Biosense Webster, Inc.

Other

Biosence Webster, Inc.

Benjamin D McDaniel

James K Lee

Martin F O'Sullivan

Dean M Ponzi

Thomas V Selkee

Darrell Drysen

Bart-Jan Korteling

Gerhard Hindricks

Hans Kottkamp

A deflectable device, such as a catheter, is provided that includes a hinge that enhances the ability of the device to deflect or bend within a predetermined plane. The catheter comprises an elongated tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen extending therethrough. A distal segment is provided distal to the distal end of the catheter body. A tubular hinge is provided between the distal end of the catheter body and the proximal end of the distal segment. The hinge has an axis and at least one lumen extending therethrough. The tube includes at least one slot, and preferably a plurality of slots, extending part of the way through the hinge generally transverse to the axis of the hinge.

Deflectable catheter with hinge

A deflectable, catheter includes a catheter body, an intermediate section, a tip electrode and a control handle for deflecting the catheter by manipulation of a puller element that is made of a high modulus fiber material and extends through the catheter body and the intermediate section. The proximal end of the puller element is housed in the control handle and the distal end of the puller element is in a wrapped configuration and engages with a distal tip member or the intermediate section.

Deflectable catheter with a high modulus fiber puller element

An improved steerable catheter with biased, in-plane bi-directional deflection has an elongated catheter body, a deflectable intermediate section having a tubing with at least a first and a second off-axis opposing lumens for puller wires that define a plane of deflection, and a control handle at a proximal end of the catheter body. The deflectable intermediate section includes at least two elongated bias members that extend along the length and lie on a plane perpendicular to the plane of deflection so as to resist flexure outside of the plane of deflection. In a more detailed embodiment, the deflectable intermediate section has an integrated tubular construction that includes an inner layer, a braided mesh surrounding the inner layer and an outer layer, where the bias members can be situated between the inner layer and the braided mesh, or between the braided mesh and the outer layer.

Catheter with biased planar deflection

An EP catheter includes a tip electrode having a core primarily comprised of copper with an outer layer of a biocompatible metal disposed thereon exhibits appropriate electrical and thermal conduction characteristics while being cost-effective to produce. Alternatively, an inner layer of a biocompatible metal is disposed on the inside of the primarily copper core. Such a tip electrode may also be provided with irrigation lumens. Such a tip electrode could be manufactured from sheets of metal that upon extrusion would comprise the outer layer, core and optional inner layer respectively.

Electrophysiology catheter with improved tip electrode

A catheter has a three-dimensional, hollow ablation assembly that carries at least one ribbon electrode for circumferential ablation. In one embodiment, the assembly has a free-form framework that is constructed of multiple tensile members or wires that are interwoven such that the length of the framework increases while the circumference of the framework decreases, and vice versa. The assembly can also have a self-expanding stent-type framework which is mounted on the expander. In another alternative embodiment, the framework is a tubular or cylindrical structure whose side wall has longitudinal slots between longitudinal slats for radial expansion to a greater circumference when the length is decreased. The flexible ribbon electrode on the assembly is elastic, or is pleated so that it folds when the framework is collapsed and unfolds when the framework is deployed.

Catheter for circumferential ablation at or near a pulmonary vein

An improved steerable catheter with in-plane deflection comprises a catheter body having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therethrough and a tip section at the distal end of the catheter body. The tip section comprises a flexible plastic tubing having a pair of diametrically-opposed lumens extending therethrough. The catheter also provides two puller wires manipulated through a control handle at the proximal end of the catheter body. Each puller wire extends through one of the pair of lumens in the tip section and through the lumen of the catheter body and is anchored to the control handle at its proximal end and anchored to the tip section at its distal end. The deflection mechanism is configured to generally define a plane along which deflection most readily occurs and an edge along which deflection is most readily avoided. The deflection mechanism extends longitudinally along a centerline of the tip section between the first and second puller wire and is configured generally with a cross section having a thinner dimension and a thicker dimension to bias the tip section to deflect in a plane parallel with the thinner dimension of the deflection mechanism and to resist deflection in a plane perpendicular to thicker dimension.

Steerable catheter with in-plane deflection

The present invention involves a surgical device and method of use, particularly an assembly and method incorporating a shaped expandable member along the distal region of an ablation device to facilitate ablation of a circumferential region of tissue engaged by the expandable member. The ablation device assembly includes an elongate body with a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and a longitudinal axis. A contact member is located along the distal end portion of the elongate body. The contact member has a circumferential wall and is expandable from a radially collapsed condition to a radially expanded condition. The contact member also includes a single chamber having a single bulbous section. The single bulbous section has a plurality of longitudinally adjacent circumferential regions wherein adjacent regions have dissimilar wall thicknesses. The ablation device also has an ablation element having an ablative energy source that is located along the distal end portion, wherein the ablation element cooperates with the contact member such that the ablative energy source emits a substantially circumferential pattern of energy through the circumferential wall.

Multi-region staged inflation balloon

A deflectable catheter includes a catheter body, an intermediate section, a tip electrode and a control handle for deflecting the catheter by manipulation of a puller element that is made of a high modulus fiber material and extends through the catheter body and the intermediate section. The proximal end of the puller element is housed in the control handle and the distal end of the puller element is in a wrapped configuration and engages with a distal tip member or the intermediate section.

A method for treating tissue is provided. The method comprises introducing into a patient the distal end of a catheter. The catheter comprises a catheter shaft comprising an elongated tubing having proximal and distal ends, and a distal shaft comprising a tubing having proximal and distal ends. The distal shaft carries a treatment device along a side of the distal shaft. A hinge is mounted between the distal end of the catheter shaft and the proximal end of the distal shaft. The hinge enhances the ability of the distal shaft to bend relative to the catheter shaft in a single predetermined plane A force is exerted on the distal shaft to cause at least a portion of the treatment device that is along a side of the distal shaft to contact the tissue. The tissue is treated with the treatment device.

Method for treating tissue

The present invention is directed to a catheter clamp that is affixable to a patient's skin to hold a catheter in position while in use within a patient's body. In one embodiment, the clamp has a base adapted to be removably adhered to the patient's skin, two clamp members supported on the base and defining a region therebetween to receive the catheter body, the clamp members being adapted to move between an open position and a closed position, and locking means for releasably locking said clamp members in said closed position to hold the catheter body in a generally fixed position relative to said clamp. In another embodiment, the clamp includes a base adapted to be removably adhered to the patient's skin, two clamp members supported on the base and defining a space therebetween to receive the catheter body, the clamp members being adapted to move between an open position and a closed position, and an elongated release tab extending between the two clamp members and configured to releasably lock the clamp member around the catheter body. The two clamp members may be pivotably coupled to each other and the tab may be pivotably attached on one of the clamp members.

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Irvine, CA, United States of America

Benjamin D McDaniel