Patent · US Expired

Ablation catheter, system, and method of use thereof

US6893438B2 · kind B2 · utility

226Cited by
10References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 1, 2002
Grant dateMay 17, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 27, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B2018/1435
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A cardiac ablation apparatus for producing a circumferential ablation that electrically isolates a heart chamber wall portion from vessel such as a pulmonary vein extending into said wall portion comprises (a) an elongate centering catheter having a distal end portion; (b) an expandable centering element connected to said centering catheter distal end portion and configured for positioning within said vessel when in a retracted configuration, and for securing said elongate centering catheter in a substantially axially aligned position with respect to said vessel when said centering element is in an expanded configuration; (c) an ablation catheter slidably connected to said centering catheter said ablation element having a distal end portion, and (d) an expandable ablation element connected to said ablation catheter distal end portion. The ablation element is configured to form a circumferential ablation on the wall around the elongate centering catheter when the centering catheter is axially aligned with respect to the vessel. In a further embodiment, a non-expandable, compliant centering element is employed, such as an elastic finger. Systems incorporating such an apparatus and me…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.