Intraoperative endocardial and epicardial ablation probe

• US 6,540,742 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sydney West Area Health Service
• Original Assignee: The Western Sydney Area Health Service
• Inventors: Ross, David, Daly, Michael, Paterson, Robert, Koevski, Ilija, Thomas, Stuart, Rees, Arianwen
• Primary Examiner(s): COHEN, LEE S
• Application Number:
  US09/485,361
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 606/41, 606/45, 606/46, 606/49, 607/99, 607/105, 607/113, 607/122
• US Class Current: 606/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00088 using thermistors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00101 using an array of thermosensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0016 Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00797 measured by multiple temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00815 measured by a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00821 measured by a thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00898 Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 for high-frequency therapy

Abstract

An elongate, malleable ablation probe including an elongate malleable body (38) and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart electrodes (40) disposed at a distal end thereof. The electrodes (40) are separated one from another by insulative material. In one embodiment, a malleable insert is provided for insertion into a flexible longitudinal sleeve, the flexible longitudinal sleeve conforming to the shape of the malleable insert upon such insertion. In other embodiments, a malleable core is surrounded by a flexible body, the electrodes (40) being mounted to the body.

Claims

1. An elongate, malleable ablation probe consisting essentially of:

an elongate malleable body; and

a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart electrodes disposed on a single side surface at a distal end of said malleable body, said electrodes being separated one form another by insulative material and forming a malleable ablation portion of the malleable body.

2. A probe according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes are substantially flat.

3. A probe according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes are linearly arranged.

4. A probe according to any one of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of temperature sensing devices, each of which is connected to a respective one of said plurality of electrodes.

5. A probe according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of conductors, wherein at least two conductors of said plurality of conductors are connected to each of said electrodes, and wherein one of said conductors comprises a thermocouple as said temperature sensing device.

6. A probe according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of conductors, wherein at least one conductor is connected with each respective one of said plurality of electrodes, and wherein one of said conductors comprises a thermocouple as said temperature sensing device.

7. A probe according to any one of claim 1, wherein one or more prongs are connected with each of the electrodes, wherein said one or more prongs is used to puncture said body and is capable of being bent.

8. A probe according to any one of claim 1, wherein said body is made of insulative material.

9. A probe for ablating tissue, including:

an elongate, bendable body;

a plurality of substantially flat spaced apart electrodes linearly arranged along a longitudinal extent of said body and connected with a surface of said body to form an ablation portion;

insulative material separating said spaced apart electrodes one from another;

a plurality of electrical conductors, wherein at least one of said plurality of conductors is connected to each respective one of the plurality of electrodes; and

a malleable core disposed within said elongate body, including said ablation portion, whereby said probe is deformable and is able to retain a shape formed by bending said probe.

10. A probe for ablating tissue, comprising:

an elongate body of bendable material, wherein said body has a substantially flat surface extending along a longitudinal extent of a distal end of said body;

a plurality of flat electrodes arranged in a linear configuration on said flat surface of said body in a predetermined spaced apart relationship to each other to form an ablation portion;

insulative material separating said flat electrodes one from another;

a plurality of conductors, wherein at least one conductor is connected with each respective one of said plurality of electrodes; and

a malleable core formed in said body, including said ablation portion, wherein said probe is deformable.

11. A method of ablating tissue, said method comprising the steps of:

deforming an elongated, malleable ablation probe to conform to an irregular surface of said tissue, wherein said probe comprises a linear arrangement of flat electrodes forming a malleable ablation portion of the malleable ablation probe, separated one from another by insulative material along a longitudinal extent of said probe; and

ablating said tissue using one or more of said electrodes contacting said tissue.

12. A method of ablating cardiac tissue, said method comprising the steps of:

directly observing a shape of tissue to be ablated on an interior surface of a heart chamber;

bending an elongated malleable ablation portion of an ablation probe so that a single side surface of the ablation portion is substantially complemented with the observed shape of the tissue to be ablated;

forming a substantially full contact between said single side surface of the malleable ablation portion and the tissue to be ablated; and

operating the ablation probe to ablate the tissue in contact with the single side surface of the ablation portion.