Helically shaped electrophysiology catheter

Abstract

An electrophysiology (EP) device suitable for ablating tissue within a patient's body lumen. The EP device of the invention generally comprises an elongated shaft having a distal shaft section with a helical shape and at least one electrode on an exterior portion thereof. One aspect of the invention comprises a method of performing a medical procedure, such as treating a patient for atrial arrhythmia, by forming a lesion using an EP device embodying features of the invention.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention generally relates to the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia and particularly atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. [0002] Atrial fibrillation is the disorganized depolarization of a patient's atrium with little or no effective atrial contraction. Prior methods for treating a patient's arrhythmia include the use of anti-arrhythmic drugs such as sodium and calcium channel blockers or drugs which reduce the Beta-adrenergic activity. Other methods include surgically sectioning the origin of the signals causing the arrhythmia or the conducting pathway for such signals. However, the surgical technique is quite traumatic and is unacceptable to a large number of patients. A more frequently used technique to terminate the arrhythmia involves destroying the heart tissue which causes the arrhythmia by ablative energy, e.g., applying a laser beam or high frequency electrical energy such as RF or microwave energy, to a desired arrhythmogenic site ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention is a device for ablating tissue in a patient's body lumen, such as the heart, to treat atrial arrhythmias. The device has a helically shaped distal shaft section with one or more electrodes for ablation and sensing / pacing. The helical shape of the shaft section is designed to conform to the inner diameter of the body lumen, without significantly expanding and injuring the lumen. The device can be slidably disposed in a guiding catheter for advancement within the patient's vasculature. The helically shaped distal shaft section can be reversibly deformed and collapsed into a straight configuration for easy placement within the guiding catheter. The electrodes on the helically shaped section can be used for unipolar or bipolar use, and the device can be used for mapping and pacing purposes. The technical effects of the invention include improved device flexibility, improved ablation and sensing capabilities, and improved treatment outcomes for atrial arrhythmias."

Problems solved by technology

However, the surgical technique is quite traumatic and is unacceptable to a large number of patients.

A major problem of RF ablation techniques is forming a lesion of the requisite size, which completely ablates the area of interest but does not unnecessarily destroy surrounding healthy tissue.

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