Medtronic Ablation Frontiers LLC

Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.

Heart Rhythm Technologies, Inc.

Cryocor, Inc.

Ablation Frontiers, Inc.

Thomas M Castellano

Marshall L Sherman

Randell Louis Werneth

Christopher Gerard Kunis

John Arthur Simpson

Wade A Bowe

J Christopher Flaherty

Ricardo David Roman

Gregory M Ayers

Hakan Oral

Gary Currie

Eugene Brian Reu

Kathryn E Lockwood

Weimin Sun

Robert C Hayzelden

Tracy D Maahs

Jose J Moya

Russ E Anderson

Christopher J Flaherty

Gary Edward Currie

Oral Hakan

A transseptal sheath defining a sheath lumen, a proximal end, and a distal end. A valve disposed within the sheath lumen proximate the distal end. The transseptal sheath defining at least one port along a portion of its periphery proximate the valve.

Transseptal sheath with air bubble trap

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for the ablation of tissue. Embodiments include an ablation catheter which has an array of ablation elements attached to a deployable carrier assembly. The carrier assembly can be constrained within the lumen of a catheter, and deployed to take on an expanded condition.

Ablation catheter

An atrial ablation catheter with an electrode array particularly adapted to locate and ablate foci of arrhythmia which are required for sustained atrial fibrillation is provided. The array is easily deployed and retracted from the catheter, and presents a proximally oriented electrode array that can be pulled against the septal wall of the left atrium to engage the septal wall.

Atrial ablation catheter adapted for treatment of septal wall arrhythmogenic foci and method of use

An atrial ablation catheter and methods for its use. The endocardial catheter includes an electrode array particularly adapted to locate and ablate foci of arrhythmia which are required for sustained atrial fibrillation is provided. The array is easily deployed and retracted from the catheter, and presents a distally oriented electrode array that can be pressed against the wall of the atrium.

Atrial ablation catheter and method of use

A device and method for ablating tissue includes a sheath system with an occlusion structure. In certain embodiments, arrhythmias originating in pulmonary veins are treated cryogenically.

Device and method for the creation of a circumferential cryogenic lesion in a pulmonary vein

A tip electrode for an ablation catheter mounted at the distal tip of an elongated catheter body member has a distal-end region and a proximal-end region. A tip thermal sensor is located at or near the apex of the distal-end region and one or more side thermal sensors are located near the surface of the proximal-end region. The electrode is preferably an assembly formed from a hollow dome-shaped shell with a core disposed within the shell. The side thermal sensor wires are electrically connected inside the shell and the core has a longitudinal channel for the side thermal sensor wires welded to the shell. The shell also preferably has a pocket in the apex of the shell, and the end thermal sensor wires pass through the core to the apex of the shell. Spaces between the shell and the core can be filled with epoxy resin. Alternatively, the electrode is formed of a solid metal having a plurality of bores for positioning thermal sensors at the tip and near the surface of the electrode.

RF ablation catheter tip electrode with multiple thermal sensors

A plurality of electrodes are positioned at the distal end of a catheter such that the electrodes may be positioned proximal biological tissue. A select number of the electrodes have a temperature sensing device associated with them for providing a temperature signal indicative of the temperature at the interface between the electrode and the tissue. A generator operates under the control of a processor to apply power to each of the electrodes. The power has an associated phase angle and, within a time duration, a plurality of alternating on periods and off periods, one set of adjacent on and off periods defining a duty cycle. The processor is programmed to determine the temperature at the electrode/tissue interface based on the temperature signals, compare the temperature to a target temperature and to adjust the power to the electrode accordingly. Such adjustments may comprise an increase or decrease in the duty cycle, a setting of the duty cycle to zero followed by an incremental increase in the duty cycle or a power interrupt.

RF ablation system and method having automatic temperature control

A method of assessing the adequacy of contact between an ablation electrode and biological tissue within a biological organ having biological fluid therein includes the steps of positioning the ablation electrode proximal the biological tissue; positioning a reference electrode a distance from the ablation electrode; measuring the impedance between the ablation electrode and the reference electrode at a first frequency and measuring the impedance between the ablation electrode and the reference electrode at a second frequency. The percentage difference between the first-frequency impedance and the second-frequency impedance provides an indication of the state of electrode/tissue contact. In general, a percentage difference of at least approximately 10% serves as an indication of substantially complete electrode/tissue contact. A percentage difference in the approximate range between 5% and 10% serves as an indication of partial electrode/tissue contact. A percentage difference less than approximately 5% serves as an indication of no electrode/tissue contact. Ratiometric measurements may also be used to assess the state of electrode/tissue contact.

RF ablation apparatus and method having electrode/tissue contact assessment scheme and electrocardiogram filtering

An energy delivery system and method controls the frequency of the power driving an ultrasonic device to achieve more efficient power delivery. During operation of the ultrasonic device to deliver power to a patient site, the system and method automatically sweeps the drive power through a frequency range, locates the series and parallel resonance frequencies, calculates the average of those frequencies and locks the power generator at that average frequency to drive the crystal. This frequency sweep procedure occurs automatically when the ultrasonic crystal is located at the patient site and the power generator operator presses the power-on switch to apply power. The method of tuning the power generator thus occurs when the crystal is at the site temperature and is transparent to the operator. The application of an external bio-layer to the crystal increases its bandwidth and its robustness. Mounting a temperature sensor or sensors at the crystal permits monitoring of the crystal temperature and allows drive level control over the power generator to control the temperature at the crystal.

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Temecula, CA, United States of America

Thomas M Castellano