Pressure sensing of irrigant backpressure for aligning directional medical devices with target tissue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9848899-B2
Application number	US-201313837964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for aligning directionally operable medical devices with and upon target tissue. Systems and methods for aligning medical devices such as directional ablation catheters to and upon target tissue by monitoring irrigant backpressure. The current disclosure provides solutions to the problem of rotationally or angularly aligning a directional medical device toward tissue.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for rotationally aligning a medical device with target tissue, comprising:
a medical device having a proximal region and a distal region, the distal region comprising a distal tip and at least one directional therapeutic or diagnostic component, the medical device further comprising:
an irrigant delivery lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the irrigant delivery lumen comprises a single exit port at the distal tip of the distal region of the device, and wherein the irrigant delivery lumen exit port is coaxially aligned with the directional therapeutic or diagnostic component, and wherein irrigant exits the irrigant delivery lumen at the exit port;
a fluid pump operably configured to supply a fluid to the irrigant delivery lumen;
at least one pressure sensor configured to measure fluid backpressure in the irrigant delivery lumen; and
a processor or circuitry capable of reporting increases in fluid backpressure during manipulation of the medical device, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the directional therapeutic or diagnostic component is rotationally aligned with and upon the target tissue based upon the at least one pressure sensor sensing a peak fluid backpressure from the exit port.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the directional therapeutic component is a tissue ablating component.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the ablation component comprises an ultrasound or RF ablation element.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is capable of sensing when an ablation steam pop is about to happen and shutting off or reducing the power of the ablating component.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distal region of the medical device comprises at least one directional diagnostic component and at least one directional therapeutic component.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure sensor is coupled to the medical device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure sensor is coupled to the fluid pump.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the irrigant delivery lumen is also operably connected to a vacuum or suction source to secure the tip to the tissue.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the irrigant fluid pump is a positive displacement pump configured to maintain a substantially constant flow rate, and wherein the backpressure increases as the flow output of the pump is obstructed.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the directional therapeutic or diagnostic component comprises an ultrasound transducer.

11. An ablation catheter apparatus comprising:
an elongated catheter body extending longitudinally between a proximal portion and a distal portion along a longitudinal axis;
the distal portion comprising at least one directional ablator or diagnostic component and a single irrigant outflow port directionally coaxially aligned with the at least one directional component;
an irrigant delivery lumen disposed within the catheter body and terminating at the irrigant outflow port;
at least one pressure monitoring element, wherein the at least one pressure monitoring element senses irrigant fluid backpressure caused by varying tissue blockage of the outflow port;
and a processor or circuitry operably connected to the at least one pressure monitoring element, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the directional therapeutic or diagnostic component is rotationally aligned with and upon the target tissue based at least in part upon the at least one pressure sensor sensing a peak fluid backpressure from the irrigant outflow port.

12. The ablation catheter apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the directional ablator comprises an ultrasound or RF ablation element.

13. The ablation catheter apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the directional diagnostic component comprises a directional ultrasonic pinging transducer.

14. The ablation catheter apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one pressure monitoring element is coupled to the ablation catheter.

15. The ablation catheter apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one pressure monitoring element is coupled to a fluid pump.

Assignees

• Sliwa John W
• Ma Zhenyi
• Morse Stephen A
• St Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Div Inc

Inventors

• Sliwa John W
• Ma Zhenyi
• Morse Stephen A

Classifications

• A61B18/18

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

• A61B17/320068 Primary

  using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic (A61B17/22012 takes precedence; dental tooth drilling devices operated by vibration A61C3/03; removing intra-ocular material using mechanical vibrations A61F9/00745) · CPC title

• A61B2017/32007

  with suction or vacuum means · CPC title

• A61B2017/320069

  for ablating tissue · CPC title

• A61B2090/3782

  transmitter or receiver in catheter or minimal invasive instrument · CPC title