Ablation system, methods, and controllers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11058474-B2
Application number	US-201715687859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

Multi-electrode ablation systems, methods, and controllers are described. In one example, a method of beginning an ablation procedure using a multi-electrode ablation system is described. The method includes selectively coupling the output of a power supply to a first electrode of a plurality of electrodes to increase a temperature at the first electrode to a first temperature set-point and limit a rate of increase of the temperature at the first electrode to a predetermined first rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of beginning an ablation procedure using a multi-electrode ablation system, the method comprising:
increasing a temperature at each electrode of a plurality of electrodes until the temperature at each electrode reaches a first temperature set-point, wherein a respective rate of increase of the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is limited to a respective predetermined first rate of increase at each electrode while the temperature at each electrode is increasing to the first temperature set-point, and wherein the respective predetermined first rate of increase is not the same for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes; and
following a respective dwell period at each electrode after the temperature reaches the first temperature set-point, increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes at a respective predetermined second rate of increase until the temperature at each electrode reaches a second temperature set-point, wherein the respective dwell period is not the same for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the respective predetermined second rate of increase is not the same for each of the plurality of electrodes, and wherein, for at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes, the respective predetermined second rate of increase is less than the respective predetermined first rate of increase.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes until the temperature at each electrode reaches the first temperature set-point comprises increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes beginning at substantially a same time for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes until the temperature at each electrode reaches the first temperature set-point comprises increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes beginning at a first time for at least a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes and at a second time for at least a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the second time is different from the first time.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes until the temperature at each electrode reaches the first temperature set-point comprises increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes beginning at a different time for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the respective dwell period for at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes has a value of zero seconds.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the first temperature set-point is approximately 65° C.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the second temperature set-point is approximately 70° C.

8. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein, for at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes, the predetermined first rate of increase is approximately 4° C. per second.

9. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein, for at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes, the predetermined second rate of increase is approximately 1° C. per second.

10. A multi-electrode ablation system comprising:
a power supply configured to be coupled to a plurality of electrodes; and
a controller coupled to the power supply, the controller configured to:
increase a temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes until the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes reaches a first temperature set-point, wherein a respective rate of increase of the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is limited to a respective predetermined first rate of increase at each electrode while the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is increasing to the first temperature set-point, and wherein the respective predetermined first rate of increase is not the same for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes; and
following a respective dwell period at each electrode after the temperature reaches the first temperature set-point, increase the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes at a respective predetermined second rate of increase until the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes reaches a second temperature set-point, wherein the respective dwell period is not the same for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the respective predetermined second rate of increase is not the same for each of the plurality of electrodes, and wherein, for at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes, the respective predetermined second rate of increase is less than the respective predetermined first rate of increase.

11. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes until the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes reaches the first temperature set-point comprises increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes beginning at substantially a same time for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

12. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes until the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes reaches the a first temperature set-point comprises increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes beginning at a first time for at least a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes and at a second time for at least a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the second time is different from the first time.

13. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes until the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes reaches the first temperature set-point comprises increasing the temperature at each electrode of the plurality of electrodes beginning at a different time for each electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

14. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein the respective dwell period for at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes has a value of zero seconds.

15. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein the first temperature set-point is approximately 65° C.

16. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein the second temperature set-point is approximately 70° C.

17. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein, for at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes, the predetermined first rate of increase is approximately 4° C. per second.

18. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein, for at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes, the predetermined second rate of increase is approximately 1° C. per second.

Assignees

• St Jude Medical Cardiology Div Inc

Inventors

• Blix John B
• Baker James C
• Ennett Kevin K
• Hein John Eric
• Brotz Joseph Allen
• Barnier Joseph William
• Froehlich Raymond Vincent
• Olsen Michael
• Varadharajan Sukanya
• Pipenhagen Catherine A

Classifications

• A61B18/1492 Primary

  having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2018/1467

  using more than two electrodes on a single probe · CPC title

• A61B2018/00821

  measured by a thermocouple · CPC title

• A61B2018/00892

  Voltage · CPC title

• A61B2018/00434

  Neural system · CPC title