Tissue diagnosis and treatment using mini-electrodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11589768-B2
Application number	US-202016733748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2020
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example electrophysiology medical device may include a catheter shaft including a distal end portion and a sensing assembly having three or more terminals. The sensing assembly includes one or more current-carrying electrodes and one or more sensing electrodes. The one or more current-carrying electrodes, the one or more sensing electrodes, or both includes a mini-electrode. The mini-electrode is disposed on one of the other electrodes. The medical device may also include a controller coupled to the sensing assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for diagnosing and/or treating a condition of the heart, the method comprising:
advancing an electrophysiology catheter through a blood vessel to a position adjacent a target site, wherein the catheter comprises:
a distal end portion;
at least one current-carrying electrode disposed on the distal end portion; and
a sensing assembly disposed on the distal end portion, wherein a first sensing electrode of the sensing assembly is spaced apart from the at least one current-carrying electrode by a first distance, wherein a second sensing electrode of the sensing assembly is spaced apart from the at least one current-carrying electrode by a second distance, wherein the first distance is different than the second distance;

determining a scaling factor based upon the first distance and the second distance; and
determining a conductivity of the target site based upon the scaling factor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing assembly comprises four terminals.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises at least one mini-electrode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing assembly comprises one mini-electrode.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises an ablation electrode and wherein the sensing assembly comprises an electrode disposed on the ablation electrode.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensing assembly further comprises an electrode configured for both sensing and ablation and wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises an electrode disposed on the ablation electrode.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode, the sensing assembly, or the at least one current-carrying electrode and the sensing assembly comprise a ring electrode.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises an ablation electrode and a ring electrode, and wherein the sensing assembly comprises at least one mini-electrode.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises at least one mini-electrode, and wherein the sensing assembly further comprises an electrode configured for both sensing and ablation and a ring electrode.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises an ablation electrode and a mini-electrode and wherein the sensing assembly comprises a ring electrode and a mini-electrode.

11. An electrophysiology medical device, comprising:
a distal end portion;
at least one current-carrying electrode disposed on the distal end portion;
a sensing assembly, disposed on the distal end portion, wherein a first sensing electrode of the sensing assembly is spaced apart from the at least one current-carrying electrode by a first distance, wherein a second sensing electrode of the sensing assembly is spaced apart from the at least one current-carrying electrode by a second distance, wherein the first distance is different than the second distance; and
a controller configured to:
determine a scaling factor based upon the first distance and the second distance; and
determine a conductivity of the target site based upon the scaling factor.

12. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the sensing assembly comprises four terminals.

13. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises at least one mini-electrode.

14. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the sensing assembly comprises one mini-electrode.

15. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises an ablation electrode and wherein the sensing assembly comprises an electrode disposed on the ablation electrode.

16. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the sensing assembly further comprises an electrode configured for both sensing and ablation and wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises an electrode disposed on the ablation electrode.

17. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode, the sensing assembly, or the at least one current-carrying electrode and the sensing assembly comprise a ring electrode.

18. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises an ablation electrode and a ring electrode, and wherein the sensing assembly comprises at least one mini-electrode.

19. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises at least one mini-electrode, and wherein the sensing assembly further comprises an electrode configured for both sensing and ablation and a ring electrode.

20. The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one current-carrying electrode comprises an ablation electrode and a mini-electrode and wherein the sensing assembly comprises a ring electrode and a mini-electrode.

Assignees

• Boston Scient Scimed Inc

Inventors

• Fay Leon
• Hultz Paul

Classifications

• A61B2018/00892

  Voltage · CPC title

• A61B2018/00577

  Ablation · CPC title

• A61B2562/0257

  Proximity sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/0538 Primary

  invasively, e.g. using a catheter · CPC title

• A61B2018/1497

  Electrodes covering only part of the probe circumference · CPC title