 Medical valve |
| OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT," one will understand how the features of this invention provide its ... |
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Steerable catheter with rotatable tip electrode and method of use
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Inventors: Organ, Leslie W.;
Assignee: Hicor, Inc. (Charleston, SC)
Primary Examiner: Sykes; Angela D.
Assistant Examiner: Peffley; Michael
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McDermott, Will & Emery
A catheter, used e.g. for cardiac ablation, has a handle, a shaft, and a J-bendable distal end containing tip and ring electrodes. The tip electrode is axially rotatable and has insulated and uninsulated portions. As the tip electrode is rotated, the impedance between it and a reference level is observed. When the impedance reaches a maximum, this indicates that the uninsulated portion lies against the tissue and the insulated portion faces the bloodstream. An electrogram can be taken from the electrode, or an ablation current can then be applied to it. Short circuiting of the signal or current through the blood is thus reduced. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention in one of its aspects to provide an improved catheter which can more readily be guided so that its tip can be placed in the desired location.
In one aspect the invention provides a catheter comprising: (a) a handle, (b) a longitudinally extended shaft connected to said handle, (c) a distal end connected to said shaft, said distal end being bendable with respect to said shaft, (d) a tip electrode mounted on said distal end for axial rotation thereon, and at least one ring electrode mounted on said distal end adjacent to said tip, (e) said tip electrode having a conductive portion and an insulated portion, (f) first control means extending from said handle through said shaft and connected to said distal end for bending said distal end relative to said shaft, (g) second control means extending from said handle through said shaft to said tip electrode for axially rotating said tip electrode, so that said conductive portion of said tip electrode may be placed against tissue and said insulated portion may be oriented to face a patient's bloodstream.
In another aspect the invention provides a method of positioning a catheter in a desired manner over selected tissue within a patient, said catheter having a handle, a longitudinally elongated shaft connected to said handle, a distal end connected to said shaft, and an axially rotatable electrode on said distal end, said electrode having a conductive portion and an insulated portion, said method comprising: (a) moving said catheter so that said electrode is positioned over said selected tissue, (b) axially rotating said electrode, (c) observing the impedance between said electrode and a reference level as said electrode is axially rotated, (d) determining when said impedance reaches a peak value, said peak value being indicative that said conductive portion of said electrode is lying against said tissue, (e) and thereby positioning said electrode with said conductive portion lying against said tissue
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