Low power tissue ablation system

• US 9,566,113 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Werneth, Randell L., Kunis, Christopher G., Flaherty, J. Christopher, Sherman, Marshall L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peffley, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZINK, AMANDA L
• Application Number:
  US14/483,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• 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 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00214 Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00898 Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1467 using more than two electrodes on a single probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1475 Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for the ablation of tissue. Embodiments include an ablation catheter that has an array of ablation elements attached to a deployable carrier assembly. The carrier assembly can be constrained within the lumen of a catheter, and deployed to take on an expanded condition. The carrier assembly includes multiple electrodes that are configured to ablate tissue at low power. Additional embodiments include a system that includes an interface unit for delivering one or more forms of energy to the ablation catheter.

Claims

1. An ablation system for treating a patient, the system comprising:

an elongate body including a distal portion and a proximal portion;

a treatment array at the distal portion, the treatment array including at least one ablation element defining a surface area, the at least one ablation element having an isosceles triangle cross-sectional shape and including;

a first surface configured to deliver energy to the patient'"'"'s tissue, the first surface being in contact with the patient'"'"'s tissue when the energy is delivered;

a second surface; and

a third surface, the second surface and the third surface being configured to dissipate heat away from the at least one ablation element, the second surface and the third surface together making up a greater amount of the surface area of the at least one ablation element than the first surface, the second surface and the third surface each being in contact with the patient'"'"'s circulating blood when the energy is delivered; and

an interface unit for providing energy to the treatment array,

the at least one ablation element being configured to rapidly transition from a first temperature at which tissue ablation occurs to a second temperature that is approximately body temperature.

2. The ablation system of claim 1, wherein the second surface and the third surface together make up at least 60% of the surface area of the at least one ablation element and is in contact with the patient'"'"'s circulating blood when the energy is delivered.

3. The ablation system of claim 1, wherein the treatment array further includes a plurality of carrier arms.

4. The ablation system of claim 3, wherein at least one ablation element is coupled to each carrier arm.

5. The ablation system of claim 1, wherein the each of the second surface and the third surface is at least one of electrically nonconductive, minimally electrically conductive, and electrically isolated from the energy delivery portion.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second surface and the third surface together make up at least 75% of the surface area of the at least one ablation element and is in contact with the patient'"'"'s circulating blood when the energy is delivered.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second surface and the third surface together make up at least 85% of the surface area of the at least one ablation element and is in contact with the patient'"'"'s circulating blood when the energy is delivered.