Atrial ablation catheter adapted for treatment of septal wall arrhythmogenic foci and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9005194-B2
Application number	US-17611508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2008
Priority date	Nov 24, 2004
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

An atrial ablation catheter with an electrode array particularly adapted to locate and ablate foci of arrhythmia which are required for sustained atrial fibrillation is provided. The array is easily deployed and retracted from the catheter, and presents a proximally oriented electrode array that can be pulled against the septal wall of the left atrium to engage the septal wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ablation catheter configured to ablate septal wall tissue, comprising:
an elongate delivery tube defining a major axis and having a distal end adapted for insertion into the heart of a patient;
at least one resilient arm with a delivery configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein the at least one resilient arm comprises a distal arm section, a proximal arm section, and a bend section disposed between the distal arm section and the proximal arm section, the proximal arm section of the at least one resilient arm defining a shape selected from the group consisting of cordate, hastate, and sagittate when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration; and
a plurality of electrodes disposed on the proximal arm section of the at least one resilient arm, wherein the distal arm section defines a substantially linear configuration substantially orthogonal to the major axis when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration.

2. The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein the at least one resilient arm is adapted to bend at the bend section when it is expanded from the delivery configuration to the expanded configuration.

3. The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein the proximal arm section forms an acute angle with the distal arm section at the bend section when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration.

4. The ablation catheter of claim 1 further comprising a pin extending into the elongate delivery tube, the pin being longitudinally slidable relative to the elongate delivery tube.

5. The ablation catheter of claim 4 wherein the proximal arm section is attached to the elongate delivery tube and the distal arm section is attached to the pin.

6. The ablation catheter of claim 1 further adapted to map septal wall tissue.

7. The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein the proximal arm section extends generally along a longitudinal axis of the elongate delivery tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the delivery configuration.

8. The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein the distal arm section extends generally along a longitudinal axis of the elongate delivery tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the delivery configuration.

9. The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein the proximal arm section is arcuate when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration.

10. An ablation catheter configured to ablate septal wall tissue, comprising:
an elongate delivery tube having a distal end adapted for insertion into the heart of a patient;
at least one resilient arm with a delivery configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein the at least one resilient arm comprises a distal arm section, a proximal arm section, and a bend section disposed between the distal arm section and the proximal arm section, the proximal arm section of the at least one resilient arm defining a shape selected from the group consisting of cordate, hastate, and sagittate when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration; and
a plurality of electrodes disposed on the proximal arm section of the at least one resilient arm, wherein the bend section is pre-formed in the at least one resilient arm and forms an acute angle with the distal arm section.

11. The ablation catheter of claim 10 wherein the at least one resilient arm is adapted to bend at the bend section when it is expanded from the delivery configuration to the expanded configuration.

12. The ablation catheter of claim 10 further comprising a pin extending into the elongate delivery tube, the pin being longitudinally slidable relative to the elongate delivery tube.

13. The ablation catheter of claim 12 wherein the proximal arm section is attached to the elongate delivery tube and the distal arm section is attached to the pin.

14. The ablation catheter of claim 10 further adapted to map septal wall tissue.

15. The ablation catheter of claim 10 wherein the proximal arm section extends generally along a lateral axis of the elongate delivery tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration.

16. The ablation catheter of claim 10 wherein the distal arm section extends generally along a lateral axis of the elongate delivery tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration.

17. The ablation catheter of claim 10 wherein the proximal arm section extends generally along a longitudinal axis of the elongate delivery tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the delivery configuration.

18. The ablation catheter of claim 10 wherein the distal arm section extends generally along a longitudinal axis of the elongate delivery tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the delivery configuration.

19. The ablation catheter of claim 10 wherein the proximal arm section is arcuate when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration.

20. An ablation catheter configured to ablate septal wall tissue, comprising:
an outer catheter tube defining a major axis and having a distal end adapted for insertion into the heart of a patient;
an inner catheter tube slidably disposed within the outer catheter tube;
a pin slidably disposed within the inner catheter tube;
at least one resilient arm with a delivery configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein the at least one resilient arm comprises a distal arm section attached to the pin, a proximal arm section attached to the inner catheter tube, and a bend section disposed between the distal arm section and the proximal arm section,
wherein the distal arm section defines a substantially linear configuration substantially orthogonal to the major axis when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration, and proximal arm section of the at least one resilient arm defines a shape selected from the group consisting of cordate, hastate, and sagittate when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration; and
a plurality of electrodes disposed on the proximal arm section of the at least one resilient arm.

21. The ablation catheter of claim 20 wherein the at least one resilient arm is adapted to bend at the bend section when it is expanded from the delivery configuration to the expanded configuration.

22. The ablation catheter of claim 20 further adapted to map the septal wall.

23. The ablation catheter of claim 20 wherein the proximal arm section is positioned outside of the outer catheter tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration.

24. The ablation catheter of claim 20 wherein the distal arm section is positioned outside of the outer catheter tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the expanded configuration.

25. The ablation catheter of claim 20 wherein the proximal arm section is positioned inside of the outer catheter tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the delivery configuration.

26. The ablation catheter of claim 20 wherein the distal arm section is positioned inside of the outer catheter tube when the at least one resilient arm is in the delivery configuration.

27. A method of treating atrial fibrillation comprising:
inserting an ablation catheter defining a major axis into the left atrium of the heart of a patient;
expanding a resilient arm of the ablation catheter by bending the resilient arm at a bend section in the resilient arm, w

Assignees

• Oral Hakan
• Werneth Randell L
• Castellano Thomas M
• Kunis Christopher G
• Medtronic Ablation Frontiers

Inventors

• Oral Hakan
• Werneth Randell L
• Castellano Thomas M
• Kunis Christopher G

Classifications

• A61B2018/0016

  Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array · CPC title

• A61B2018/00351

  Heart · CPC title

• A61B18/1492 Primary

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

• A61B2018/00214

  Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon · CPC title

• A61B2018/1475

  Electrodes retractable in or deployable from a housing · CPC title