Ablation methods and medical apparatus using same
First Claim
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1. A method for use in ablating tissue, comprising:
- providing a catheter comprising an ablation electrode;
ablating tissue using the ablation electrode, wherein the ablation electrode directs electromagnetic energy to the tissue;
detecting at least acoustical energy resulting from the ablation of tissue; and
comparing the detected acoustical energy to at least a portion of an ECG waveform to determine stability of the catheter.
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods of the present invention utilize sensed acoustical energy and may detect both instability of an ablation electrode during the ablation process and/or crater formation during tissue ablation.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for use in ablating tissue, comprising:
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providing a catheter comprising an ablation electrode;
ablating tissue using the ablation electrode, wherein the ablation electrode directs electromagnetic energy to the tissue;
detecting at least acoustical energy resulting from the ablation of tissue; and
comparing the detected acoustical energy to at least a portion of an ECG waveform to determine stability of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
detecting acoustical energy over a threshold; and
determining whether the detected acoustical energy is synchronized with the at least a portion of an ECG waveform.
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3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the comparison.
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4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting at least acoustical energy further comprises detecting at least acoustical energy resulting from the ablation of tissue using a piezoelectric transducer element.
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5. The method of claim 4, wherein the catheter further comprises a catheter body, and further wherein the piezoelectric transducer element is positioned proximate the ablation electrode of the catheter.
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6. The method of claim of claim 1, wherein ablating tissue using the ablation electrode further comprises ablating cardiac tissue using the ablation electrode, wherein the ablation electrode directs electromagnetic energy to the cardiac tissue.
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7. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:
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detecting an ablation temperature using the piezoelectric transducer element; and
controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the detected ablation temperature.
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8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises simultaneously controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the detected acoustical energy and the detected ablation temperature.
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9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
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analyzing the detected acoustical energy to detect at least one popping sound; and
reducing the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue if at least one popping sound is detected.
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10. A method for use in ablating tissue, comprising:
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providing a catheter comprising an ablation electrode;
ablating tissue using the ablation electrode, wherein the ablation electrode directs electromagnetic energy to the tissue;
detecting acoustical energy and providing a transducer signal representative of the detected acoustical energy during ablation of tissue;
removing at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component from the transducer signal; and
controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the transducer signal having the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component removed therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
comparing the transducer signal having the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component removed therefrom to a predetermined popping sound spectrum to determine the presence of a popping sound; and
reducing the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue if at least one popping sound is present.
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12. The method of claim 10, wherein removing the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component from the transducer signal comprises:
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detecting acoustical energy prior to ablating tissue and providing a pre-ablation transducer signal representative of at least cardiac generated acoustical energy; and
subtracting the pre-ablation acoustic signal from the transducer signal provided during tissue ablation.
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13. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting acoustical energy further comprises detecting acoustical energy using a piezoelectric transducer element.
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14. The method of claim 10, wherein the catheter comprises a catheter body, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is positioned proximate the ablation electrode of the catheter, and further wherein the method further comprises detecting an ablation temperature using the piezoelectric transducer element.
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15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the ablation temperature using the piezoelectric transducer element comprises measuring a dielectric constant of the piezoelectric transducer.
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16. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the ablation temperature using the piezoelectric transducer element comprises measuring a dielectric loss tangent of the piezoelectric transducer.
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17. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:
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detecting an ablation temperature proximate the tissue being ablated; and
controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the detected ablation temperature.
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18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises simultaneously controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the detected acoustical energy and the detected ablation temperature.
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19. A method for use in ablating cardiac tissue, comprising:
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providing a catheter comprising an ablation electrode and a piezoelectric transducer element operable for use in detecting acoustical energy;
ablating tissue using the ablation electrode, wherein the ablation electrode directs electromagnetic energy to the tissue;
detecting acoustical energy using the piezoelectric transducer element for detection of at least one popping sound;
if at least one popping sound is detected, reducing the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
detecting acoustical energy during ablation of tissue using the piezoelectric transducer element and providing a transducer signal representative of the detected acoustical energy;
removing at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component from the transducer signal;
comparing the transducer signal having the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component removed therefrom to an acoustic profile representative of a popping sound; and
detecting at least one popping sound if the transducer signal having the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component removed therefrom matches the acoustic profile.
