Afx Inc.

Maquet Cardiovascular LLC

Microcube, LLC

Other

Fidus Medical Technology Corporation

Dany Berube

Robert E Woodard

Theodore C Ormsby

Dinesh I Mody

Hiep Nguyen

Robert G Matheny

Jules Gauthier

Pierre-Antoine Chapelon

Lyndall Erb

Ketan Shroff

Sing Fatt Chin

Nancy Norris

Faouzi Kallel

Sing-Fatt Chin

M Elizabeth Bush

Mary Elizabeth Bush

Ross McLaughlin Carothers

Patrick Morin

Devices, systems and methods are provided for deployment of one or more functional devices, such as therapeutic and/or diagnostic medical devices and/or positioning devices, at various locations relative to a defined operative path. The devices, systems, and methods can include a guide system and a positioning element. The guide system defines the operative path when deployed within a patient's body. The positioning element cooperates with the guide system to define one or more positions relative the defined operative path from which the one or more functional devices are deployed. The present inventions allow for the accurate and reliable placement of the one or more functional devices at the one or more positions relative the operative path. In one embodiment, the functional device is an ablation device adapted to ablate cardiac tissue for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation.

Delivery system for delivering a medical device to a location within a patient's body

Devices, systems and methods are provided for deployment of one or more functional devices, such as therapeutic or diagnostic medical devices, or positioning devices, at various locations relative to a defined operative path. The devices, systems, and methods can include a guide system and a positioning element. The guide system defines the operative path when deployed within a patient's body. The positioning element cooperates with the guide system to define one or more positions relative the defined operative path from which the one or more functional devices are deployed. The present inventions allow for the accurate and reliable placement of the one or more functional devices at the one or more positions relative the operative path. In one embodiment, the functional device is an ablation device adapted to ablate cardiac tissue for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation.

The present invention discloses devices and methods for creating multiple lesions using ablation devices in anatomical regions such as the heart, for example to treat cardiac arrhythmias. The present invention discloses methods and devices to create continuous lesions using area ablation devices. The present invention discloses various embodiments of reference assemblies for accurately positioning ablation devices having ablating portions, especially deployable ablation portions adapted for area ablation. The ablation devices are positioned using the reference assemblies in the anatomy to create one or more lesions. The present invention also discloses several method embodiments for creating continuous lesions using deployable ablating portions to produce two or more overlapping lesions.

Devices and methods for creating continuous lesions

An instrument assesses the transmurality of an ablation lesion from a first surface of a targeted biological tissue to an opposed second surface thereof. The instrument includes at least a first electrode operably attached to an ablation instrument adapted to engage a tissue first surface, and at least a second electrode adapted to engage a tissue second surface, the at least second electrode positioned generally opposed to the at least first electrode. Alternatively, the at least second electrode may be adapted to be placed within a chamber of an organ. These electrodes facilitate measuring at least one of conduction time, conduction velocity, phase angle, and impedance through at least a portion of the targeted tissue to determine the transmurality of the ablation lesion.

Apparatus and method for assessing transmurality of a tissue ablation

A medical instrument includes a pair of spaced apart and electrically isolated elongated electrodes positioned adjacent one another on a working member. The electrodes are arranged for sensing electrical activity of biological tissues inside the body of the patient. The medical instrument also includes a pair of electrically isolated electrode wires that extend through the working member and electrically couple to associated electrodes.

Electrode arrangement for use in a medical instrument

A securing apparatus for selectively securing an ablating element of an ablation instrument proximate to a targeted region of a biological tissue. The securing apparatus includes a support base affixed to the ablation instrument relative the ablating element, and having a support face adapted to seat against the biological tissue proximate to the ablation element. The support base further defines a passage having one end communicably coupled to a vacuum source and an opposite end terminating at an orifice at the support face. The support face together with the biological tissue forms a hermetic seal thereagainst during operation of the vacuum source to secure the ablation instrument thereagainst. Essentially, the hermetic seal and the vacuum source cooperate to form a vacuum force sufficient to retain the ablation device against the biological tissue.

