Ablation catheter and method for isolating a pulmonary vein
First Claim
1. A catheter assembly for treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, the catheter assembly comprising:
- a catheter body having a proximal portion and a distal portion and defining a longitudinal axis;
a wire basket connected to an exterior of the catheter body along the distal portion thereof, the wire basket being selectively transitionable between a retracted position and an expanded position; and
a plurality of electrodes maintained by the wire basket;
wherein the catheter assembly is configured such that in the expanded position, the wire basket positions the electrodes to define an ablation loop that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and adapted to encompass a pulmonary vein ostium, and further comprising a cooling source fluidly coupled to a portion of the wire basket.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter assembly and method for treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, for example, atrial fibrillation, by electrically isolating a vessel, such as a pulmonary vein, from a chamber, such as the left atrium. The catheter assembly includes a catheter body and at least one electrode. The catheter body includes a proximal portion, an intermediate portion and a distal portion. The intermediate portion extends from the proximal portion and defines a longitudinal axis. The distal portion extends from the intermediate portion and forms a substantially closed loop transverse to the longitudinal axis. The at least one electrode is disposed along the loop. With this configuration, the loop is axially directed into contact with the chamber wall about the vessel ostium. Upon energization, the electrode ablates a continuous lesion pattern about the vessel ostium, thereby electrically isolating the vessel from the chamber.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A catheter assembly for treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, the catheter assembly comprising:
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a catheter body having a proximal portion and a distal portion and defining a longitudinal axis;
a wire basket connected to an exterior of the catheter body along the distal portion thereof, the wire basket being selectively transitionable between a retracted position and an expanded position; and
a plurality of electrodes maintained by the wire basket;
wherein the catheter assembly is configured such that in the expanded position, the wire basket positions the electrodes to define an ablation loop that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and adapted to encompass a pulmonary vein ostium, and further comprising a cooling source fluidly coupled to a portion of the wire basket.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
an elongated portion of the catheter assembly configured as a locating device disposed substantially in alignment with the center longitudinal axis and connected to the catheter body distal the expandable basket structure, the locating device adapted to center the ablation loop relative to an ostium.
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11. A catheter assembly for treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, the catheter assembly comprising:
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a catheter body having a proximal portion and a distal portion and defining a central longitudinal axis;
an expandable basket structure coupled around the catheter body and spaced from a distal end of the catheter body and wherein opposing ends of the expandable basket structure are coupled to the catheter body and an intermediate portion of the expandable basket structure is spaced from the catheter body and said intermediate portion being selectively circumferentially expanded and contracted between a retracted position and an expanded position relative to the central longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of electrodes operatively coupled to the expandable basket structure;
wherein the catheter assembly is configured such that in the expanded position, the expandable basket structure positions the electrodes to define an ablation loop that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and adapted to encompass a pulmonary vein ostium and wherein the ablation loop has a central loop axis aligned with the central longitudinal axis and further comprising an inflatable balloon coupled to the catheter body distal the expandable basket structure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
a mapping electrode coupled to the catheter body and disposed distal the expandable basket structure.
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14. A method for forming an ablation pattern to electrically isolate a vessel having an ostium from a cardiac chamber of a patient for treatment of a cardiac arrhythmia, the treatment comprising:
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providing a catheter assembly including a catheter body defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal portion and a distal portion, a wire basket connected to an exterior of the catheter body along the distal portion thereof, and a plurality of electrodes maintained by a plurality of elongated members of the wire basket, the wire basket being selectively transitionable between a retracted position and an expanded position, wherein in the retracted position and in the expanded position the plurality of electrodes are substantially equally spaced from the longitudinal axis of the catheter body by a first common spacing and a second common spacing, respectively, and wherein the first common spacing is less than the second common spacing and the plurality of elongated members are substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the catheter body;
guiding the distal portion into the chamber with the wire basket in the retracted position;
transitioning the wire basket to the expanded position such that the electrodes are positioned to define an ablation loop;
aligning the longitudinal axis with the vessel ostium;
advancing the distal portion such that the ablation loop contacts the chamber wall about the vessel ostium; and
energizing one or more of the electrodes to ablate a lesion pattern on the chamber wall about at least a portion of the vessel ostium to electrically isolate the vessel from the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
sliding at least one of the proximal and distal collars relative to an other of the proximal and distal collars.
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21. The method of claim 20, wherein the proximal collar is slidable relative to the distal collar.
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22. The method of claim 14, wherein the catheter assembly further includes a tip extending distal the wire basket, the method further including:
- locating the vessel with the tip.
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23. The method of claim 22, wherein the tip further includes a centering device, the method further comprising:
centering the ablation loop about the vessel ostium via the centering device.
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24. The method of claim 22, wherein the tip further includes at least one mapping electrode distal the wire basket, the method further including:
mapping tissue of the vessel with the mapping electrode.
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25. A method for forming an ablation pattern to electrically isolate a vessel having an ostium from a chamber formed within a patient for treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, the treatment comprising:
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providing a catheter assembly including a catheter body defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal portion and a distal portion, a wire basket connected to an exterior of a catheter body along the distal portion thereof, and a plurality of electrodes maintained by the wire basket, the wire basket being selectively transitionable between a retracted position and an expanded position;
guiding the distal portion into the chamber with the wire basket in the retracted position;
transitioning the wire basket to the expanded position such that the electrodes are positioned to define an ablation loop;
aligning the longitudinal axis with the vessel ostium;
advancing the distal portion such that the ablation loop contacts the chamber wall about the vessel ostium;
energizing one or more of the electrodes to ablate a lesion pattern on the chamber wall about at least a portion of the vessel ostium to electrically isolate the vessel from the chamber wherein the wire basket is comprised of a plurality of tubular wire struts fluidly connected to a cooling source, and further comprising the step of;
initiating fluid flow from the cooling source to the tubular wire struts following the step of energizing one or more of the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification