Ablation system, methods, and controllers

• US 9,561,070 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Brotz, Joseph Allen, Hein, John Eric, Froehlich, Raymond Vincent, Barnier, Joseph William
• Primary Examiner(s): Fowler, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/204,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20140276766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/12 by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• 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 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00654 with individual control of each of a plurality of energy emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00714 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00779 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00797 measured by multiple temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00892 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00898 Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00988 Means for storing information, e.g. calibration constants, or for preventing excessive use, e.g. usage, service life counter
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/091 the phase or frequency detector using a sampling device H03L7/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/06 the synchronisation signals differing from the information signals in amplitude, polarity or frequency or length

Abstract

Multi-electrode ablation systems, methods, and controllers are described. In one example, a multi-electrode ablation system generally includes a power supply and a controller. The power supply is configured to be coupled to a plurality of electrodes for delivering power to the electrodes. The controller is operable to compare a measured temperature at each electrode to a desired temperature to thereby define a temperature difference for each electrode. The controller is operable to determine, based on the temperature difference, a desired power for each electrode, compare the desired power of one of the electrodes to an actual power delivered to the one of the electrodes to define a power difference, and adjust the actual power delivered by the power supply to the one of the electrodes based on the power difference.

Claims

1. A multi-electrode ablation system, the control system comprising:

a power supply configured to be coupled to a plurality of electrodes for delivering power to the electrodes; and

a controller operable to;

compare a measured temperature at each electrode to a desired temperature to thereby define a temperature difference for each electrode;

determine, based on said temperature difference, a desired power for each electrode;

compare the desired power of a first electrode of the electrodes to an actual power delivered to said first electrode to define a power difference; and

adjust the actual power delivered by the power supply to said first electrode for a first time period based on said power difference;

determine, based on the desired power for each electrode, a desired energy to be dissipated by each electrode; and

determine, for the remaining electrodes of the plurality of electrodes other than said first electrode, based on the actual power delivered to said first electrode and the desired energy to be dissipated by each respective remaining electrode, a respective second time period during which power is delivered by the power supply to the remaining electrodes, the respective second time period being no greater than the first time period.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein adjusting the actual power delivered to said first electrode comprises determining based on the desired power a voltage to be delivered to said first electrode, and delivering said voltage from the power supply to said first electrode one of the electrodes for the first time period.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is further operable to deliver the determined voltage from the power supply to all of the electrodes.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the controller is further operable to:

deliver, for each electrode of the remaining electrodes, the voltage for each respective second time period.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein comparing the desired power of a first electrode of the electrodes to an actual power delivered to said first electrode to define a power difference comprises determining which electrode of the plurality of electrodes has the greatest desired power and comparing the desired power of the electrode having the greatest desired power to an actual power delivered to said electrode having the greatest desired power to define the power difference.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors, each associated with a respective one of the electrodes and being coupled to the controller for providing the measured temperature at each electrode to the controller.

7. A method of operating a multi-electrode ablation system, the method comprising:

comparing a measured temperature at each electrode to a desired temperature to thereby define a temperature difference for each electrode;

determining, based on said temperature difference, a desired power to be delivered to each electrode;

comparing the desired power to be delivered to a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes to an actual power delivered to said first electrode to define a power difference; and

adjusting, based on the power difference, the actual power delivered to said first electrode for a first time period;

determining, based on the desired power for each electrode, a desired energy to be dissipated by each electrode; and

determining, for each remaining electrode of the plurality of electrodes other than said first electrode, based on the actual power delivered to said first electrode and the desired energy to be dissipated by each respective remaining electrode, a respective second time period during which power is delivered by the power supply to each of the remaining electrodes, the respective second time period being no greater than the first time period.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein adjusting the actual power delivered to said first electrode comprises determining based on the desired power a voltage to be delivered to said first electrode, and delivering said voltage to said first electrode for the first time period.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising delivering said voltage to each remaining electrode.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising

delivering, for each remaining electrode, the voltage for each respective second time period.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein each respective second time period is less than the first time period.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein comparing the desired power of a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes to an actual power delivered to said first electrode to define a power difference comprises determining which of the electrodes has the greatest desired power and comparing the desired power of the electrode having the greatest desired power to an actual power delivered to said electrode having the greatest desired power to define the power difference.