Leland Stanford Junior University

C. R. Bard, Inc.

New England Medical Center

Northeastern University

Paul J Wang

Bryant Lin

David P MacAdam

Dipen Shah

Shawn X Yang

Hassan Rastegar

Friedrich B Prinz

Gary S Falwell

Ian D McRury

Michael C Peterson

Amin Al-Ahmad

Michael Kerby Chen

Ross Daniel Venook

Laurent B Giovangrandi

Brian A Wandell

Carey M Rappaport

Omer T Inan

Robert C Robbins

Morgan Clyburn

Zeji Gu

Henryk K Blasinski

Matthew Siljander

Burak Dura

William Francis Johnston

Kai Ihnken

Kaartiga Sivanesan

Kathleen Lee Kang

Lauren Shui Sum Chan

Dorothea Koh

Marie Guion-Johnson

Jeffrey Caves

Baharan Kamousi

Joyce E Farrell

An ablation therapy system is disclosed comprising an ablation catheter system for treating atrial fibrillation (AF). The ablation catheter system comprises a catheter body including a lumen for receiving a visualization catheter, an ablation element for ablating tissue in a patient's heart having abnormal electrical activity, a support assembly for supporting the ablation element, the support assembly being supported by the catheter assembly. The support assembly includes a lumen to receive the visualization catheter, wherein the support assembly is configured to rotate and/or pivot with respect to the catheter body.

Ablation catheter system and method for deploying same

Various aspects of the instant disclosure are directed to imaging tissue. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to apparatuses and methods involving the following. A light source includes an array of light emitters that illuminate a tissue region of a heart wall with light at different wavelength ranges. A light collector collects multispectral images including respective images collected at each of the different wavelength ranges at which the tissue region is illuminated. A catheter positions the light source and light collector proximate the tissue region of the heart wall for respectively illuminating the tissue region and collecting the multispectral images. A display circuit collects and displays one or more images depicting a condition of the health of heart wall tissue, based on the respective images collected at the different ones of the wavelength ranges.

Visualization of heart wall tissue

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward devices, methods and systems for controlling depolarization in cardiac cells. One such device includes one or more circuits that are configured and arranged to generate an electrical stimulus at a high frequency. The circuit is configured to provide electrical stimulus over a period of time sufficient to depolarize the cardiac cells. An electrode arrangement is configured and arranged to deliver the high frequency electrical stimulus to cardiac cells and depolarize the cardiac cells.

Control of cardiac excitability using high frequency signals

A transmural ablation device is provided to achieve endocardial and epicardial ablation at the same site but directed from the inner and outer surfaces of the heart to create a transmural lesion. By ablating from both sides of the heart tissue, it is possible to increase the depth of the lesion created and to increase the likelihood of a transmural lesion. Embodiments pertain to techniques to align the endocardial and epicardial ablation elements and techniques to position and move the endocardial and epicardial ablation elements along a predefined linear, curvilinear, or circular path. The ability to bring the epicardial and endocardial elements more closely or firmly with the underlying tissue is important in creating optimal lesions. Magnetic force attracts the epicardial and endocardial elements.

Transmural ablation device

A method is provided that includes providing a monitoring apparatus including one or more modules within a target cavity or lumen of a body. The one or more modules are provided within the target cavity or lumen in a first state in which the monitoring apparatus is configured to remain within the target cavity or lumen. The method further includes monitoring physiological conditions of the body using one or more sensors within the one or more modules, and providing the one or more modules in a second state in which the monitoring apparatus is configured to exit the target cavity or lumen.

Method and apparatus for in-vivo physiological monitoring

Techniques for discrimination of heart rhythms in cardiac rhythm management devices include determining a current covariance matrix of multiple electrograms measuring each current heart beat, determining a distance measure between the current covariance matrix and a predetermined covariance matrix of the multiple electrograms measuring at least one different heart beat; and determining whether the heart beat represents ventricular tachycardia based on the distance measure.

