Impedance devices and methods of using the same to obtain luminal organ measurements

• US 9,462,960 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3DT Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: 3DT Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Kassab, Ghassan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/215,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20140200428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 940 Days
• Field of Search: 600/547, 600/506, 600/505, 600/526, 600/587, 600/481, 600/486, 600/454, 600/561, 600/309, 606/192, 606/194, 606/198, 606/33, 606/41, 128/898, 424/439, 623/1.11, 623/1.15, 623/23.7
• 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 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00648 using more than one sensed parameter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00791 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/001 having means for irrigation and/or aspiration of substances to and/or from the surgical site A61B2018/00029 and A61B2018/1472 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0217 Electrolyte containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02158 provided with two or more sensor elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon

Abstract

Impedance devices and methods of using the same to obtain luminal organ measurements. In at least one embodiment of an impedance device of the present disclosure, the impedance device comprises an elongated body having a distal body end, and a first electrode located along the elongated body at or near the distal body end, the first electrode configured to obtain one or more conductance values within a mammalian luminal organ within an electric field, wherein a measured parameter of the mammalian luminal organ can be calculated based in part upon the one or more conductance values obtained by the first electrode.

Claims

1. An impedance device, comprising:

an elongated body having a distal body end; and

a first electrode located along the elongated body at the distal body end, the first electrode configured to obtain one or more conductance values within a mammalian luminal organ within an electric field;

wherein the first electrode is configured to operate as an excitation electrode and a detection electrode;

wherein the first electrode is configured to generate the electric field with an external electrode within a mammalian body when the external electrode that is not coupled to the elongated body is positioned upon or within the mammalian body and when the first electrode and the external electrode are activated;

wherein the first electrode is configured to detect the electric field generated by the first electrode and the external electrode; and

wherein a measured parameter of the mammalian luminal organ can be calculated based in part upon the one or more conductance values obtained by the first electrode.

2. The impedance device of claim 1, wherein the elongated body is selected from the group consisting of an elongated wire and an elongated catheter.

3. The impedance device of claim 1, further comprising:

a data acquisition and processing system in communication with the impedance device and operable to receive and process data from the first electrode to calculate the measured parameter.

4. The impedance device of claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure within the mammalian luminal organ when at least part of the impedance device is positioned therein.

5. The impedance device of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature within the mammalian luminal organ when at least part of the impedance device is positioned therein.

6. The impedance device of claim 1, further comprising:

an ablation contact configured to ablate within the mammalian luminal organ when at least part of the impedance device is positioned therein.

7. The impedance device of claim 1, wherein the elongated body is configured as a catheter, and whereby the elongated body further defines a suction/infusion port in communication with a lumen of the elongated body configured so that a fluid can be injected through the lumen and out of the suction/infusion port.

8. An impedance system, comprising:

an elongated body having a distal body end and a first electrode located along the elongated body at the distal body end, the first electrode configured to obtain one or more conductance values within a mammalian luminal organ within an electric field and configured to operate as an excitation electrode and a detection electrode; and

a first external electrode that is not coupled to the elongated body;

wherein a measured parameter of the mammalian luminal organ can be calculated based in part upon the one or more conductance values obtained by the first electrode within the electric field generated by the first electrode and the first external electrode.

9. The impedance system of claim 8, wherein the first external electrode is configured to operate as an excitation electrode and a detection electrode.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first external electrode comprises part of device selected from the group consisting of a patch, a sheath, and a clip.

11. The impedance system of claim 8, wherein the elongated body is selected from the group consisting of an elongated wire and an elongated catheter.

12. The impedance device of claim 8, further comprising:

a data acquisition and processing system in communication with the elongated body and operable to receive and process data from the first electrode to calculate the measured parameter.

13. The impedance device of claim 8, further comprising:

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure within the mammalian luminal organ when at least part of the elongated body is positioned therein.

14. The impedance device of claim 8, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature within the mammalian luminal organ when at least part of the elongated body is positioned therein.

15. The impedance device of claim 8, further comprising:

an ablation contact configured to ablate within the mammalian luminal organ when at least part of the elongated body is positioned therein.

16. The impedance device of claim 8, wherein the elongated body is configured as a catheter, and whereby the elongated body further defines a suction/infusion port in communication with a lumen of the elongated body configured so that a fluid can be injected through the lumen and out of the suction/infusion port.

17. A method of using an impedance device, the method comprising the steps of:

introducing at least part of an impedance device into a mammalian luminal organ at a first location, the impedance device comprising;

an elongated body having a distal body end, and

a first electrode located along the elongated body at the distal body end, the first electrode configured to obtain one or more conductance values within a mammalian luminal organ within an electric field;

providing electrical current to the first electrode and a first external electrode not coupled to the elongated body to generate the electric field, the first external electrode positioned upon or within a mammalian body having the mammalian luminal organ;

obtaining at least one conductance value using the impedance device within the electric field, performed when the first electrode is at a first location within the mammalian luminal organ and within an undiluted bolus of an injected first solution having a known conductivity differing from a blood conductivity; and

calculating a measured parameter of the mammalian luminal organ based in part upon the at least one conductance value;

wherein the method further comprises the following steps to be performed after the step of obtaining the at least one conductance value;

moving the first electrode of the impedance device to a second location within the mammalian luminal organ;

obtaining at least another conductance value using the impedance device within a field selected from the group consisting of the electric field and a second electric field, performed within a bolus selected from the undiluted bolus of the injected first solution and an undiluted bolus of an injected second solution having a known conductivity differing from the blood conductivity; and

calculating a second measured parameter of the mammalian luminal organ based in part upon the at least another conductance value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the measured parameter is selected from the group consisting of a luminal organ diameter and a luminal organ cross-sectional area.