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Maneuverable electrophysiology catheter for percutaneous or intraoperative ablation of cardiac arrhythmias
| Details |
Inventors: Motamedi, Massoud; Ware, David L.;
Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System (Austin, TX)
Primary Examiner: Cohen; Lee S.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Arnold, White & Durkee
A catheter capable of both sensing myocardial electrical activity and delivering ablating energy within myocardial tissue is disclosed. The catheter comprises electrodes on the outer sheath and contains a movable fiber optic cable that can be percutaneously advanced beyond the catheter body and into the myocardium for myocardial heating and coagulation, or modification of tissues responsible for cardiac arrhythmias. The fiber optic tip is designed to diffuse ablating energy radially to ablate a larger volume of tissue than is possible with a bare fiber optic tip. In addition, the tip is treated so that energy is not propagated in a forward direction, thus helping to prevent unwanted perforation of the heart tissue. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention addresses the problems described above by (1) delivering laser light or other ablating energy intramyocardially, and (2) diffusing the ablating energy over a broad area in the myocardium without causing excess heat on the endocardial surface or in the blood pool.
Mapping of the site of the arrhythmia is made possible by electrodes provided on the catheter sheath that may be switchably connected to a physiological recorder.
In a particular embodiment, mapping electrodes may be provided on the retractable tip, in order to more precisely define the area of myocardium in which the arrhythmia arises.
The catheter is controllably flexible for placing the electrodes in the correct position for contacting and treating the desired area.
The present invention thus provides instruments and methods for percutaneous catheter ablation of larger myocardial lesions than have previously been possible, by the intramyocardial delivery of diffused laser light, or other ablating energy, thus enhancing the potential for cure of ventricular arrhythmias, for example.
Patients may therefore not require pharmacological or surgical therapy, reducing the morbidity and expense of therapy.
The invention, in certain aspects, may be described as an apparatus for endocardial insertion comprising a catheter adapted to access the cardiovascular system.
An energy transmitting conductor extends along and within the catheter and has a tip which is extensible beyond the distal end of the catheter and also retractable within the catheter.
The conductor may be a conductor for electrical current, ultrasound, microwave, an optical wave guide such as a wave guide for coherent light or a conduit for liquid and most preferably comprises an optical fiber.
The tip of the conductor is configured to penetrate cardiac tissue (i.
e.
through the endocardium and into the myocardial tissue) and to direct energy from and radially and/or axially relative to the conductor when the conductor is extended beyond the distal end of the catheter and into the myocardial tissue
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Heart Surgery 
