Electrode catheter

Abstract

The electrode catheter is provided with a shaft inserted into the body and an electrode assembly (16) provided at the tip of the shaft. An electrode assembly (16) is provided with: a plurality of ribs (24a-24f) each having at least one electrode (26); and a tip member connected to the tip sides of the plurality of ribs (24a-24f). When viewed from the axial direction of the shaft, each of the plurality of ribs (24a-24f) can be deformed into a fan shape having arc-shaped regions (28a-28f) along a common imaginary circle (50), and when each of the plurality of ribs (24a-24f) is fan-shaped, the plurality of arc-shaped regions (28a-28f) formed by the plurality of ribs (24a-24f) occupy 80% or more of the circumference of the imaginary circle (50) as a whole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an electrode conduit. Background Technology

[0002] A catheter is a type of medical device inserted into the body for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. As an example, an electrode catheter is known to have a shaft and a basket electrode assembly coupled to the front end of the shaft (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Here, the basket electrode assembly includes multiple splines. Furthermore, it is configured such that by deforming the splines, the basket electrode assembly can be deformed from a contracted shape to an expanded shape.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-507349

[0004] The aforementioned electrode catheters cannot simultaneously make contact with most of the inner periphery of tubular body tissues. Therefore, for example, in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, when cauterizing the boundary between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium, it is necessary to change the position of the ligaments and perform cauterization multiple times. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an electrode conduit capable of simultaneously contacting most of the inner periphery of tubular body tissue.

[0006] One aspect of this disclosure is an electrode conduit. The electrode conduit comprises: a shaft inserted into a body; and an electrode assembly disposed at the front end of the shaft. The electrode assembly comprises: a plurality of ribs, each having at least one electrode; and a front end member connected to the front end side of the plurality of ribs. When viewed axially from the shaft, the plurality of ribs can each deform into a fan-shaped form having an arcuate region along a common imaginary circle. When the plurality of ribs are fan-shaped, the plurality of arcuate regions formed by the plurality of ribs collectively occupy more than 80% of the circumference of the imaginary circle.

[0007] Another aspect of this disclosure is an electrode catheter. The electrode catheter comprises: a shaft inserted into the body; and an electrode assembly disposed at the front end of the shaft. The electrode assembly comprises: a plurality of ribs, each having at least one electrode; and a front end member connected to the front end of the plurality of ribs. With the plurality of ribs in contact with the inner wall of the boundary between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium, electrical pulses are applied through the plurality of electrodes, thereby enabling ablation to block the electrical transmission pathway of atrial fibrillation in a single procedure.

[0008] Any combination of the above-mentioned constituent elements, or any scheme transformed from the expression of this disclosure into methods, apparatus, systems, etc., shall also be valid as a scheme of this disclosure.

[0009] The electrode conduit disclosed herein is capable of simultaneous contact with most of the inner periphery of tubular body tissues. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram of the application scenario of the electrode conduit according to the first embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 It is shown schematically. Figure 1 A side view near the tip of the electrode catheter shown.

[0012] Figure 3 This is viewed from the front end side of the shaft along its axis. Figure 1 The diagram shows the electrode conduit.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a schematic representation of the work done by Figure 1 The diagram shows the boundary between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium, cauterized by the electrode catheter.

[0014] Figure 5 It is shown schematically. Figure 1 A side view of an example of the overall structure of the electrode conduit shown.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a schematic side view showing the vicinity of the front end of the electrode conduit in the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 7 This is viewed from the front end side of the shaft along its axis. Figure 6 The diagram shows the electrode conduit. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Hereinafter, this disclosure will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not intended to limit the present disclosure but are illustrative; not all features described in the embodiments, or combinations thereof, are necessarily essential features of the present disclosure. Identical or equivalent constituent elements, components, and processes shown in the various drawings are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repetitive descriptions are omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, for ease of explanation, the scale and shape of the parts shown in the figures are set in a convenient manner and are not to be interpreted limitingly unless specifically mentioned. Additionally, when terms such as "first" or "second" are used in this specification or claims, unless specifically mentioned, these terms are used to distinguish a structure from other structures and do not indicate any order or importance. Furthermore, in each drawing, based on the description of the embodiments, a portion of less important components is omitted.

[0018] [First Implementation]

[0019] Figure 1This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a scenario of using the electrode catheter 10 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. The electrode catheter 10 is used for the treatment of a living organism. Here, "treatment" refers to actions related to the treatment or examination of a living organism. The electrode catheter 10 of this embodiment is used for the treatment of atrial fibrillation based on PFA (Pulsed Field Ablation). In most cases, atrial fibrillation is caused by the transmission of abnormal electrical signals generated in the pulmonary vein 112 to the left atrium 114. This treatment is usually performed by cauterizing the boundary between the pulmonary vein 112 and the left atrium 114 using the electrode assembly 16 of the electrode catheter 10. Here, the cauterization range Sa based on the electrode catheter 10 is marked with a shaded line. This blocks the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein 112 to the left atrium 114. In the energizing method of using the electrode assembly 16, in addition to the unipolar method of energizing between the electrode assembly 16 and the counter electrode plate disposed outside the body, the bipolar method of energizing between the electrode assembly 16 and other electrodes disposed inside the body can also be used. Figure 1 The diagram shows the annular causation range Sa, but the causation range Sa represents the approximate area caused by the electrode conduit 10. The actual causation location may not necessarily coincide with the causation range Sa. Details of the causation range Sa will be described later.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic side view showing the vicinity of the tip of the electrode conduit 10. The electrode conduit 10 has a shaft 20 that is inserted into the body and an electrode assembly 16 disposed at the tip of the shaft 20. Figure 3 This is a view of the electrode conduit 10 from the axial front end side of shaft 20. Hereinafter, the side of the electrode conduit 10 that is inserted into the body will be referred to as the "front end side," and the side that is disposed outside the body will be referred to as the "base end side." Furthermore, for each component constituting the electrode conduit 10, the side that is the same as the front end side of the electrode conduit 10 will be referred to as the "front end side" of that component, and the side that is the same as the base end side of the electrode conduit 10 will be referred to as the "base end side" of that component. In this specification, "viewed from the axial front end side" means viewing the electrode conduit 10 from a viewpoint located along the axial direction of shaft 20, at a position closer to the front end side than the electrode conduit 10, towards the base end side.

[0021] The shaft 20 can also be a long, cylindrical tube. The length of the shaft 20 is, for example, 800 mm to 1800 mm. The outer diameter of the shaft 20 is, for example, 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm. The material constituting the shaft 20 can be any flexible and biocompatible material. For example, the shaft 20 can be made of known resins such as polyolefins or polyamide elastomers.

[0022] The electrode assembly 16 includes multiple ribs 24a to 24f and a front end member 22 connected to the front end of the multiple ribs 24a to 24f by means of mounting or the like. Hereinafter, the common description of each of the multiple ribs 24a to 24f will only be referred to as rib 24. For other reference numerals ending with letters, the common description of these reference numerals will also be appropriately described without the letters.

[0023] Rib 24 is a component that connects shaft 20 to front end member 22. Rib 24 can also be a cylindrical component, similar to shaft 20. The length of rib 24 when stretched into a straight line is, for example, 20 mm to 70 mm. The outer diameter of rib 24 is, for example, 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. The material constituting rib 24 can be any flexible and biocompatible material. For example, rib 24 can be made of known resins such as polyolefin or polyamide elastomers, similar to shaft 20.

[0024] The electrode conduit 10 of this embodiment has six ribs 24a to 24f. When viewed from the front end, the ribs 24a to 24f are arranged adjacent to each other in a clockwise circumferential order. That is, ribs 24a and rib 24b, rib 24b and rib 24c, rib 24c and rib 24d, rib 24d and rib 24e, rib 24e and rib 24f, and rib 24f and rib 24a are each adjacent to each other. Furthermore, near the center of each rib 24 along the axial direction of the shaft 20, in a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the shaft 20, each rib 24 is arranged separately from the others.

[0025] The base end of the reinforcing bar 24 is connected to the shaft 20. As an example, a portion of the reinforcing bar 24, including the base end (hereinafter referred to as the "base end"), is inserted into the front end of the shaft 20 and tied. Furthermore, the base end of the reinforcing bar 24 and the shaft 20 are joined together by known joining methods such as welding or adhesive bonding.

[0026] The front end member 22 may also cover and bind a portion (hereinafter referred to as the "front end") including the front ends of each of the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f. In other words, the front end member 22 may be placed over the front ends of the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f. The front end member 22 may be of any shape, but as an example, it may be cap-shaped. Furthermore, the front end member 22 may be made of any material, but as an example, it may be made of a known resin such as polyamide, polyamide elastomer, or polycarbonate, or a known metal such as stainless steel. The interior of the front end member 22 may also be filled with adhesive. In this case, the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f can be easily and securely fixed separately by adhesive.

[0027] The shape of the ribs 24 changes according to the deformation operation described later. That is, the ribs 24 are configured to be deformable. Specifically, the shape of each rib 24 is changed between a non-expanded shape or a contracted shape in which each rib 24 is not unfolded along the central axis of the axis 20, and an unfolded shape or an expanded shape in which each rib 24 is unfolded along the central axis of the axis 20 from the contracted shape. Details are described later, but as an example of a contracted shape, a "petal shape" can be given. On the other hand, as an example of an expanded shape, a "basket shape" formed by each rib 24 unfolding along the central axis of the axis 20 from the petal shape can be given. Figure 2 and Figure 3 All show the state of each rib 24 deformed into an expanded shape.

[0028] Each of the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f has at least one electrode 26. The electrode 26 is, for example, an annular electrode disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the rib 24. The electrodes 26 of the same rib 24 are arranged separately from each other along the length direction of the rib 24. In this case, the spacing between adjacent electrodes 26 can be constant or different. Furthermore, the number of electrodes 26 in each rib 24 can be the same or different. In this embodiment, the spacing between adjacent electrodes 26 is constant, and all electrodes 26 are disposed within a certain region of each rib 24, including the center in the length direction. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f has four electrodes 26.

[0029] Electrode 26 is made of a conductive material. For example, electrode 26 is made of a metal with good conductivity such as aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), stainless steel, gold (Au), or platinum (Pt). The length of electrode 26 along the length direction of rib 24 is, for example, 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. The outer diameter of electrode 26 can be the same as the outer diameter of rib 24, for example, 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0030] The wire is electrically connected separately to the electrode 26. In addition, the wire passes through the rib 24, the shaft 20, and the handle 8 (described later), and is connected to an external power supply device via the handle 8.

[0031] like Figure 3As shown, when the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are in an expanded shape, when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 20, the multiple ribs 24a to 24f form multiple arc-shaped regions 28a to 28f along a common imaginary circle 50. Specifically, rib 24a forms an arc-shaped region 28a along a portion of the imaginary circle 50. Similarly, the multiple ribs 24b to 24f each form an arc-shaped region 28b to 28f along a portion of the imaginary circle 50. The situation where the multiple ribs 24a to 24f form multiple arc-shaped regions 28a to 28f along the common imaginary circle 50 is not limited to the case where the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are in an expanded shape. The shape of the multiple ribs 24a to 24f each having an arc-shaped region 28 along the common imaginary circle 50 is also called a fan-shaped shape. In other words, when viewed from the axial direction of axis 20, the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f can each be deformed into a fan-shaped form having an arcuate region 28 along a common imaginary circle 50. Here, "when viewed from the axial direction of axis 20, the arcuate region 28 is along the imaginary circle 50" means that when viewed from the axial direction of axis 20, the arcuate region 28 overlaps with the imaginary circle 50, and when viewed from the axial direction of axis 20, the length direction of the ribs 24 is approximately aligned with the circumferential direction of the arcuate region 28 and the imaginary circle 50.

