St Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc

St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.

Israel A Byrd

Saurav Paul

Troy Terrance Tegg

Harry A Puryear

Jeffrey Michael Fish

Riki Chou Thao

Jeremy David Dando

Linda Kay Nemec

Christopher J Geurkink

Lynn E Clark

James V Kauphusman

Jeffrey A Schweitzer

Zachary L Helgeson

Alexander Carson Houck

John Her

Brian M Monahan

Neil David Hawkinson

Richard E Stehr

Derek C Sutermeister

James C Marrs

Salo Arias

Somally Mom

James R Nigg

Jill A LaFavor

Linda Nemec

Lynn E Gilmour

D Curtis Deno

Eric Steven Olson

Dale Eric Just

Gregory K Olson

Valtino X Afonso

Daniel Joe Potter

Martin Maitre Grasse

Charles Bryan Byrd

Salome A Gonzalez

Xuan Yen Khieu

Greg Olson

Xuan Ye Khieu

Boyce Moon

Eric Betzler

René Van Es

John M Berns

Frederik Henricus Matheus Wittkampf

Rohan Lathia

Frederik H M Wittkampf

Claire T Edlebeck

Sandeep Dani

John Tranter

Jake Daly

Brian Michael Monahan

Kenneth Drew

John Son Her

James Reginald Nigg

Zachary Lee Helgeson

James Clayton Marrs

Jill Lafavor

Frederik H Wittkampf

Lynn Clark

The instant disclosure relates to electrophysiology catheters for tissue ablation within a cardiac muscle. In particular, the instant disclosure relates to an electrophysiology ablation balloon catheter with conductive and non-conductive surfaces for focusing ablation energy at a desired portion of pulmonary vein tissue.

Pulmonary vein isolation balloon catheter

Catheter systems include direction-sensitive, multi-polar tip electrode assemblies for electroporation-mediated therapy, electroporation-induced primary necrosis therapy and electric field-induced apoptosis therapy, including configurations for producing narrow, linear lesions as well as distributed, wide area lesions. A monitoring system for electroporation therapy includes a mechanism for delivering electrochromic dyes to a tissue site as well as a fiber optic arrangement to optically monitor the progress of the therapy as well as to confirm success post-therapy. A fiber optic temperature sensing electrode catheter includes a tip electrode having a cavity whose inner surface is impregnated or coated with thermochromic/thermotropic material that changes color with changes in temperature. An optic fiber/detector arrangement monitors the thermochromic or thermotropic materials, acquiring a light signal and generating an output signal indicative of the spectrum of the light signal. An analyzer determines an electrode temperature based on the detector output and predetermined spectrum versus temperature calibration data.

Catheter systems

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for limiting arcing during an electroporation procedure. A method includes delivering a calibration shock using a catheter, measuring a current delivered during the calibration shock and a voltage delivered during the calibration shock, calculating, using a processing device, a calibration shock impedance based on the delivered current and the delivered voltage, calculating, using the processing device, a bridge impedance based on the calibration shock impedance and a target impedance, wherein the bridge impedance is a difference between the calibration shock impedance and the target impedance, adding an impedance in series with the catheter, the impedance being greater than or equal to the bridge impedance, and delivering a therapeutic shock using the catheter in series with the added impedance.

Systems and methods for limiting arcing in electroporation systems

The present disclosure provides catheters for electroporation systems. One catheter includes a plurality of catheter electrodes disposed along a portion of a distal end of the electroporation catheter. The plurality of catheter electrodes includes a plurality of first type catheter electrodes adapted for use with an electroporation generator during an electroporation procedure and a plurality of second type catheter electrodes adapted for use with an electroporation generator during an electroporation procedure and for use with a diagnostic subsystem. The plurality of first type catheter electrodes is positioned at a distal end of the electroporation catheter. Each second type catheter electrode is adjacent another second type catheter electrode.

