Electrosurgical balloons

• US 9,750,565 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Advanced Energy LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Advanced Energy LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bloom, Eliot F., Podany, Vaclav O., Greenlaw, Chad M., Conley, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US13/250,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 606 41, 606 48, 606 50
• 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 2018/00255 arranged one inside another
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00404 Blood vessels other than those in or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00434 Neural system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00511 Kidney
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1472 for use with liquid electrolyte, e.g. virtual electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation

Abstract

An electrosurgical balloon includes an inflatable balloon body formed of a non-conductive substrate material. One or more electrodes are disposed on an exterior surface of the balloon body. The electrodes can include a pair of bipolar electrodes, and the balloon body can have at least one fluid outlet hole configured to provide fluid to the pair of bipolar electrodes. A second inflatable balloon body can be disposed inside the first inflatable balloon body. The electrosurgical balloon can be incorporated into a catheter assembly, in which the electrosurgical balloon is a balloon electrode tip at a distal end of a catheter.

Claims

1. An electrosurgical balloon, comprising:

an inflatable balloon body having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a circumference, wherein the balloon body is formed of a nonconductive substrate material;

a pair of bipolar electrodes disposed on an opposite sides of an exterior surface of the inflatable balloon body, the pair of electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode in a bipolar electrode configuration, each the first electrode and the second electrode extending partially around the circumference of the inflatable balloon body; and

at least one fluid outlet hole in the balloon body configured to provide a conductive fluid from a fluid source to the pair of bipolar electrodes.

2. The electrosurgical balloon of claim 1, wherein the balloon body is configured to be adjustably inflated with the conductive fluid from the fluid source.

3. The electrosurgical balloon of claim 2, wherein adjustment of an amount of inflation of the balloon body is configured to adjust a separation distance between the first and second electrodes.