[0032] In this embodiment, when viewed axially from the axis 20, the center of the imaginary circle 50 is located at the center of the front end member 22. In this embodiment, the arc-shaped region 28 constitutes a certain area including the center of the rib 24 along its length. Specifically, when the rib 24 is fan-shaped, the rib 24 includes the arc-shaped region 28, a region extending radially from the front end member 22 along the imaginary circle 50 and connected to one end of the arc-shaped region 28, and a region extending radially from the axis 20 along the imaginary circle 50 and connected to the other end of the arc-shaped region 28. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed axially from the axis 20, the arc-shaped region 28 constitutes the region of the rib 24 furthest from the center of the imaginary circle 50. That is, in this embodiment, when viewed axially from the axis 20, the imaginary circle 50 is an imaginary circle that can be drawn at the outermost periphery of the rib 24.

[0033] When the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, the multiple arc-shaped regions 28a to 28f formed by the multiple ribs 24a to 24f collectively occupy more than 80% of the circumference of the imaginary circle 50. That is, the proportion of the multiple arc-shaped regions 28a to 28f occupying the circumference of the imaginary circle 50 is more than 80% of the total circumference of the imaginary circle 50. Therefore, it is possible to make the multiple ribs 24a to 24f cover the entire area. Figure 1The pulmonary vein 112 and the boundary of the left atrium 114, as shown, are in near-simultaneous contact with the inner walls of the tubular body tissues. Therefore, even without changing the positions of the multiple ribs 24a-24f, the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein 112 to the left atrium 114 can be blocked by a single cauterization. In this embodiment, as... Figure 3 As shown, when viewed from the axial direction of axis 20, multiple arc-shaped regions 28a to 28f overlap with the imaginary circle 50 over approximately the entire circumference of the imaginary circle 50.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, when the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, at least two adjacent ribs among the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f, such as ribs 24a and ribs 24b, have overlapping regions 30 when viewed from the axial direction of axis 20. Specifically, ribs 24a and ribs 24b intersect each other in the overlapping region 30 when viewed from the axial direction of axis 20. In addition, the overlapping region 30 is contained within the arc-shaped region 28. Therefore, since the adjacent ribs 24 are arranged without gaps when viewed from the axial direction of axis 20, the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein 112 to the left atrium 114 can be blocked more reliably. In this embodiment, not limited to ribs 24a and ribs 24b, all adjacent ribs 24 have overlapping regions 30.

[0035] In this embodiment, when the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, only adjacent ribs 24 have a common overlapping area 30 that coincides when viewed from the axial direction of the axis 20. That is, non-adjacent ribs 24 do not coincide when viewed from the axial direction of the axis 20 and do not have an overlapping area 30. Therefore, it is not necessary for the ribs 24 to be in a shape that is excessively twisted around the central axis of the axis 20.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the front end member 22 fixes at least two adjacent ribs 24, such as ribs 24a and ribs 24b, to a predetermined angular interval α around the central axis of the shaft 20. Furthermore, the shaft 20 is fixed at a position where it has rotated about one to three times the angular interval α relative to the front end member 22.

[0037] exist Figure 3In this design, the position where rib 24a is fixed to the front end member 22 is used as a reference, and the clockwise angle at the position where rib 24a is fixed to the shaft 20 is denoted as the torsion angle β. Rib 24b is also fixed to the shaft 20 at a position rotated clockwise by the torsion angle β relative to the position fixed to the front end member 22. At this time, the torsion angle β is more than 1 and less than 3 times the angle interval α. By making the torsion angle β more than 1 times the angle interval α, it is easy to form an overlapping region 30, thus easily blocking the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein 112 to the left atrium 114. By making the torsion angle β less than 3 times the angle interval α, it is possible to avoid the rib 24 from becoming excessively twisted around the central axis of the shaft 20.

[0038] In this embodiment, not limited to stiffeners 24a and 24b, the relationship between the angular interval α and the torsion angle β is satisfied in all adjacent stiffeners 24. In this case, in this embodiment, there are six stiffeners 24a to 24f, therefore, the angular interval α can be approximately 60°. In addition, the torsion angle β can be more than approximately 60° and less than approximately 180°.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, when the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, the multiple electrodes 26 of the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the imaginary circle 50, specifically, each of the multiple ribs 24a to 24f has four electrodes 26, which are arranged at equal intervals along the length direction of each rib 24 when viewed from the axial direction of the axis 20. Furthermore, the electrodes 26 of adjacent ribs 24 that are closest to each other are arranged at approximately the same interval as the interval between the electrodes 26 of each rib 24 when viewed from the axial direction of the axis 20. In this case, the multiple electrodes 26 are equally spaced, meaning that... Figure 3 As shown, the difference between the spacing of any two adjacent electrodes 26 in the plane viewed from the axial direction of axis 20 and the average value of the spacing of all adjacent electrodes 26 is, for example, less than 10%. When the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f may each have more than one electrode 26 disposed in a region other than the arc-shaped region 28.

[0040] When the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 20, the multiple electrodes 26 of the multiple ribs 24a to 24f can also be arranged at positions corresponding to multiple imaginary points that are equally spaced on the circumference of the imaginary circle 50. In this case, the electrodes 26 are arranged at positions corresponding to imaginary points, meaning that at least a portion of the electrodes 26 is arranged at a position overlapping with the imaginary point when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 20.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, when the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, the arc-shaped region 28 of each rib 24 is located in the region including the center of the rib 24 in the axial direction. The arc-shaped region 28 of each rib 24 is located within 90% of the total axial length of the electrode assembly 16, preferably within 80%. The center of each rib 24 tends to be maximized in the radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction. Since the arc-shaped region 28 is located in such a region, it is easy to reliably connect the arc-shaped region 28 with the electrode assembly 16. Figure 1 The pulmonary vein 112 shown is in contact with the inner periphery of tubular body tissues such as the boundary of the left atrium 114.

[0042] As described above, the electrode conduit 10 of the first embodiment has six ribs 24a to 24f. However, the number of ribs 24 in the electrode conduit 10 is not limited to six, and four or more are acceptable.

[0043] Figure 4 This diagram schematically illustrates the boundary 116 of the pulmonary vein 112 and the left atrium 114, which is cauterized by the electrode catheter 10. During treatment of atrial fibrillation, the electrode catheter 10 enters the boundary 116 from inside the left atrium 114 with its tip facing the pulmonary vein 112. At this time, multiple ribs 24a-24f are deformed into a fan shape, bringing them into contact with the inner wall of the boundary 116. In this state, when electrical pulses are applied through the multiple electrodes 26, the boundary 116 is cauterized at multiple cauterization sites 130. The multiple cauterization sites 130 are included within... Figure 1 The scorching range Sa is shown in the figure.

[0044] The multiple burned areas 130 correspond to the locations where the multiple ribs 24a-24f contact the boundary portion 116. The locations where the multiple ribs 24a-24f contact the boundary portion 116 are primarily multiple arc-shaped regions 28. That is, the shapes and arrangements of the multiple burned areas 130 and the multiple arc-shaped regions 28 are correspondingly formed. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the abnormal electrical signal transmission path 118 associated with atrial fibrillation, from the pulmonary vein 112 toward the left atrium 114, is prone to be a straight path from the pulmonary vein 112 toward the left atrium 114 along the myocardial sleeve formed at the boundary 116. Therefore, the abnormal electrical signal transmission path 118 can be blocked by using multiple cauterization sites 130 formed corresponding to the shapes and arrangements of the multiple arc-shaped regions 28.

[0045] Thus, if the electrode conduit 10 of this embodiment is used, an electrical pulse is applied through the multiple electrodes 26 while the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are in contact with the inner wall of the boundary portion 116 of the pulmonary vein 112 and the left atrium 114, thereby enabling cauterization and blocking the electrical transmission path 118 of atrial fibrillation in one go.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a side view schematically showing an example of the overall structure of the electrode conduit 10. (See image.) Figure 5 As shown, the electrode catheter 10 may also have a handle 8 connected to the base end of the shaft 20. The handle 8 is the part that is grasped or held by an operator such as a doctor when using the electrode catheter 10. The handle 8 may also have a handle body 11, a rotating operating part 12, and a sliding member 13 mounted on the base end of the shaft 20.

