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Apparatus and method for predicting ablation depth

  • US 6,322,558 B1
  • Filed: 10/01/1999
  • Issued: 11/27/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for ablating tissue at an ablation site to form a lesion of predictable depth in the heart of a human being while avoiding the possibility of tip coagulation, tissue sticking or tissue perforation, said apparatus comprising in combination:

  • (a) a source of RF energy for irradiating the tissue at the ablation site to cause a temperature rise of the tissue at the ablation site;

    (b) a catheter having a first electrode for contactingly engaging the ablation site and for irradiating the tissue with RF energy to heat the tissue at the ablation site, said electrode comprising a first electrode of material having a first work function;

    (c) transmission means for conveying RF energy from said source to said first electrode;

    (d) a second electrode displaced from said first electrode and of material having a second work function different from the first work function for electrically contacting an area of tissue of the human being;

    (e) a galvanic cell formed by said first electrode, said second electrode and the tissue of the human being serving as an electrically interconnecting electrolyte for generating an electrical signal upon irradiation of the tissue at the ablation site with RF energy, said electrical signal having a peak value corresponding with initial occurrence of ablation of the tissue at the ablation site followed by a decreasing value, an inflection in value and a decreasing value; and

    (f) a control circuit for regulating the operation of said source of RF energy to control radiation of RF energy at the ablation site upon detection of the inflection in value of said electrical signal.

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