Tissue heating and ablation systems and methods using...

Details Tissue heating and ablation systems and methods using... Tissue heating and ablation systems and methods using...

1999-12-15

2001-06-12

Nasser, Robert L. (Department: 3736)

Surgery

Instruments

Heat application

C606S041000, C606S096000, C606S101000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06245061

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
In a general sense, the invention is directed to systems and methods for creating lesions in the interior regions of the human body. In a more particular sense, the invention is directed to systems and methods for ablating heart tissue for treating cardiac conditions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Physicians frequently make use of catheters today in medical procedures to gain access into interior regions of the body. In some procedures, the catheter carries an energy transmitting element on its distal tip to ablate body tissues.
In such procedures, the physician must establish stable and uniform contact between the energy transmitting element and the tissue to be ablated. Upon establishing contact, the physician must then carefully apply ablating energy to the element for transmission to the tissue.
The need for precise control over the transmission of ablation energy is especially critical during catheter-based procedures for ablating heart tissue. These procedures, called electrophysiology therapy, are becoming increasingly more widespread for treating cardiac rhythm disturbances, called arrhythmias. Cardiac ablation procedures typically use radio frequency (RF) energy to form a lesion in heart tissue.
The principal objective of the invention is to provide systems and methods for monitoring and reliably controlling the application of energy to ablate body tissue, thereby providing therapeutic results in a consistent and predictable fashion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides systems and methods that provide reliable control over tissue heating and ablation procedures using temperature sensing.
One aspect of the invention provides systems and methods using an electrode able to transmit heating or ablation energy. The electrode includes a first sensing element associated with the electrode for measuring a first temperature, as well as a second sensing element associated with the electrode for measuring a second temperature. According to this aspect of the invention, the electrode includes a heating element in thermal conductive contact with the electrode for heating the electrode.
Another aspect of the invention provides systems and methods for heating or ablating tissue. The systems and methods employ an electrode able to transmit heating or ablation energy from a source. The systems and methods include a first sensing element associated with the electrode for measuring a first temperature, and a second sensing element associated with the electrode for measuring a second temperature. The systems and methods also include a heating element, separate from the source, in thermal conductive contact with the electrode for heating the electrode. The heating element is operable in an ON mode and an OFF mode. According to this aspect of the invention, the systems and methods process one or more temperatures measured by the first and second sensing elements with the heating element in the ON mode, and also while the electrode transmits heating energy from the source with the heating element in the OFF mode to derive therefrom a prediction of maximum temperature of the tissue region.
In a preferred embodiment, the systems and methods control the transmission of heating or ablation energy by the electrode based, at least in part, upon the predicted maximum tissue temperature.
Other features and advantages of the inventions are set forth in the following Description and Drawings, as well as in the appended claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5688267 (1997-11-01), Panescu et al.
patent: 5735846 (1998-04-01), Panescu et al.
patent: 6053912 (2000-04-01), Panescu et al.

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