[0047] The handle body 11 corresponds to the part that the operator actually grips. The handle body 11 can be of any shape. As an example, the handle body 11 is shaped to extend along the central axis of the shaft 20. In addition, the handle body 11 is made of known resins such as polycarbonate, polyacetal, and ABS.

[0048] The rotation operation unit 12 is used for operations such as rotation when bending or flexing the shaft 20 in both directions near its front end. In the rotation operation unit 12, the base ends of a pair of pull cables are fixed inside the handle body 11. The front ends of the pair of pull cables pass through the shaft 20 from inside the handle body 11 and are fixed to the front end side of the shaft 20. Therefore, when operating the rotation operation unit 12, the pull cables are pulled towards their base ends, causing the front end side of the shaft 20, where the pull cables are fixed, to bend or flex.

[0049] The sliding member 13 is the part in which the operator performs deformation operations such as sliding when the shape of the plurality of ribs 24 is deformed between the aforementioned non-expanded or contracted shape and the unfolded or expanded shape. The sliding member 13 is capable of sliding along the central axis of the shaft 20 in the handle body 11.

[0050] The base end of the deformable member 14 is fixed to the sliding member 13. The front end of the deformable member 14 extends from the handle body 11 through the shaft 20 and is fixed within the front end member 22. Furthermore, the sliding member 13 can move to any position within the handle body 11 along the central axis of the shaft 20. Therefore, the shape of the plurality of ribs 24 can be deformed into the non-expanded shape or contracted shape, the expanded shape or extended shape, or any intermediate shape between the non-expanded shape and the expanded shape, depending on the position of the sliding member 13.

[0051] The deformable component 14 only needs to be a long strip, and can be of any shape, structure, and material. As an example, the deformable component 14 is a metal wire.

[0052] [Second Implementation]

[0053] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The second embodiment of this disclosure will now be described. In subsequent embodiments, the same elements as those not described in the first embodiment may also be applied. Figure 6 This is a schematic side view showing the vicinity of the front end of the electrode conduit 10A of the second embodiment. Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the electrode conduit 10A viewed from the axial front end side of shaft 20.

[0054] In the electrode conduit 10A of this embodiment, the arrangement of the multiple electrodes 26 on each of the multiple ribs 24a to 24f differs from that of the electrode conduit 10 of the first embodiment. Specifically, when the multiple ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, at least a portion of the electrode 26 on at least two adjacent ribs 24, such as ribs 24a and rib 24b, overlaps with at least a portion of the electrode 26 on the other rib 24 when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 20. Specifically, as... Figure 7 As shown, the electrode 261 of the rib 24a and the electrode 262 of the rib 24b coincide when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 20. Thus, by using these electrodes 26 for cauterization, the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein 112 to the left atrium 114 can be blocked more reliably.

[0055] In this embodiment, the electrode 261 of the electrodes 26 of the rib 24a located closest to the rib 24b and the electrode 262 of the electrodes 26 of the rib 24b located closest to the rib 24a coincide when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 20. By adopting such a structure, the number of overlapping electrodes 26 can be minimized, and the effect of blocking the transmission of abnormal electrical signals can be achieved.

[0056] In this embodiment, when the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f are fan-shaped, when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 20, the plurality of electrodes 26 of the plurality of ribs 24a to 24f may not be arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the imaginary circle 50. However, if the overlapping electrodes 26 of adjacent ribs 24 are regarded as one electrode 26, then when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 20, each electrode 26 can be arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the imaginary circle 50.

[0057] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above. These embodiments are merely examples illustrating specific practices of this disclosure. The content of the embodiments does not limit the technical scope of this disclosure, and various design changes, such as alterations, additions, and deletions of constituent elements, can be made without departing from the spirit of this disclosure as defined in the claims. New embodiments with applied design changes possess the effects of both combined embodiments and variations. In the described embodiments, the ability to make such design changes is emphasized by using terms such as "in this embodiment" or "in this embodiment," but design changes are also permitted in embodiments without such expressions. Any combination of constituent elements included in each embodiment is valid as a solution of this disclosure. The shading lines in the cross-sections of the drawings do not limit the material of the objects marked with shading lines.

