Maneuverable electrophysiology catheter for percutaneous or intraoperative ablation of cardiac arrhythmias
First Claim
1. Apparatus for ablation of cardiac tissue comprising:
- a catheter adapted to access the cardiovascular system, said catheter having a distal end and a proximal end; and
a conductor extending along and within said catheter for transmitting coherent light energy to said distal end of said catheter, said conductor having a distal end which is extensible beyond the distal end of the catheter and also retractable within the catheter, said distal end of the conductor configured to penetrate cardiac tissue and to direct energy from and radially and axially relative to the conductor when the conductor is extended beyond the distal end of the catheter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter capable of both sensing myocardial electrical activity and delivering ablating energy within myocardial tissue is disclosed. The catheter comprises electrodes on the outer sheath and contains a movable fiber optic cable that can be percutaneously advanced beyond the catheter body and into the myocardium for myocardial heating and coagulation, or modification of tissues responsible for cardiac arrhythmias. The fiber optic tip is designed to diffuse ablating energy radially to ablate a larger volume of tissue than is possible with a bare fiber optic tip. In addition, the tip is treated so that energy is not propagated in a forward direction, thus helping to prevent unwanted perforation of the heart tissue.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for ablation of cardiac tissue comprising:
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a catheter adapted to access the cardiovascular system, said catheter having a distal end and a proximal end; and a conductor extending along and within said catheter for transmitting coherent light energy to said distal end of said catheter, said conductor having a distal end which is extensible beyond the distal end of the catheter and also retractable within the catheter, said distal end of the conductor configured to penetrate cardiac tissue and to direct energy from and radially and axially relative to the conductor when the conductor is extended beyond the distal end of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14)
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- 10. A maneuverable catheter for ablation of myocardial tissue in a heart, said catheter comprising a retractable tip, a conductor, and a source of radiative energy, wherein said tip is connected through said conductor disposed within said catheter to said source of radiative energy, and wherein said retractable tip is extensible through an endocardial layer and into the myocardium of said heart for lateral diffusion of ablating radiative energy into myocardial tissue when said catheter is inserted intravascularly to position said retractable tip adjacent said endocardial layer of said heart.
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15. A method for myocardial ablation for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, comprising:
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providing a catheter comprising mapping electrodes, stimulating electrodes, and a stabilizer, the catheter being insertable into the heart of a patient and a distal end of the catheter being maneuverable from external to the patient; providing an optical fiber slidably disposed within the catheter, a distal end of the optical fiber comprising an ablation probe that is extensible beyond the distal end of the catheter and adapted for penetrating myocardial and endocardial tissue, the ablation probe being diffusive so as to deliver laser energy substantially radially into the tissue in which the probe is positioned; providing electronic stimulating and mapping instruments coupled to the mapping electrodes and to the stimulating electrodes, and providing a laser energy source coupled to the optical fiber; introducing the catheter into the body of a patient and guiding the catheter into the heart of the patient; stimulating the heart into an arrhythmic condition using said stimulating electrodes; mapping electrical signals produced by the heart and locating an arrhythmic site for ablation; placing the distal end of the catheter proximate the arrhythmic site; activating the stabilizer; advancing the optical fiber through the catheter, thus penetrating the ablation probe through the endocardium and into myocardial tissue at the arrhythmic site; ablating tissue at the arrhythmic site by introducing a desired amount of laser energy into the optical fiber, conducting the laser energy through the optical fiber to the ablation probe, and directing sufficient laser energy into the myocardial tissue at the arrhythmic site to ablate the tissue; deactivating the stabilizer and removing the catheter and optical fiber from the body of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method for myocardial ablation for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias in a patient, comprising:
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providing a catheter having a distal end and comprising mapping electrodes, stimulating electrodes and a stabilizer, the catheter being insertable into a heart of a patient and said distal end of the catheter being maneuverable from external to the patient; providing an energy conductor having a distal end and slidably disposed within the catheter, said distal end of the energy conductor comprising an ablation probe that is extensible beyond the distal end of the catheter and adapted for penetrating endocardial and myocardial tissue; providing electronic stimulating and mapping instruments coupled to the mapping electrodes and to the stimulating electrodes, and providing an ablating energy source coupled to the energy conductor; introducing the catheter into the body of a patient and guiding the distal end of the catheter into the heart of the patient; stimulating the heart into an arrhythmic condition using said stimulating electrodes; mapping electrical signals produced by the heart and locating an arrhythmic site for ablation; placing the distal end of the catheter proximate the arrhythmic site; advancing the energy conductor through the catheter, thus penetrating the ablation probe through the endocardium and into the myocardium at the arrhythmic site; ablating tissue at the arrhythmic site by introducing a desired amount of energy into the energy conductor, conducting the energy through the energy conductor to the ablation probe, and directing sufficient energy into the myocardium at the arrhythmic site to ablate the tissue; and removing the catheter and optical fiber from the body of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification