Catheter having reduced force concentration at tissue contact site

• US 9,078,667 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Besser, William G., Waldhauser, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Application Number:
  US13/711,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 600/374, 606/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2018/00267 having a basket shaped structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00779 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1407 Loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/142 at least partly surrounding the target, e.g. concave, curved or in the form of a cave
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/007 with irrigation system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0081 Soft tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0166 Sensors, electrodes or the like for guiding the catheter to a target zone, e.g. image guided or magnetically guided
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0041 pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels urethral catheters A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0053 having a variable stiffness along the longitudinal axis, e.g. by varying the pitch of the coil or braid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 : with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 : Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 : Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0136 : Handles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0147 : with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires

Abstract

A mapping and ablation catheter that reduces the risk of cardiac perforation during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The catheter comprises an elongate shaft including a proximal and distal portions, where the distal portion comprises a plurality of segments including a proximal-most segment, a distal-most segment and one or more intermediate segments between the proximal-most and distal-most segments. The catheter can include a diagnostic electrode in the distal most segment, an atraumatic tip located at the distal end of the distal-most segment, and an ablation electrode located in a segment proximal to the distal-most segment.

Claims

1. A mapping and ablation catheter, comprising:

an elongate shaft including a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion of the elongate shaft comprising a plurality of segments including a proximal-most segment, a distal-most segment, and one or more intermediate segments disposed between the proximal-most and distal-most segments;

a diagnostic electrode located on the distal-most segment;

an ablation electrode located on the distal portion of the elongate shaft proximally of the distal-most segment, the ablation electrode comprising a patch electrode forming a partial ring; and

an atraumatic tip located at a distal end of the distal-most segment;

wherein at least one of the one or more intermediate segments comprise a curved section of the elongate shaft, and

wherein the ablation electrode is located on the curved section.

2. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, further comprising at least one irrigation port on the intermediate segment.

3. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, further comprising an elongate wire extending distally from a distal end of the distal-most segment, the elongate wire comprising a flexibility greater than a flexibility of the distal-most segment.

4. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, further comprising a means for adjusting the flexibility of one or more of the segments.

5. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, further comprising an elongate member slidably disposed within an interior lumen of the elongate shaft, the elongate member configured to adjust the flexibility of one or more of the segments.

6. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 5, wherein the elongate shaft comprises a first material, and wherein the elongate member comprises a second material different than the first material.

7. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, wherein the atraumatic tip comprises an enlarged diameter portion of the distal portion.

8. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 7, wherein the enlarged diameter portion comprises a ball or basket-shaped tip.

9. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, wherein the atraumatic tip comprises a non-conductive material.

10. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, wherein the ablation electrode is located at an apex of the curved section.

11. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, wherein the curved section includes a single curve pre-formed into a curvature plane.

12. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 1, wherein the patch electrode forms a half-ring electrode or a quarter-ring electrode.

13. A mapping and ablation catheter, comprising:

an elongate shaft including a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion of the elongate shaft comprising a plurality of segments including, a proximal-most longitudinal segment, a distal-most longitudinal segment, and a curved segment disposed between the proximal-most and distal-most longitudinal segments;

a diagnostic electrode located on the distal-most longitudinal segment;

an ablation ring electrode located on the curved segment at an apex of the curved segment; and

are atraumatic tip located at a distal end of the distal-most longitudinal segment.

14. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 13, further comprising at least one irrigation port disposed through the ablation ring electrode.

15. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of irrigation ports disposed through the ablation ring electrode.

16. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 13, wherein the curved segment includes a single curve pre-formed into a curve plane.

17. A mapping and ablation catheter, comprising:

an elongate shaft including a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion of the elongate shaft comprising a plurality of segments including a proximal-most segment, a distal-most segment, and a curved segment connecting the proximal-most and distal-most segments, wherein said curved segment includes a single curve pre-formed into a curvature plane, said proximal-most segment is generally straight, and said distal-most segment is generally straight;

a ring electrode located on the curved segment;

an irrigation port disposed on the ring electrode; and

are atraumatic tip located at a distal end of the distal-most segment.

18. The mapping and ablation catheter of claim 17, further comprising a ring electrode located on the proximal-most segment.