Electroporation systems and catheters for electroporation systems

A method of navigating a catheter to a target location in an anatomical structure of a patient includes inserting a portion of a catheter into the patient. The catheter includes an elongate shaft having a proximal and a distal end, and a loop subassembly coupled to the distal end. The loop subassembly includes a loop coupled to the distal end and positioned parallel to the elongate shaft, and electrodes disposed on the loop. The method includes positioning one of a portion of the loop subassembly and a portion of the distal end of the elongate shaft in contact with a surface of the anatomical structure a distance from the target location, and translating the loop subassembly toward the target location with the one of the portion of the loop subassembly and the portion of the distal end of the elongate shaft in contact with the surface of the anatomical structure.

Medical catheters, systems including medical catheters, and methods of positioning medical catheters

The present disclosure provides electroporation systems, methods of controlling electroporation systems to limit electroporation arcs through intracardiac catheters, and catheters for electroporation systems. One method of controlling an electroporation system including a direct current (DC) energy source, a return electrode connected to the DC energy source, and a catheter connected to the DC energy source is disclosed. The catheter has a at least one catheter electrode. The method includes positioning the return electrode near a target location within a body and positioning the catheter electrode adjacent the target location within the body. A system impedance is determined with the return electrode positioned near the target location and the catheter electrode positioned within the body. The system impedance is adjusted to a target impedance to arcing from the catheter electrode.

An elongate medical device shaft may comprise an elongate body and an annular electrode disposed on the elongate body. The annular electrode may define a longitudinal axis and have an outer diameter. The outer diameter may be greater at an axial center of the electrode than at an axial end of the electrode. Additionally or alternatively, the elongate body may comprise three longitudinal sections having three wall thicknesses. The middle wall thickness may be less than the proximal and distal wall thicknesses and the distal wall thickness may be less than the proximal wall thickness. Additionally or alternatively, the shaft may comprise an inner cylindrical structure and an outer tube. The outer tube may comprise a first radial layer and a second radial layer that is radially-outward of the first radial layer, the first radial layer, second radial layer, and inner structure having different stiffnesses.

Elongate medical device including chamfered ring electrode and variable shaft

A system for displaying characteristics of target tissue during an ablation procedure is provided that includes an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to receive data regarding electrical properties of the target tissue for a time period. The ECU is also configured to determine a value responsive to the data and indicative of at least one of a predicted depth of a lesion in the target tissue, a predicted temperature of the target tissue, and a likelihood of steam pop of the target tissue for the time period. The system further includes a display device operatively connected to the ECU. The display device is configured to receive the value and display a visual representation indicative of at least one of a predicted depth of a lesion in the target tissue, a predicted temperature of the target tissue, and a likelihood of steam pop of the target tissue for the time period.

Graphical user interface for real-time RF lesion depth display

A system that automatically detects a myocardial barotrauma (i.e., tissue pop) event so that proper post-procedure care can be given includes an electronic control unit (ECU), a computer-readable memory coupled with the ECU, and detection logic stored in the memory configured to be executed by the ECU. The detection logic is configured to receive a signal generated by an electro-acoustic transducer related to acoustic activity within the patient, monitor the signal for a pre-determined indication of a barotrauma event, and output a notification when the pre-determined indication is detected. The transducer can be integrated with an extra-body patch that includes one or more electrodes for use with a medical device navigation system.

Automatic monitoring for and detection of tissue pop

An electrode catheter device with indifferent electrode for direct current tissue therapies is disclosed. An example of the catheter device has a flexible tubing with at least one ablation electrode. The catheter device also may also be used with a sheath for introducing the flexible tubing inside a patient's body. An indifferent electrode on the sheath can provide a ground for a direct current (DC) pulse to deliver electrical energy and create an electrical field adjacent a tissue. Various other embodiments are also disclosed.

Electrode catheter device with indifferent electrode for direct current tissue therapies

Growing community of inventors

Richfield, MN, United States of America

Israel A Byrd