Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Electrical energy applicator
Reexamination Certificate
1996-10-28
2001-04-10
Peffley, Michael (Department: 3739)
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Electrical energy applicator
C606S041000, C600S374000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216043
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to multiple electrode structures deployed in interior regions of the heart for diagnosis and treatment of cardiac conditions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Physicians make use of catheters today in medical procedures to gain access into interior regions of the body to ablate targeted tissue areas. It is important for the physician to be able to precisely locate the catheter and control its emission of energy within the body during tissue ablation procedures.
The need for precise control over the catheter is especially critical during procedures that ablate endocardial tissue within the heart. These procedures, called electrophysiological therapy, are use to treat cardiac rhythm disturbances.
During these procedures, a physician steers a catheter through a main vein or artery into the interior region of the heart that is to be treated. The physician then further manipulates a steering mechanism to place the electrode carried on the distal tip of the catheter into direct contact with the endocardial tissue that is to be ablated. The physician directs energy from the electrode through tissue either to an indifferent electrode (in a uni-polar electrode arrangement) or to an adjacent electrode (in a bi-polar electrode arrangement) to ablate the tissue and form a lesion.
Physicians examine the propagation of electrical impulses in heart tissue to locate aberrant conductive pathways and to identify foci, which are ablated. The techniques used to analyze these pathways and locate foci are commonly called “mapping.”
Conventional cardiac tissue mapping techniques introduce several linear electrode arrays into the heart through vein or arterial accesses. There remains a need for improved endocardial mapping, impedance sensing, or ablation techniques using three dimensional, multiple electrode structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides asymmetric support structures and associated methods of deploying these structures in interior body regions. The structures are capable of supporting diagnostic or therapeutic elements, such as, for example, electrodes for sensing electrical events to map tissue or for sensing an electrical characteristic (such as impedance) of the tissue, or other types of therapeutic techniques.
One aspect of the invention provides a radially asymmetric support structure. In a preferred embodiment, the structure includes spline elements that extend between a hub and a base. The spline elements are circumferentially spaced apart about the hub axis to define angular intervals between adjacent spline elements. According to this aspect of the invention, two of the angular intervals are different by at least 20° to create a radially asymmetric geometry about the hub axis. Because of the radial asymmetry, the structure has a first region where adjacent spline elements are located radially closer together than in a second region. The radially asymmetric structure varies circumferential spacing between spline elements, thereby making it possible to vary the density of diagnostic or therapeutic elements about the periphery of the structure.
An associated method deploys the radially asymmetric structure in an interior body region. Contact between tissue and the second region of the structure also supports and stabilizes contact between tissue and the first region of the structure, where the greater density of diagnostic or therapeutic elements exists.
Another aspect of the invention provides a structure for deployment within an interior body cavity comprising a distal hub having an axis, a proximal base, and spline elements extending between the hub and the base. The spline elements exist in a circumferentially spaced relationship about the hub axis defining angular intervals between adjacent spline elements. The spline elements are adapted to contact tissue within the interior body cavity. The structure includes a mechanism to variably adjust the angular interval between at least two adjacent spline elements. An associated method deploys the variably adjustable structure in an interior body region.
Another aspect of the invention provides an axially asymmetric support structure. In a preferred embodiment, the structure comprises a spline element extending between a hub and a base along an elongated axis. The spline element includes a geometric midpoint between the hub and the base. According to this aspect of the invention, the spline element has a preformed memory normally biasing the spline element into a shape along the elongated axis that is asymmetric about the geometric midpoint. The spline element thereby possesses an axially asymmetric geometry along the elongated axis. An associated method deploys the axially asymmetric structure in an interior body region, which is preferable also axially asymmetric. The axially asymmetric structure makes it possible to position one or more diagnostic or therapeutic elements in conforming contact with tissue within asymmetric body cavities, such as a heart chamber.
Another aspect of the invention provides a support structure that is both radially and axially asymmetric. In a preferred embodiment, the support structure comprises spline elements that are both radially and axially asymmetric, as above described. The dual asymmetry of the structure makes it possible to provide localized density of diagnostic or therapeutic elements, while also closely conforming to the irregular contours of an interior body cavity, such as the heart.
Other features and advantages of the inventions are set forth in the following Description and Drawings, as well as in the appended Claims.
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Kordis Thomas F.
Panescu Dorin
Swanson David K.
Whayne James G.
EP Technologies, Inc.
Lyon & Lyon LLP
Peffley Michael
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