Method to discriminate arrhythmias in cardiac rhythm management devices

The system of the preferred embodiments includes a first rotational element, a second rotational element, and a therapeutic source coupled to the rotational elements. The system permits simultaneous attachment to and movement around a surface of tissue, preferably during an ablation procedure (either during lesion creation or between lesion creation events), or during any other suitable procedure. The therapeutic source functions to translate along the path of tissue and deliver therapy as the first and second rotational elements rotate and roll along the path of tissue. The therapeutic source preferably delivers contiguous doses of therapy along the path of tissue. The system is preferably designed for delivering therapy to tissue and, more specifically, for delivering therapy to cardiac tissue. The system, however, may be alternatively used in any suitable environment and for any suitable reason.

System for delivering therapy

A system and a computed implemented methodology is disclosed for processing electrical signals recorded from the heart and, more particularly, for objectively deriving sub-components and comparing signals and their sub-components.

Systems for processing electrocardiac signals having superimposed complexes

A medical device, and related method, use epicardial ablators and detectors for intraoperative epicardial approaches to ablation therapy of cardiac conduction pathways. An epicardial gripper is sized to grasp the cardiac circumference or smaller structures on the epicardial surface of the heart. Ablators are disposed on the arms of the gripper for epicardial ablation of cardiac conduction tissue. In another embodiment of the invention, an electrode system includes a flexible, adjustable probe forming a loop for epicardial ablation. Ablators are provided on one or multiple surfaces of the probe for epicardial ablation of cardiac conduction tissue. In yet another embodiment of the invention, an endocardial ablator detection system provides an indicator adjacent an ablator on an endocardial catheter, and a detector on an epicardial probe. The epicardial probe detects signals transmitted by the indicator on the endocardial catheter to localize the position of the endocardial ablator relative to the epicardial surface. The surgeon uses this information for guidance in adjusting the position of the endocardial ablator according to therapeutic objectives of cardiac ablation.

Cardiac ablation system and method for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and transmyocardial revascularization

Computer implemented methods and associated systems are disclosed for processing electrical signals recorded from the heart and, more particularly, for objectively deriving sub-components and comparing signals and their sub-components.

Methods for processing electrocardiac signals having superimposed complexes

A method of treating cardiac arrhythmia, including guiding a distal end portion of a catheter, the distal end portion having a distal tip and accommodating an elongated configuration of ablation electrodes, from the inferior vena cava into the right atrium of a human heart, guiding the distal end portion from the right atrium into the right ventricle of the heart, deflecting the distal tip into a hook configuration, pulling the catheter towards the inferior vena cava until the hook configuration engages the tricuspid annulus of the heart and the configuration of electrodes engages the isthmus of tissue between the tricuspid annulus and the inferior vena cava of the heart, and activating the configuration of electrodes to produce a substantially continuous lesion on the isthmus of tissue.

Tricuspid annular grasp catheter

A catheter-based microwave antenna cardiac ablation applicator has been developed which unlike previously-developed ablation catheters, forms a wide aperture that produces a large heating pattern. The antenna comprises a spiral antenna connected to the center conductor of a coaxial line, and which is insulated from blood and tissue by a non-conductive fluid filled balloon. The antenna can be furled inside a catheter for transluminal guiding. Once in place at the cardiac target, the balloon is inflated, and the coiled spiral antenna is ejected into the inflated balloon. The wide aperture antenna generates a ring-shaped power pattern. The heat generated from this deposited power is conducted through a volume larger than the spiral diameter, ablating diseased tissue. The resultant lesion profile is both wider and deeper than that of either conventionally-used RF catheter-based ablation electrodes, or that of other microwave applicators, and provides greater heating accuracy and controllability.

Wide-aperture catheter-based microwave cardiac ablation antenna

A device for tissue ablation and a method of using the device.

Growing community of inventors

Stanford, CA, United States of America

Paul J Wang