Catheter with cryogenic and heating ablation
US7097641B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 9, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 29, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 9, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2018/0268
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A catheter includes a cryoablation tip with an electrically-driven ablation assembly for heating tissue. The cryoablation tip may be implemented with a cooling chamber through which a controllably injected coolant circulates to lower the tip temperature, and having an RF electrode at its distal end. The RF electrode may be operated to warm cryogenically-cooled tissue, or the coolant may be controlled to conductively cool the tissue in coordination with an RF treatment regimen, allowing greater versatility of operation and enhancing the lesion size, speed or placement of multi-lesion treatment or single lesion re-treatment cycles. In one embodiment a microwave energy source operates at a frequency to extend beyond the thermal conduction depth, or to penetrate the cryogenic ice ball and be absorbed in tissue beyond an ice boundary, thus extending the depth and/or width of a single treatment locus. In another embodiment, the cooling and the application of RF energy are both controlled to position the ablation region away from the surface contacted by the electrode, for example to leave surface tissue unharmed while ablating at depth or to provide an ablation band of greater uniformity…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.