Catheter device including flow sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9554850-B2
Application number	US-201514874148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 5, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for performing an ablation procedure on tissue with flow monitoring using flow sensors. The devices include a catheter, and at least one flow sensor disposed on the catheter, and a component for applying the ablation procedure. An assessment module provides an indication of the efficacy of the ablation procedure based on the flow measurement from the flow sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a catheter;
an inflatable and/or expandable body coupled to the catheter;
an electronic circuit disposed on the inflatable and/or expandable body, the electronic circuit comprising a plurality of components that accommodate expanding of the inflatable and/or expandable body, the plurality of components comprising:
a plurality of electrodes, at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes being a radiofrequency electrode configured to deliver a radiofrequency energy to a tissue proximate to the radiofrequency electrode; and
a plurality of stretchable interconnects disposed on the inflatable and/or expandable body, wherein the plurality of stretchable interconnects electrically couples at least one of the plurality of electrodes to an external circuit;

at least one flow sensor coupled to the catheter;
at least one component coupled to the catheter and configured to perform an ablation procedure on a portion of a tissue proximate to the catheter; and
an assessment module coupled to the at least one flow sensor and configured to receive data indicative of at least one flow measurement from the at least one flow sensor and provide an indication of the efficacy of the ablation procedure based on the data indicative of at least one flow measurement.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of components further comprises a main bus, and wherein the plurality of stretchable interconnects electrically couples at least one of the plurality of electrodes to the main bus, and wherein the main bus is coupled to the external circuit.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tissue proximate to the catheter is a portion of a renal artery and wherein the at least one flow measurement of the at least one flow sensor provides an indication of a rate of renal blood flow.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes is a pacing electrode configured to deliver an electrical stimulation to a portion of the renal artery proximate to the pacing electrode.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the electrical stimulation is applied to the portion of the renal artery proximate to the pacing electrode prior to performance of the ablation procedure on the portion of the renal artery proximate to the catheter.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the electrical stimulation is applied to the portion of the renal artery proximate to the pacing electrode subsequent to performance of the ablation procedure on the portion of the renal artery proximate to the catheter.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tissue proximate to the catheter is a portion of a renal artery, and wherein the data indicative of at least one flow measurement comprises a change in heat output by the heating element to restore the temperature of the fluid proximate to the temperature sensor to a specified temperature.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable and/or expandable body has a proximal end and a distal end, and the at least one flow sensor is disposed on a portion of the proximal end and/or a portion of the distal end of the inflatable and/or expandable body.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the inflatable and/or expandable body is disposed near a distal end of the catheter.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the catheter has a longitudinal axis, and a longitudinal axis of the distal end of the inflatable and/or expandable body coincides with the longitudinal axis of the catheter.

11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising a reference flow sensor disposed on a shaft of the catheter, wherein the reference flow sensor provides an indication of a flow rate of fluid proximate to the shaft.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the catheter further comprises a sheath, wherein the catheter is deployed through the sheath, and wherein the sheath is deployable to cover a portion of the reference flow sensor.

13. The device of claim 7 , wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor, a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector, a junction potential temperature sensor, an integrated-circuit temperature sensor, or a semiconductor temperature sensor.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the ablation procedure is a radiofrequency ablation, a cryo-ablation, an ultrasound ablation, a laser-light-based ablation, a drug-based ablation, an ultrasound energy ablation, an alcohol injection-based ablation, or a microwave energy ablation.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the radiofrequency electrode is a bipolar electrode or a unipolar electrode.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of components further comprises at least one of a light-emitting device, a contact sensor, an image detector, a mapping electrode, a pressure sensor, a biological activity sensor, and a temperature sensor.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable and/or expandable body is a compliant balloon.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable and/or expandable body is an expandable spiral coil, an expandable mesh, or a deployable netting.

19. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least four flow sensors disposed on the inflatable and/or expandable body, and wherein the plurality of components comprises at least four pacing electrodes and at least four radio frequency electrodes.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tissue is a portion of a tissue lumen.

21. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tissue is a renal artery, a pulmonary vein, a coronary artery, or a peripheral blood vessel.

22. A method of performing a medical diagnosis and/or treatment on a tissue, the method comprising:
disposing in proximity to the tissue an apparatus comprising:
a catheter;
an inflatable and/or expandable body coupled to the catheter;
an electronic circuit disposed on the inflatable and/or expandable body, the electronic circuit comprising a plurality of components that accommodate expanding of the inflatable and/or expandable body, the plurality of components comprising:
a plurality of electrodes, at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes is a radiofrequency electrode configured to deliver a radiofrequency energy to a tissue proximate to the radiofrequency electrode; and
a plurality of stretchable interconnects disposed on the inflatable and/or expandable body, wherein the plurality of stretchable interconnects electrically couples at least one of the plurality of electrodes to an external circuit;

at least one flow sensor disposed on a portion of the catheter, each of the at least one flow sensor comprising:
a heating element; and
a temperature sensor disposed proximate to the heating element, wherein a flow measurement of the at least one flow sensor provides an indication of a flow rate of a fluid proximate to the portion of the catheter;

at least one component coupled to the catheter and configured to perform an ablation procedure on a portion of a tissue proximate to the catheter; and
an assessment module coupled to the at least one flow sensor and configured to receive data indicative of at least one flow measurement from the at least one flow sensor and provide an indication of the efficacy of the ablation procedure based on the data indicative of at least one flow measurement;

applying the ablation procedure to the surface of the tissue proximate to the catheter; and
recording the at least one flow measurement of the at least one flow sensor.

23. The method of claim 22 , fur

Assignees

• Mc10 Inc

Inventors

• Lee Stephen P
• Liu Clifford
• Ghaffari Roozbeh
• Work John
• Quivira Fernando
• Klinker Lauren E
• Hsu Yung-Yu

Classifications

• A61B2018/00511

  Kidney · CPC title

• A61B2018/00041

  Heating, e.g. defrosting · CPC title

• A61B18/18 Primary

  by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves · CPC title

• A61B2018/00791

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61N1/0551

  Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes · CPC title