Apparatus for mapping and coagulating soft tissue in or around body orifices

• US 7,474,909 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2007
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Swanson, David K., Jenkins, Thomas R., Thompson, Russell B., Koblish, Josef V., Phan, Huy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen; Lee S
• Application Number:
  US11/625,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20070129721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 717 Days
• Field of Search: 606/41, 600/374
• US Class Current: 600/374
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/08 by means of electrically-heated probes
• 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 2018/00065 porous
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00083 low, i.e. electrically insulating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00095 high, i.e. heat conducting
• 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 2018/00238 porous
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00267 having a basket shaped structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00273 Anchoring means for temporary attachment of a device to tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/105 having a balloon suitable for drug delivery, e.g. by using holes for delivery, drug coating or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1086 having a special balloon surface topography, e.g. pores, protuberances, spikes or grooves

Abstract

A probe that may be used to create circumferential lesions in body tissue and, in some implementations, may also be used to perform mapping functions. The probe includes a collapsible/expandable structure that supports electrodes or other operative elements against the body tissue.

Claims

1. A probe, comprising:

a support body defining a longitudinal axis;

an expandable/collapsible hoop structure that includes a hoop spline, defining an open interior region, and at least three distally extending support splines that respectively define acute angles with the longitudinal axis of the support body and support the hoop spline on the support body such that the longitudinal axis of the support body passes through the open interior region; and

at least one operative element supported on the expandable/collapsible hoop structure.

2. A probe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support body includes tubular members extending distally therefrom at the acute angle and the support splines are at least partially located within the tubular members.

3. A probe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support body comprises a catheter.

4. A probe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one operative element comprises a plurality of spaced electrodes.

5. A probe, comprising:

a support body defining a longitudinal axis;

an expandable/collapsible hoop structure that defines an open interior region, includes at least two structural members, each structural member consisting of a pair of struts and a curved portion, and is supported on the support body such that the longitudinal axis of the support body passes through the open interior region; and

at least one operative element supported on the expandable/collapsible hoop structure.

6. A probe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the hoop structure comprises four structural members.

7. A probe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support body comprises a catheter.

8. A probe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one operative element comprises a plurality of spaced electrodes.

9. A probe, comprising:

a support body defining a longitudinal axis;

an expandable/collapsible hoop structure that includes a hoop spline and at least first and second distally extending support splines, the hoop spline defining an overall hoop plane and an open interior region and including curved portions that are at least partially out of the overall hoop plane, the at least first and second distally extending support splines respectively defining acute angles with the longitudinal axis of the support body and supporting the hoop spline on the support body such that the longitudinal axis of the support body passes through the open interior region; and

at least one operative element supported on the expandable/collapsible hoop structure.

10. A probe as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the support splines define distal ends;

and

the curved portions extend distally from the distal ends of the support splines.

11. A probe as claimed in claim 9, wherein the curved portions are angularly offset relative to the overall hoop plane.

12. A probe as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

at least a third distally extending support spline that defines an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the support body.

13. A probe as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support body comprises a catheter.

14. A probe as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one operative element comprises a plurality of spaced electrodes.