[0058] The implementation method can also be determined by the items described below.

[0059] [Item 1]

[0060] An electrode conduit (10) comprising:

[0061] Shaft (20), inserted into the body; and

[0062] Electrode assembly (16) is disposed at the front end of shaft (20);

[0063] The electrode assembly (16) includes: a plurality of ribs (24), each having at least one electrode (26); and a front end member (22) connected to the front end side of the plurality of ribs (24);

[0064] When viewed from the axial direction of the axis (20), the multiple ribs (24) can each deform into a fan shape having an arc-shaped region (28) along a common imaginary circle (50).

[0065] When the multiple ribs (24) are fan-shaped, the multiple arc-shaped regions (28) formed by the multiple ribs (24) occupy more than 80% of the circumference of the imaginary circle (50).

[0066] According to the electrode conduit (10) involved in item 1, the multiple arc-shaped regions (28) formed by multiple ribs (24) occupy more than 80% of the circumference of the imaginary circle (50). Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously contact most of the circumferential aspect of the inner wall of tubular body tissues such as the boundary between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium with multiple ribs (24). Therefore, even without changing the position of the multiple ribs (24), it is possible to block the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein to the left atrium by a single cauterization.

[0067] [Item 2]

[0068] According to the electrode conduit (10) described in item 1, wherein,

[0069] When the multiple ribs (24) are fan-shaped, at least two adjacent ribs (24) have overlapping areas (30) when viewed from the axial direction.

[0070] According to the electrode catheter (10) involved in item 2, since at least two adjacent ribs (24) are arranged without gaps when viewed from the axial direction, it is possible to more reliably block the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein to the left atrium.

[0071] [Item 3]

[0072] According to the electrode conduit (10) described in item 2, wherein,

[0073] When the multiple ribs (24) are fan-shaped, at least a portion of the electrode (26) of one of the at least two adjacent ribs (24) coincides with at least a portion of the electrode (26) of the other rib (24) when viewed from the axial direction.

[0074] According to the electrode conduit (10) involved in item 3, since at least two adjacent ribs (24) have at least two electrodes (26) that overlap when viewed from the axial direction, it is possible to more reliably block the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein to the left atrium by using these electrodes (26) for cauterization.

[0075] [Item 4]

[0076] According to the electrode conduit (10) described in item 2 or 3, wherein,

[0077] When multiple ribs (24) are fan-shaped, non-adjacent ribs (24) do not have overlapping areas (30) with each other.

[0078] According to the electrode conduit (10) involved in item 4, since the non-adjacent ribs (24) do not have overlapping areas (30) with each other, it is not necessary to make the ribs (24) into a shape that is excessively twisted around the central axis of the axis (20), and it can be easily processed.

[0079] [Item 5]

[0080] According to the electrode conduit (10) described in any one of items 1 to 4, wherein,

[0081] The front end member (22) fixes at least two adjacent ribs (24) of the plurality of ribs (24) at predetermined angular intervals around the central axis of the axis (20).

[0082] The shaft (20) is fixed at a position where it is rotated about the central axis relative to the front end member (22) by an angle of more than one and less than three times the angular interval, and at least two adjacent ribs (24) are fixed respectively.

[0083] According to the electrode catheter (10) involved in item 5, it is possible to block the transmission of abnormal electrical signals from the pulmonary vein to the left atrium and to prevent the tendon (24) from becoming excessively twisted around the central axis of the axis (20).

[0084] [Item 6]

[0085] According to any one of items 1 to 5, the electrode conduit (10) is wherein,

[0086] When the multiple ribs (24) are fan-shaped, the multiple electrodes (26) of the multiple ribs (24) are arranged in multiple arc-shaped regions (28) at equal intervals on the circumference of the imaginary circle (50).

[0087] According to the electrode conduit (10) involved in item 6, multiple electrodes (26) arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of an imaginary circle (50) can be used to uniformly burn the inner periphery of the boundary between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium in one go.