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21. The method of claim 20, wherein removing the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component from the transducer signal comprises:
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detecting acoustical energy prior to ablating tissue representative of at least cardiac generated acoustical energy and providing a pre-ablation transducer signal representative of the at least cardiac generated acoustical energy; and
subtracting the pre-ablation transducer signal from the transducer signal detected during ablation of tissue.
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22. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises detecting an ablation temperature proximate the tissue being ablated using the piezoelectric transducer element.
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23. The method of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises reducing the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the ablation temperature.
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24. A method for use in ablating tissue, comprising;
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providing a catheter comprising an ablation electrode and a piezoelectric transducer element;
ablating cardiac tissue using the ablation electrode, wherein the ablation electrode directs electromagnetic energy to the cardiac tissue;
detecting acoustical energy during ablation of cardiac tissue using the piezoelectric transducer element and providing a transducer signal representative thereof, wherein the transducer signal is further representative of an ablation temperature proximate tissue being ablated; and
controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the transducer signal. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
removing at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component from the transducer signal;
comparing the transducer signal having the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component removed therefrom to an acoustic profile representative of a popping sound; and
detecting at least one popping sound based on the transducer signal having the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component removed therefrom.
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27. The method of claim 26, wherein removing the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component from the transducer signal comprises:
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detecting acoustical energy prior to ablating tissue and providing a pre-ablation transducer signal representative of at least cardiac generated acoustical energy; and
subtracting the pre-ablation transducer signal from the transducer signal representative of acoustical energy during ablation of tissue.
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28. The method of claim 26, wherein controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the transducer signal further comprises reducing the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue if at least one popping sound is detected.
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29. The method of claim 24, wherein controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the transducer signal further comprises reducing the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue based on the ablation temperature.
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30. A method for use in ablating tissue, comprising:
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providing a catheter comprising an ablation electrode;
ablating tissue using the ablation electrode, wherein the ablation electrode directs electromagnetic energy to the tissue;
detecting acoustical energy and providing a transducer signal representative of the detected acoustical energy;
measuring a sound intensity of the detected acoustical energy;
comparing the measured sound intensity to a sound intensity threshold;
if the measured sound intensity is greater than the sound intensity threshold, then comparing the transducer signal to at least a portion of an ECG waveform; and
reducing the electromagnetic energy directed to the tissue if the transducer signal and the at least a portion of an ECG waveform are asynchronous. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A method for use in ablating cardiac tissue, comprising:
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providing a catheter comprising an ablation electrode and a tensiometric element;
ablating tissue using the ablation electrode, wherein the ablation electrode directs electromagnetic energy to the cardiac tissue;
detecting a plurality of cardiac contractions using the tensiometric element and providing a tensiometric signal representative of the plurality of cardiac contractions;
detecting acoustical energy and providing a transducer signal representative of the detected acoustical energy;
comparing the tensiometric signal to the transducer signal; and
controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the cardiac tissue based on the compared tensiometric signal and transducer signal. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
removing at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component from the transducer signal; and
comparing the transducer signal having the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component removed therefrom to an acoustic profile representative of a popping sound to detect at least one popping sound.
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37. The method of claim 36, wherein removing the at least a cardiac generated acoustical energy component from the transducer signal comprises:
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detecting acoustical energy prior to ablating tissue and providing a pre-ablation transducer signal representative of at least cardiac is generated acoustical energy; and
subtracting the pre-ablation transducer signal from the transducer signal representative of acoustical energy during ablation of tissue.
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38. The method of claim 37, wherein controlling the electromagnetic energy directed to the cardiac tissue further comprises reducing the electromagnetic energy directed to the cardiac tissue if at least one popping sound is detected.
Specification