Self-centering multiray ablation catheter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11007007-B2
Application number	US-201514881576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2015
Priority date	Oct 13, 2015
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

A catheter for ablating tissue is disclosed that has a self-centering multiray electrode assembly. The self-centering multiray electrode assembly may have a plurality of spines, each of which a preshaped, expanded configuration that curves to change an orientation of the spine from being directed towards the distal end of catheter body to being directed towards the proximal end of the catheter body. The ablation electrodes engage ostial tissue when a maximal outer diameter of the self-centering multiray electrode assembly is engaged with an inner diameter of a vessel. The compliance of each spine may vary along its length. When the self-centering multiray electrode assembly is engaged within a vessel, the ablation electrodes are brought into contact with tissue and may be used to form lesions in a circumferential path around the vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A catheter comprising an elongated catheter body having proximal and distal ends and a self-centering multiray electrode assembly with a plurality of spines connected at one end and each spine comprising at least one ablation electrode, each spine having: (i) a preshaped, expanded configuration that curves to change an orientation of the spine from being directed towards the distal end of catheter body to being directed towards the proximal end of the catheter body, (ii) a first region that curves to change the orientation of the spine from being directed towards the distal end of catheter body at a first end of the first curved region to being directed towards the proximal end of the catheter body at a second end of the first curved region, (iii) a second region oriented towards the proximal end of the catheter body, with a first end that starts at the second end of the first curved region, the second region having a curvature that changes the orientation of the spine and is different than the curvature of the first region, (iv) a third region that starts at a second end of the second region and is curved along its length to change the orientation of the spine, the curvature bending away from a longitudinal axis of the catheter body and being different than the second region curvature, and (v) an embedded strut, each strut being centrally located along a longitudinal axis of each of the spines and having a varying cross-sectional area along a length of the spine, wherein the first region has a first cross-sectional area of the strut that transitions to a second cross-sectional area of the strut within the second region, the first cross-sectional area dimension being greater than the second cross-sectional area dimension.

2. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein each spine comprises the strut for imparting the preshaped configuration.

3. The catheter of claim 2 , wherein the strut comprises a shape memory material.

4. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein each spine has a length and wherein compliance of the spine varies along the length.

5. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the self-centering multiray electrode assembly has a maximal outer diameter within the first curved region at an intermediate location of the first curved region.

6. The catheter of claim 5 , wherein the maximal outer diameter of the first curved region is between 7.5 and 15 mm.

7. The catheter of claim 5 , wherein the ablation electrodes are configured to engage ostial tissue when the maximal outer diameter of the self-centering multiray electrode assembly is engaged with an inner diameter of a vessel.

8. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the first region is relatively less compliant than the second region.

9. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the second region flares radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the catheter body.

10. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the second region crosses the longitudinal axis of the catheter body so that the second end of the second region flares radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the catheter body.

11. The catheter of claim 10 , wherein an inward radial force applied to the first region is translated to an outward radial force at the second region.

12. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the third region of each spine comprises an atraumatic tip.

13. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the third region of each spine comprises a circumferentially oriented curve.

14. The catheter of claim 13 , wherein the third region comprises a plurality of ablation electrodes.

15. The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the self-centering multiray electrode assembly comprises at least three spines.

16. A method for treatment comprising: providing a catheter with an elongated catheter body having proximal and distal ends and a self-centering multiray electrode assembly with a plurality of spines connected at one end and each spine comprising at least one ablation electrode, each spine having: a preshaped, expanded configuration that curves to change an orientation of the spine from being directed towards the distal end of catheter body to being directed towards the proximal end of the catheter body, a first region that curves to change the orientation of the spine from being directed towards the distal end of catheter body at a first end of the first curved region to being directed towards the proximal end of the catheter body at a second end of the first curved region, a second region oriented towards the proximal end of the catheter body, with a first end that starts at the second end of the first curved region, the second region having a curvature that changes the orientation of the spine and is different than the curvature of the first region, a third region that starts at a second end of the second region and is curved along its length to change the orientation of the spine, the curvature bending away from a longitudinal axis of the catheter body and being different than the second region curvature, and an embedded strut, each strut being centrally located along a longitudinal axis of each of the spines and having a varying cross-sectional area along a length of the spine, wherein the first region has a first cross-sectional area of the strut that transitions to a second cross-sectional area of the strut within the second region, the first cross-sectional area dimension being greater than the second cross-sectional area dimension, and; positioning the distal end of the catheter at a desired region of a heart; engaging the self-centering multiray electrode assembly within an ostium of a vessel to bring the ablation electrodes into contact with tissue; and delivering radio frequency energy to the ablation electrodes to form lesions.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming lesions in a circumferential path around the vessel.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the self-centering multi ray electrode assembly has a maximal outer diameter within the first curved region at an intermediate location of the first curved region.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the ablation electrodes are configured to engage the ostial tissue when the maximal outer diameter of the self-centering multi ray electrode assembly is engaged with an inner diameter of the vessel.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the self-centering multi ray electrode assembly comprises at least three spines.

Assignees

• Biosense Webster Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Clark Jeffrey
• Ashton John
• Hoitink Ryan
• Schultz Jeffrey

Classifications

• A61B2218/002

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• A61B2034/2051

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• A61B2018/1475

  Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing · CPC title

• A61B2018/1422

  Hook · CPC title

• A61B2018/00821

  measured by a thermocouple · CPC title