Balloon catheter with flexible electrode assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9872717-B2
Application number	US-201514747702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2008
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

In some implementations, a method of ablating body tissue includes (a) locating an inflatable balloon portion of a cryotherapy balloon catheter at a treatment site internal to a patient's body, and inflating the inflatable balloon portion; (b) employing electrodes that are disposed on an expandable surface of the inflatable balloon portion to electrically characterize body tissue at the treatment site; (c) ablating the body tissue by supplying a cryotherapy agent to the inflatable balloon portion to cool the body tissue to a therapeutic temperature; (d) employing the electrodes to determine whether the ablating caused desired electrical changes in the body tissue; and (e) repeating (c) and (d) when it is determined that the ablating did not cause the desired electrical changes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a catheter having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween;
a balloon coupled to the distal end of the catheter; and
a plurality of separate flexible electrode assemblies circumferentially spaced apart from each other and attached to an outer surface of the balloon, each electrode assembly comprising a flexible sheet, first and second conductor layers extending longitudinally along opposing first and second surfaces of the flexible sheet, and first and second insulator layers disposed over at least a portion of the first and second conductor layers, respectively;
wherein at least one of the flexible electrode assemblies includes a first electrode formed by an opening in the first insulator layer and a second electrode formed by an opening in the second insulator layer, wherein the first and second electrodes are spaced apart longitudinally from each other.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second conductor layers include copper.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second conductor layers include platinum.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second conductor layers each include a layer of a first material coated with a layer of a second material different from the first material.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first material is copper and the second material is platinum.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal sensor.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a sheath that surrounds the catheter, through which the catheter is translated.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein wires connected to the electrodes extend along the catheter in a braided pattern towards the proximal end.

9. A device, comprising:
an elongate shaft having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween;
a balloon coupled to the distal end of the elongate shaft; and
a plurality of separate flexible electrode assemblies circumferentially spaced apart from each other and attached to an outer surface of the balloon, each electrode assembly comprising a first insulator layer disposed on the balloon, a first conductor layer disposed on the first insulator layer, a flexible sheet disposed on the first conductor layer, a second conductor layer disposed on the flexible sheet, and a second insulator layer disposed on the second conductor layer;
wherein at least one of the flexible electrode assemblies includes a first electrode formed by an opening in the first insulator layer and a second electrode formed by an opening in the second insulator layer, wherein the first and second electrodes are spaced apart longitudinally from each other.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first and second conductor layers include copper.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first and second conductor layers include platinum.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first and second conductor layers each include a layer of a first material coated with a layer of a second material different from the first material.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first material is copper and the second material is platinum.

14. The device of claim 9 , further comprising a thermal sensor.

15. The device of claim 9 , further comprising a sheath that surrounds the elongate shaft, through which the elongate shaft is translated.

16. The device of claim 9 , wherein wires connected to the electrodes extend along the elongate shaft in a braided pattern towards the proximal end.

Assignees

• Boston Scient Scimed Inc

Inventors

• Bencini Robert F
• Ingle Frank
• Koblish Josef V
• Tin Rebecca
• Mazzone James
• Chun Byron
• Lawrence David

Classifications

• A61B18/02 Primary

  by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques · CPC title

• A61B2018/0262

  using a circulating cryogenic fluid · CPC title

• A61B2018/00714

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61B2018/00023

  closed, i.e. without wound contact by the fluid · CPC title

• A61B2018/00797

  measured by multiple temperature sensors · CPC title