Electrophysiology mapping and visualization system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019307331-A1
Application number	US-201916384541-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 15, 2019
Priority date	Feb 2, 2005
Publication date	Oct 10, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electrophysiology mapping and visualization systems are described herein where such devices may be used to visualize tissue regions as well as map the electrophysiological activity of the tissue. Such a system may include a deployment catheter and an attached hood deployable into an expanded configuration. In use, the imaging hood is placed against or adjacent to a region of tissue to be imaged in a body lumen that is normally filled with an opaque bodily fluid such as blood. A translucent or transparent fluid, such as saline, can be pumped into the imaging hood until the fluid displaces any blood, thereby leaving a clear region of tissue to be imaged via an imaging element in the deployment catheter. A position of the catheter and/or hood may be tracked and the hood may also be used to detect the electrophysiological activity of the visualized tissue for mapping.

First claim

1 - 42 . (canceled)

43 . A system, comprising:
a first catheter having a first steerable segment; a second catheter disposed within the first catheter, the second catheter having a second steerable segment; an ablation probe extendable from a distal end of the second catheter; an imaging element supported at the distal end of the second catheter; and at least one coil sensor supported at a distal portion of the first catheter.

44 . The system of claim 43 , wherein at least a portion of the second catheter is coaxial with a portion of the first catheter.

45 . The system of claim 43 , wherein the second steerable segment is extendable beyond a distal end of the first catheter.

46 . The system of claim 45 , wherein a distal end of the second catheter is retractable to a position proximal of the distal end of the first catheter.

47 . The system of claim 43 , wherein the at least one coil sensor includes a plurality of pairs of electromagnetic coil sensors arranged circumferentially about the distal portion of the first catheter.

48 . The system of claim 47 , wherein the plurality of pairs of electromagnetic coil sensors includes at least three pair of coil sensors with each pair extending in an orthogonal direction with respect to the other two pairs.

49 . The system of claim 43 further comprising a third catheter extendable from the distal end of the second catheter.

50 . The system of claim 49 wherein the ablation probe is extendable through the third catheter.

51 . The system of claim 49 further comprising a needle including a distal port, wherein the needle is extendable through the third catheter.

52 . The system of claim 43 further comprising a tissue grasping instrument extendable from a distal end of the second catheter, the tissue grasping instrument including a pullwire actuatable to angle a distal end of the tissue grasping instrument.

53 . The system of claim 43 , wherein the second catheter includes a fluid delivery lumen.

54 . The system of claim 43 , further comprising an illumination source.

55 . The system of claim 54 , wherein the illumination source coupled to an instrument extendable distally from the second catheter.

56 . The system of claim 55 , wherein the illumination source is pivotable with respect the distal end of the second catheter.

57 . The system of claim 43 , further comprising a processor in electrical communication with the at least one coil sensor to receive an orientation of the at least one coil sensor, the processor configured to map the orientation of the at least one coil sensor and a tissue surface image together.

58 . The system of claim 43 , further comprising a temperature sensor extendable distally from the second catheter for monitoring an operation of the ablation probe.

59 . The system of claim 43 , further comprising a hood deployable from the distal end of the second catheter.

60 . The system of claim 59 , wherein the hood is retractable proximally into the second catheter.

61 . The system of claim 59 , wherein the hood is formed from a translucent material.

62 . The system of claim 59 , wherein the hood is formed from a polymer material.

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Saadat Vahid
• Peh Ruey-Feng
• Tam Edmund A

Classifications

• A61B2090/365

  augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image · CPC title

• A61B8/12

  in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters · CPC title

• A61B8/4472

  Wireless probes · CPC title

• A61B18/0218

  with open-end cryogenic probe, e.g. for spraying fluid directly on tissue or via a tissue-contacting porous tip · CPC title

• A61B18/1492

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