Means for attaching a catheter tip electrode to a catheter shaft
A cost-effective ablation catheter with a gold electrode on a less expensive support material and fluid cooling enhances ablation performance and safety by allowing deeper ablation zones and improved cooling.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- DE202025106969
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-15
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-11-30
AI Technical Summary
Conventional ablation catheters with gold or platinum-iridium tip electrodes are expensive, necessitating a cost-effective alternative that maintains or improves ablation performance and patient safety.
An ablation catheter with a gold or gold alloy electrode mounted on a less expensive support material, such as silver or copper, utilizing deep-drawing and fluid cooling to enhance heat transfer and reduce manufacturing time.
Reduces production costs and improves ablation performance by enabling deeper ablation zones and enhanced cooling, thereby reducing complications like coronal fistulas and increasing patient comfort.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to an ablation catheter.
[0002] These catheters are used, for example, to treat atrial fibrillation. This is one of the most common heart rhythm disorders, caused by faulty electrical impulse conduction in the atria. To treat atrial fibrillation, an ablation catheter can be used to permanently destroy the affected tissue regions with radiofrequency energy, thus permanently interrupting the abnormal conduction in the heart's electrical activity.
[0003] For such ablation procedures, ablation catheters with a gold or platinum-iridium electrode at the catheter tip are often used.
[0004] Conventional tip electrodes are usually made of solid gold or platinum-iridium. These raw materials are very expensive.
[0005] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a cost-effective ablation catheter with regard to the tip electrode.
[0006] This problem is solved by an ablation catheter with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of this inventive concept are described below.
[0007] According to claim 1, an ablation catheter is disclosed, comprising - a longitudinally extended catheter shaft with a distal end section, and - an electrode connected to the distal end section, forming a tip of the ablation catheter.
[0008] According to the invention, the electrode is made of gold or a gold alloy and is deep-drawn or manufactured using a machining process, wherein the electrode is arranged on and connected to a carrier connected to the distal end section of the catheter shaft. The electrode is electrically contacted and preferably equipped for the delivery of RF energy.
[0009] According to a preferred embodiment, the gold electrode is connected to the support by pressing, upsetting or gluing.
[0010] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the support is made of a material having a thermal conductivity greater than that of gold. For example, silver or copper can be used as the support material, which has the advantage that both silver and copper are less expensive than gold.
[0011] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the ablation catheter is designed to cool the electrode by applying a fluid cooling medium, wherein the ablation catheter has a channel, in particular a helical channel, between the electrode and the outer surface of the support, and wherein the ablation catheter is designed to guide the cooling medium through the channel to cool the electrode.
[0012] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the carrier has a proximal end section that is mounted in the distal end section of the catheter shaft and is enclosed by the distal end section of the catheter shaft. This proximal end section of the carrier can be fixed to the distal end section of the catheter shaft, in particular by means of a mechanical structure, e.g., a hook structure. According to a further embodiment, the ablation catheter can have a ring electrode by means of which the distal end section of the catheter shaft is pressed against the carrier, e.g., by compressing the ring electrode.
[0013] Furthermore, the proximal end section of the carrier can also be glued into the distal end section of the catheter shaft.
[0014] In the following, embodiments of the invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be explained with reference to the figures. The figures show: Fig. 1 a sectional view of an embodiment of an ablation catheter according to the invention, and Fig. 2 a sectional view of a further embodiment of an ablation catheter according to the invention.
[0015] Fig. Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an ablation catheter 1 according to the invention. This catheter has a longitudinally extended catheter shaft 2 with a distal end section 2a and an electrode 3 connected to the distal end section 2a, which forms a tip of the ablation catheter 1. According to the invention, the electrode 3 is made of gold or a gold alloy and is deep-drawn, and is arranged on and connected to a carrier 4 connected to the distal end section 2a of the catheter shaft 2. The electrode 3 is designed to deliver RF energy and preferably as an ablation electrode for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
[0016] The invention thus advantageously enables a deep-drawn gold electrode 3 to be mounted on a support 4, which can be made of a significantly less expensive material. The gold electrode 3 can be mounted on the support 4 by pressing, upsetting, gluing, or other known methods.
[0017] The deep-drawn gold electrode 3 allows for a deeper ablation zone. Due to gold's excellent heat transfer coefficient, a fluid cooling medium guided in the ablation catheter cools the gold electrode 3 more effectively than a comparable platinum-iridium electrode. Therefore, higher ablation power can be applied without exceeding a typical ablation temperature of 42 °C.
[0018] Furthermore, the support 4 can advantageously be made from a material with a higher thermal conductivity than gold, for example, silver or a silver alloy. Silver is significantly less expensive than gold. Gold has a typical thermal conductivity of approximately 310 W / mK. Silver has a typical thermal conductivity of approximately 427 W / mK. Silver is biocompatible and therefore ideally suited for ablation catheters with a cooling medium. For ablation catheters without a cooling medium flushing system, copper or even PEEK can be used.
[0019] According to a further embodiment of the invention, which is described in the Fig. As shown in Figure 2, cooling for the catheter tip or gold electrode 3 can be improved by increasing the size of the cooling surface within the tip electrode 3. The carrier 4 can be designed such that the fluid cooling medium is guided between an outer surface 40 of the carrier 4 and the inner surface of the gold electrode 3, for example, in a helical channel 41. The heat generated by the RF ablation is absorbed directly by the cooling medium. The cooling medium (e.g., physiological saline solution) can then be returned to the catheter handle via a drainage system or drained into the patient's heart (into the blood) through holes in the electrode 3 (conventional method).
[0020] In the prior art, for example, the tip electrode is not intended to be mounted directly into the distal shaft section 2a. Instead, this tip electrode has a gap to the distal end section 2a of the catheter shaft, which is filled with various types of adhesive. The drying times of these adhesives slow down the production process. In contrast, the carrier 4 preferably (see...) Fig.1) a proximal end section 4a which is mounted in the distal end section 2a of the catheter shaft 2. The proximal end section 4a of the carrier 4 can then be attached to the distal end section 2a of the catheter shaft 2 by means of a mechanical structure, e.g. a hook structure and / or by compressing a ring electrode 5 located on the distal end section 2a of the shaft 2. Adhesive fixation can also be used here. For example, a thin layer of adhesive can fix the distal end section 2a of the catheter shaft 2 to the proximal end section 4a of the carrier 4.
[0021] The present invention proves advantageous because it allows for a reduction in the purchase price of the gold electrode, as well as further cost reductions through a shorter manufacturing time. Furthermore, the ablation performance can be improved through better heat transfer. Returning the cooling fluid to the handle through the catheter shaft can potentially increase patient comfort. Improved cooling of the tip electrode also reduces the risk of contraindications such as coronal fistulas. In addition, higher ablation power can be used to create a deeper ablation zone.
Claims
[1] Ablation catheter (1), having: - a longitudinally extended catheter shaft (2) with a distal end section (2a), - an electrode (3) connected to the distal end section (2a), which forms a tip of the ablation catheter (1), characterized by that the electrode (3) is made of gold or a gold alloy and is deep-drawn or manufactured using a machining process, wherein the electrode (3) is arranged on and connected to a carrier (4) connected to the distal end section (2a) of the catheter shaft (2).