Cardiovascular catheter with laterally stable basket-shaped electrode array
First Claim
1. A catheter for cardiac mapping comprising:
- a tubular catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a central lumen;
a plurality of flexible arms bowing outwardly to form a basket shape, the arms having distal and proximal ends, the arms being connected at their proximal ends to the distal end of the catheter shaft, each arm carrying at least one electrode and wherein each arm comprises a reinforcing spine, an electrode lead wire electrically connected to each electrode carried on the arm and a tubular sheath surrounding the reinforcing spine and lead wires;
a proximal fitting rigidly fixing the proximal ends of the arms together, the proximal fitting being fixed to the distal end of the catheter shaft and comprising a central aperture through which the lead wires extend; and
a distal fitting fixing the distal ends of the arms together.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrophysiological mapping device includes an outer catheter, an inner catheter slidable within the outer catheter, and an electronic activation and recording device for electrically activating electrodes on the inner catheter and/or recording electric signals received by the electrodes. The distal end of the inner catheter comprises a plurality of arms that carry electrodes. The arms bow outwardly upon extension of the inner catheter from the outer catheter to form a three-dimensional shape. Each arm has a spine of a superelastic material. Each spine is semicircular in section, and is disposed within a portion of a flexible sheath, the electrode lead wires being disposed in the rest of the sheath. The electrodes are formed from the ends of the insulated electrode lead wires which pass through the sheath, are wrapped around the sheath and then stripped of their insulation. The proximal and distal ends of the spines are fixed to proximal and distal fittings, each having a polygonal segment having flat sides which engage the flat surfaces of the spines and a clamping ring to secure the spines to the segments.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A catheter for cardiac mapping comprising:
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a tubular catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a central lumen; a plurality of flexible arms bowing outwardly to form a basket shape, the arms having distal and proximal ends, the arms being connected at their proximal ends to the distal end of the catheter shaft, each arm carrying at least one electrode and wherein each arm comprises a reinforcing spine, an electrode lead wire electrically connected to each electrode carried on the arm and a tubular sheath surrounding the reinforcing spine and lead wires; a proximal fitting rigidly fixing the proximal ends of the arms together, the proximal fitting being fixed to the distal end of the catheter shaft and comprising a central aperture through which the lead wires extend; and a distal fitting fixing the distal ends of the arms together. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A catheter for cardiac mapping comprising:
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a catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end; a plurality of flexible arms extending from the distal end of the catheter body, each arm having a distal end and a proximal end; means for fixing the distal ends of the arms together wherein the arms bow outwardly between their proximal and distal ends and form a three-dimensional shape with a central axis, the arms each comprising a tubular sheath, a plurality of electrode lead wires and a reinforcing spine extending within the sheath, and a plurality of electrodes connected to the lead wires and disposed along the length of the sheath, said reinforcing spine comprising a semicircular transverse cross sectional shape having a flat side, with the flat side facing toward the central axis. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An electrophysiological mapping device comprising:
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a tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends; a plurality of flexible arms bowing outwardly to form a three-dimensional basket shape, the arms extending from the distal end of the catheter body, each arm having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising a flexible tubular sheath and a reinforcing spine having a proximal end, a distal end, and a semicircular cross section extending within the sheath, and wherein a plurality of electrodes are disposed along the length of the sheath; an electronic recorder electrically connected to the electrodes for electrically recording electric signals received by the electrodes wherein the electrodes are electrically connected to the recorder by insulated lead wires which extend from the recorder through the catheter body and sheaths of the arms to the electrodes; a first polygonal fitting fixing the proximal ends of the reinforcing spines together, the first fitting being fixed to the distal end of the catheter body; and a second fitting fixing the distal ends of the reinforcing spines together. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification