tip stabilizing apparatus

• US 5,492,119 A
• Filed: 12/22/1993
• Issued: 02/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Heart Rhythm Technologies, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Abrams, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US08/172,039
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 128/642, 607/122, 607/123, 607/125-128, 607/132
• US Class Current: 600/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0573 chacterised by means penetrating the heart tissue, e.g. helix needle or hook

Abstract

Electrophysiology catheter apparatus including at least one retractable control wire with a preformed curved resilient foot formed at the distal extremity, slidably advanced and retracted within a longitudinal lumen of a catheter tube for controllably anchoring to a selected endocardial heart tissue. The proximal end of the control wire is formed with a handle to be grasped to slidably advance the preformed resilient foot beyond the distal tip of a catheter to project laterally to contact the adjacent tissue.

Claims

1. A catheter tip stabilizing apparatus for releasably anchoring such tip to tissue, comprising:

a catheter having proximal and distal ends and formed with a lumen extending therethrough;

an electrode tip affixed to the distal end of said catheter, and having a port formed therein in communication with said lumen;

a straightening segment affixed to the distal end of said catheter;

a control wire having proximal and distal ends slidably received within said lumen and having a foot formed at its distal end, wherein said foot is formed with a point for, when said wire is in an advanced position, penetrating said tissue to cut a path for said foot to extend thereinto, and wherein said foot is in the form of a preformed curve having, in its unstressed configuration, a radius of curvature sufficiently small to form a turned back tip portion to act as a hook whereby retraction of said control wire to a retracted position will draw said foot into said straightening segment to flex said foot from said preformed curve to a straightened configuration, and advancement of said wire to an advanced position will extend said foot from said port to free said wire to assume said preformed curve to, when penetrating said tissue, act as said hook, thereby engaging the tissue in a stabilizing manner whereby, upon positioning said electrode tip against tissue and longitudinally advancing said control wire in a distal direction, said foot is caused to extend outwardly through said port in said electrode tip to engage said tissue to prevent said electrode tip from becoming dislodged.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein;

said control wire is constructed of pseudo-elastic material.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein;

said control wire is constructed of a nickel-titanium alloy.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein;

said foot is in the form of a preformed curve having a radius of curvature at least between 0.05 cm and 1 cm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein;

said preformed curve is formed within 3 cm of said distal end of said wire.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 that wherein said electrode comprises an ablating electrode.

7. A catheter tip stabilizing apparatus for releasably anchoring such tip to tissue, comprising;

a catheter having proximal and distal ends formed with a lumen extending therethrough in communication with ports formed in its exterior near its distal end;

an electrode tip affixed to the distal end of said catheter; and

control wires having proximal and distal ends, slidably received within said lumen configured to each access one of said ports and each having a foot formed near its distal end, such foot configured to engage the tissue in a stabilizing manner wherein said control wires are connected together near their respective proximal ends and wherein said feet are resilient and are configured in preformed curves said wires arranged and configured so that their proximal ends may be grasped to draw said wires in a proximal direction to respective retracted positions in said catheter to flex said feet from the respective said preformed curves to be received within said catheter and to, alternatively advance said wires distally to respective advanced positions to shift said feet out the respective said ports free of said catheter to assume the respective said preformed curves to project laterally contacting said tissue to locate said electrode tip relative to said tissue and wherein said feet are formed at their respective distal ends with points for, when said control wires are in the advanced positions, penetrating said tissue, whereby, upon positioning said electrode tip against tissue and longitudinally advancing said control wires in a distal direction, said feet are caused to extend radially outwardly from said catheter to engage said tissue and prevent said electrode tip from becoming dislodged from a substantially perpendicular position relative the tissue.

8. A catheter tip stabilizing apparatus for releasably anchoring such tip to tissue, comprising:

a catheter having proximal and distal ends formed with a lumen extending therethrough in communication with ports formed in its exterior near its distal end;

an electrode tip affixed to the distal end of said catheter; and

control wires having proximal and distal ends, slidably received within said lumen configured to each access one of said ports and each having a foot formed near its distal end, such foot configured to engage the tissue in a stabilizing manner wherein said control wires are connected together near their respective proximal ends and wherein said feet are resilient and are configured in preformed curves, said wires arranged and configured so that their proximal ends may be grasped to draw said wires in a proximal direction to respective retracted positions in said catheter to flex said feet from the respective said preformed curves to be received within said catheter and to, alternatively, advance said wires distally to respective advanced positions to shift said feet out the respective said ports free of said catheter to assume the respective said preformed curves to protect laterally contacting said tissue to locate said electrode tip relative to said tissue, and wherein said feet are constructed of pseudo-elastic nickel-titanium alloy, whereby, upon positioning said electrode tip against tissue and longitudinally advancing said control wires in a distal direction, said feet are caused to extend radially outwardly from said catheter to engage said tissue and prevent said electrode tip from becoming dislodged from a substantially perpendicular position relative the tissue.

9. A method of stabilizing a catheter tip relative to a selected tissue including;

selecting a catheter apparatus of the type, including a catheter tube distally terminating a catheter tip, and at least one elongated control wire having proximal and distal ends and received telescopically therein, having a handle at the proximal end and an elongated, resilient foot, adjacent the distal end, said foot preformed with a curve terminating in a point wherein upon telescoping of said wire to an advanced position, said foot is shifted to a stabilizing position extended from said catheter tube to assume said the preformed curve;

with said wire retracted to retract foot into said catheter tube, maneuvering said catheter apparatus into the body of a patient so as to position said catheter tip adjacent said tissue in position substantially perpendicular to such tissue; and

advancing said wire a sufficient distance relative to said catheter tube to cause said point to penetrate said tissue to cut a path therein for said foot and then advancing said control wire to cause said foot to become anchored in said tissue to locate said catheter tip relative to said tissue.

10. A method of stabilizing a catheter tip relative to a selected tissue including;

selecting a catheter apparatus of the type including a catheter tube distally terminating in a catheter tip, and at least one elongated control wire having proximal and distal ends and received telescopically therein having a handle at the proximal end and an elongated, resilient preformed curved foot terminating in a point for penetrating said tissue to anchor said catheter thereto said foot being adjacent to the distal end for being, upon telescoping of said wire to an advanced position, shifted to a stabilizing position extended from said catheter tube to assume said the preformed curve;

with said wire retracted to retract said foot into said catheter tube, maneuvering said catheter apparatus into the body of a patient so as to position said catheter tip adjacent said tissue in position substantially perpendicular to such tissue; and

advancing said wire to said advanced position extending said foot distally from said catheter tube a distance sufficient to extend said foot to said stabilizing position, to thereby penetrate said point into said tissue to cut a path for said foot to engage said tissue and stabilize the position of said catheter tip relative thereto.