Electrode having non-joined thermocouple for providing multiple temperature-sensitive junctions
US6440129B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 10, 2000 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 10, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2018/00892
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The non-joined thermocouple electrode configuration, for use in an RF ablation catheter for ablating biological tissue such as cardiac tissue, allows temperature to be monitored at two locations of a band electrode while only using a single pair of thermocouple wires. The thermocouple wires are connected to the electrode at separate locations. They preferably are formed of metallic materials having Seebeck coefficients that are substantially equal in magnitude but opposite in sign relative to the electrode material connecting the two. In the case of a band electrode, the two thermocouple wires are preferably spaced apart on the band electrode so that the first junction contacts the tissue having a first temperature and the second junction contacts circulating blood having a second temperature. The voltage across the thermocouple wires provides an indication of the average of the two junctions temperatures so that by monitoring the temperature of the blood, the temperature of the first junction can be determined from this average temperature.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.