Ultrasound-guided ablation catheter and methods of use

• US 6,824,515 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: TenHoff, Harm, Panescu, Dorin, Swanson, David K., Whayne, James G., Suorsa, Veijo T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US10/305,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 600/439, 600/467, 600/314, 606/41, 607/99, 607/113, 607/122, 601/2
• US Class Current: 600/439
• 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 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0016 Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00654 with individual control of each of a plurality of energy emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/124 switching the output to different electrodes, e.g. sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3784 both receiver and transmitter being in the instrument or receiver being also transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

The present invention provides ultrasound-guided ablation catheters and methods for their use. In one embodiment, a tissue ablation apparatus (2) includes a flexible elongate body (12) having proximal (14) and distal (12) ends. A plurality of spaced-apart electrodes (24) are operably attached to the flexible body near the distal end. A plurality of transducer elements (28) are disposed between at least some of the electrodes. Transducers assist the physician in determining whether or not the ablation elements are in contact with the tissue to be ablated.

Claims

1. A method of precisely positioning a catheter with respect to a tissue, the method comprising:

providing a catheter system comprising;

a flexible elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end;

a plurality of spaced apart electrodes operably attached to the flexible body near the distal end;

a plurality of transducer elements disposed between at least some of the electrodes; and

a controller electrically coupled to the plurality of electrodes and the plurality of transducer elements;

inserting the flexible elongate body into a patient;

positioning the elongate body to be proximate a tissue using the plurality of transducer elements; and

activating at least one of the electrodes to ablate the tissue if the controller determines that at least two of the transducer elements are in contact with the tissue, the at least one electrode being disposed between the two transducer elements.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes comprises an ablation electrode and has at least one of the plurality of transducer elements adjacent thereto, the adjacent transducer element for use in determining whether the ablation electrode is in contact with the tissue to be ablated.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein the ablation electrode comprises a tip electrode.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise ring electrodes.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of transducer elements comprise ultrasound transducer elements.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrodes are electrically isolated from the plurality of transducer elements.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein the catheter system further comprises a plurality of spaced apart insulators operably coupled to the flexible body so as to electrically isolate the plurality of electrodes and the plurality of transducer elements.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein positioning the elongate body comprises determining a distance to the tissue using at least some of the transducer elements.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a tissue imaging controller.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a tissue ablation controller.

11. The method as in claim 1 wherein each electrode has at least one transducer element adjacent thereto.