[0088] [Item 7]

[0089] According to any one of items 1 to 6, the electrode conduit (10) is described, wherein,

[0090] When the multiple ribs (24) are fan-shaped, the arc-shaped region (28) of each rib (24) is located within the center of the rib (24) in the axial direction and within 90% of the total axial length of the electrode assembly (16).

[0091] According to the electrode conduit (10) involved in item 7, since the arcuate region (28) is located in the region including the axial center where the electrode assembly (16) tends to be maximized in the radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction, the arcuate region (28) is easily made to reliably contact the inner periphery of the tubular body tissue.

[0092] [Item 8]

[0093] An electrode conduit (10) comprising:

[0094] Shaft (20), inserted into the body; and

[0095] Electrode assembly (16) is disposed at the front end of shaft (20);

[0096] The electrode assembly (16) includes: a plurality of ribs (24), each having at least one electrode (26); and a front end member (22) connected to the front end side of the plurality of ribs (24);

[0097] With multiple ribs (24) in contact with the inner wall of the boundary (116) of the pulmonary vein (112) and the left atrium (114), an electrical pulse is applied by multiple electrodes (26), thereby enabling cauterization and blocking the electrical transmission path of atrial fibrillation (118) in one go.

[0098] Industrial availability

[0099] This disclosure can be used for electrode conduits.

[0100] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0101] 10: Electrode conduit, 16: Electrode assembly, 20: Shaft, 22: Front end component, 24: Rib, 26: Electrode, 28: Arc-shaped area, 30: Overlapping area, 50: Imaginary circle, 112: Pulmonary vein, 114: Left atrium, 116: Boundary portion, 118: Transmission path.

Claims

1. An electrode conduit, wherein, The electrode conduit comprises: The shaft is inserted into the body; and An electrode assembly is disposed at the front end of the shaft; The electrode assembly comprises: multiple ribs, each having at least one electrode; and the front end component, connected to the front end side of the plurality of ribs; When viewed from the axial direction of the shaft, the plurality of ribs can each deform into a fan-shaped form having an arc-shaped region along a common imaginary circle. When the plurality of ribs are of the fan-shaped form, the plurality of arc-shaped regions formed by the plurality of ribs occupy more than 80% of the circumference of the imaginary circle.

2. The electrode conduit according to claim 1, wherein, When the plurality of ribs are of the fan shape, at least two adjacent ribs among the plurality of ribs have overlapping areas when viewed from the axial direction.

3. The electrode conduit according to claim 2, wherein, When the plurality of ribs are of the fan shape, at least a portion of the electrode of one of the at least two adjacent ribs coincides with at least a portion of the electrode of the other rib when viewed from the axial direction.

4. The electrode conduit according to claim 2, wherein, When the plurality of ribs are respectively of the fan shape, the non-adjacent ribs among the plurality of ribs do not have the overlapping area with each other.

5. The electrode conduit according to claim 1, wherein, The front end member fixes at least two adjacent ribs among the plurality of ribs at predetermined angular intervals around the central axis of the shaft. The shaft is used to fix at least two adjacent ribs at a position where it has rotated more than one time and less than three times the angular interval relative to the front end member about the central axis.

6. The electrode conduit according to claim 1, wherein, When the plurality of ribs are of the fan shape, the plurality of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes of the plurality of ribs are arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the imaginary circle in the plurality of arc-shaped regions.

7. The electrode conduit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, When the plurality of ribs are of the fan-shaped form, the arc-shaped region of each rib is located within the region including the center of the rib along the axial direction and within 90% of the total axial length of the electrode assembly.

8. An electrode conduit, wherein, The electrode conduit comprises: The shaft is inserted into the body; and An electrode assembly is disposed at the front end of the shaft; The electrode assembly comprises: multiple ribs, each having at least one electrode; and the front end component, connected to the front end side of the plurality of ribs; With the multiple ribs in contact with the inner wall of the boundary between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium, an electrical pulse is applied through the multiple electrodes, thereby enabling cauterization and blocking the electrical transmission path of atrial fibrillation in one go.

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