Vacuum-assisted securing apparatus for a microwave ablation instrument

An ablation catheter apparatus with a monopole antenna that is arranged to provide a relatively uniform electric field and a method for using such an ablation catheter apparatus are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an ablation catheter includes an elongated flexible tubular member that is adapted to be inserted into the body of a patient, and a transmission line that is disposed within the tubular member. The transmission line has a distal end and a proximal end which is arranged to be connected to an electromagnetic energy source. The catheter also includes a monopole antenna with tip section and a body section that includes a distal end and a proximal end. The tip section and the body section are arranged to produce a relatively uniform electric field around the monopole antenna which is sufficiently strong to cause tissue ablation. The proximal end of the body section of the monopole antenna is arranged to be electrically coupled to the transmission line.

Monopole tip for ablation catheter

A system and method for positioning a medical instrument at a desired biological target tissue site is provided. The system includes an elongated sheath having a deflectable distal end configured to deflect or otherwise position at least a portion of a medical instrument during a surgical procedure allowing for the placement of the deflected portion adjacent or proximate to a predetermined target tissue surface. The positioning system may be incorporated into the medical instrument. The medical instrument may be an ablation system.

Method of positioning a medical instrument

A flexible microwave antenna assembly for a surgical ablation instrument capable of conforming to a tissue surface for ablation thereof. The ablation instrument includes a transmission line having a proximal portion suitable for connection to an electromagnetic energy source. The antenna assembly includes a flexible antenna coupled to the transmission line for radially generating an electric field sufficiently strong to cause tissue ablation. A flexible shield device is coupled to the antenna to substantially shield a surrounding area of the antenna from the electric field radially generated therefrom while permitting a majority of the field to be directed generally in a predetermined direction. A flexible insulator is disposed between the shield device and the antenna which defines a window portion enabling the transmission of the directed electric field in the predetermined direction. The antenna, the shield device and the insulator are formed for selective manipulative bending thereof, as a unit, to one of a plurality of contact positions to generally conform the window portion to the biological tissue surface to be ablated.

Microwave ablation instrument with flexible antenna assembly and method

An ablation assembly capable of ablating tissues inside the cavity of an organ is disclosed. The ablation assembly generally includes an ablative energy source and an ablative energy delivery device coupled to the ablative energy source. The ablative energy delivery device is configured for delivering ablative energy sufficiently strong to cause tissue ablation. The ablative energy delivery device generally includes a penetration end adapted to penetrate through a wall of an organ and an angular component that is used to position the device inside the organ after the device has penetrated through the wall of the organ.

Surgical microwave ablation assembly

An instrument is provided to assess the transmurality of an ablation lesion from a first surface of a targeted biological tissue to an opposed second surface thereof. The instrument includes at least a first electrode operably attached to an ablation instrument adapted to engage a tissue first surface, and at least a second electrode adapted to engage a tissue second surface, the at least second electrode positioned generally opposed to the at least first electrode. Alternatively, the at least second electrode may be adapted to be placed within a chamber of an organ. These electrodes each measure at least one of conduction time, conduction velocity, phase angle, and impedance through at least a portion of the targeted tissue to determine the transmurality of the ablation lesion.

A medical instrument is disclosed. The medical instrument includes a pair of spaced apart and electrically isolated elongated wire electrodes positioned adjacent one another on a working member. The wire electrodes are arranged for sensing electrical activity of biological tissues inside the body of the patient. The medical instrument also includes a pair of electrically isolated electrode wires that extend through the working member. Each of the electrode wires are electrically coupled to an associated wire electrode.

A directional ablation instrument for ablation of a targeted tissue. The instrument includes a transmission line having a proximal portion suitable for connection to an electromagnetic energy source, and an elongated antenna device having a longitudinal axis and an end coupled to the transmission line. The antenna is adapted to generate an electric field sufficiently strong to cause tissue ablation of the targeted tissue. An elongated support assembly includes a central axis, and an ablation surface extending longitudinally along an exterior surface portion of the support assembly. The support assembly is configured to receive the antenna device in the ablation surface such that the longitudinal axis of the antenna device is off-set from the support assembly central axis. Further, the antenna device is oriented toward the surface portion for positioning of the antenna device substantially adjacent to or in contact with the targeted tissue during operable use.

Directional microwave ablation instrument with off-set energy delivery portion

A catheter system with an enhanced steering system, allowing for positioning the distal portion of the catheter proximate to a desired biological target tissue site, is provided. The system includes an elongated tubular member having a steerable distal end configured to deflect, or otherwise direct, and properly position at least a portion of the distal end comprising an ablation device during a surgical procedure allowing for the placement of the deflected portion adjacent or proximate to the target tissue surface. The steering system may alternatively be incorporated into a separate guiding catheter as part of the catheter system.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Dany Berube