Catheter electrode that can simultaneously emit electrical energy and facilitate visualization by magnetic resonance imaging

• US 8,473,029 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gerhart, John P., Puryear, Harry, Dando, Jeremy D., Petersen, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHTA, PARIKHA SOLANKI
• Application Number:
  US13/465,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 600/411, 600/422, 600/423, 607/5, 607/6, 607/2, 607/100, 607/101, 607/113, 607/116, 607/122, 607/127, 606/27, 606/32, 606/41
• US Class Current: 600/411
• 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 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive

Abstract

A catheter comprises an elongate body extending along a first longitudinal axis and having an outermost radial surface; a coil wound in a substantially cylindrical shape and extending along a second longitudinal axis that is coincident with the first longitudinal axis. At least a portion of the coil is proximate to the outermost radial surface of the elongate body.

Claims

1. A catheter comprising:

an elongate body extending along and radially symmetric around a longitudinal axis and having an outermost radial surface, the elongate body comprising an electrode; and

a coil configured to produce a signal induced by a magnetic field, the signal having sufficient information encoded therewith to be indicative of a position of at least a portion of the catheter, wound in a substantially cylindrical shape around the longitudinal axis and extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein at least a portion of the coil is proximate to the outermost radial surface of the elongate body,

wherein the coil is electrically isolated from the electrode.

2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the coil is embedded in the elongate body.

3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the coil comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tracking coil and the signal has sufficient information to enable an MRI system to depict a location of at least the portion of the catheter in a patient.

4. The catheter of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the coil is less than 0.5 mm from the outermost radial surface.

5. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising a groove disposed at least in part over the outermost radial surface of the elongate body.

6. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the coil comprises a first segment with a first predetermined number of turns and a second segment with a second predetermined number of turns.

7. The catheter of claim 6, wherein the coil comprises electrically insulated wire.

8. The catheter of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the coil is disposed in the groove.