# US 11,076,913 B2 · Medical device for use in bodily lumens, for example an atrium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,076,913 B2 - Document ID: US11076913B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/407,379 - Filed: 2019-05-09 - Published: 2019-10-31 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2007-11-16 - Assignees: Kardium Inc. - Applicants: Kardium Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Gelbart; Douglas Wayne Goertzen; Fernando Luis de Souza Lopes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11076913B2 ## CPC - A61B 18/1492: {having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/0538: invasively, e.g. using a catheter - A61B 5/06: Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies {; Determining position of diagnostic devices within or on the body of the patient} - A61B 5/065: {Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe} - A61B 5/068: {using impedance sensors} - A61B 5/4875: {Hydration status, fluid retention of the body} - A61B 18/18: by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves - A61B 18/20: using laser - A61B 2018/00214: {Expandable means emitting energy, e.g. by elements carried thereon} - A61B 2018/00351: {Heart} - A61B 2018/00577: {Ablation} - A61B 2018/00702: {Power or energy} - A61B 2018/00791: {Temperature} - A61B 2018/00863: {Fluid flow} - A61B 2018/00875: {Resistance or impedance} - A61B 2018/025: {by circulating liquid} - A61B 2090/064: {for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension} - A61B 2090/065: {for measuring contact or contact pressure} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A device positionable in a cavity of a bodily organ (e.g., a heart) may discriminate between fluid (e.g., blood) and non-fluid tissue (e.g., wall of heart) to provide information or a mapping indicative of a position and/or orientation of the device in the cavity. Discrimination may be based on flow, or some other characteristic, for example electrical permittivity or force. The device may selectively ablate portions of the non-fluid tissue based on the information or mapping. The device may detect characteristics (e.g., electrical potentials) indicative of whether ablation was successful. The device may include a plurality of transducers, intravascularly guided in an unexpanded configuration and positioned proximate the non-fluid tissue in an expanded configuration. Expansion mechanism may include helical member(s) or inflatable member(s). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical device comprising: an expandable frame comprising a proximal end and a distal end; and a plurality of electrode strip assemblies, each electrode strip assembly of the plurality of electrode strip assemblies comprising an electrode set supported at least by an electrically insulative substrate of a flexible circuit strip of the electrode strip assembly, the flexible circuit strip of each electrode strip assembly of the plurality of electrode strip assemblies affixed to the expandable frame and including an electrically conductive trace set electrically connected to the electrode set of the electrode strip assembly, wherein the expandable frame is selectively movable between an unexpanded configuration in which the expandable frame is sized to be percutaneously deliverable distal end first to a bodily cavity, and an expanded configuration in which the expandable frame is sized too large to be percutaneously deliverable to the bodily cavity, and wherein, at least in a state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration, a profile of at least a first electrode strip assembly of the plurality of electrode strip assemblies is defined at least in part by a profile of (a) a longitudinal portion of the first electrode strip assembly, the longitudinal portion extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the expandable frame, and (b) one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly, each lateral portion of the one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly extending laterally from the longitudinal portion, and each lateral portion of the one or lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly including at least part of an electrode of the electrode set of the first electrode strip assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein, for each lateral portion of the one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly, the at least part of the electrode of the electrode set of the first electrode strip assembly is the entirety of the electrode of the electrode set of the first electrode strip assembly. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode strip assembly comprises a transducer set, the longitudinal portion of the first electrode strip assembly including at least a first transducer of the transducer set of the first electrode strip assembly at least in the state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The medical device of claim 3, wherein the first transducer comprises a temperature sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The medical device of claim 3, wherein the first transducer comprises a sensor configured to sense an electrical characteristic. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The medical device of claim 3, wherein the first transducer is configured to measure electrical activity of a tissue surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The medical device of claim 3, wherein the first transducer is located relatively closer to the distal end of the expandable frame than a particular lateral portion of the one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly at least in the state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The medical device of claim 3, wherein the one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly comprise a first lateral portion and a second lateral portion, and wherein the first transducer is located relatively closer to the distal end of the expandable frame than the first lateral portion and relatively closer to the proximal end of the expandable frame than the second lateral portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The medical device of claim 3, wherein the one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly comprise a first lateral portion and a second lateral portion, and wherein the first transducer is located on a portion of the longitudinal portion between a first region of the longitudinal portion from which the first lateral portion laterally extends and a second region of the longitudinal portion from which the second lateral portion laterally extends. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly comprise a first lateral portion and a second lateral portion at least in the state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The medical device of claim 10, wherein the first lateral portion includes at least part of a first electrode of the electrode set of the first electrode strip assembly, wherein the second lateral portion includes at least part of a second electrode of the electrode set of the first electrode strip assembly, and wherein the first electrode laterally extends further outward from the longitudinal portion of the electrode strip assembly than the second electrode at least in the state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The medical device of claim 10, wherein the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion of the first electrode strip assembly extend laterally by different amounts from the longitudinal portion of the first electrode strip assembly at least in the state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The medical device of claim 10, wherein the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion of the first electrode strip assembly extend laterally from the longitudinal portion of the first electrode strip assembly along parallel directions at least in the state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein a particular edge of a lateral portion of the one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly obliquely intersects a particular edge of the longitudinal portion of the first electrode strip assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein a lateral portion of the one or more lateral portions of the first electrode strip assembly comprises a pair of opposing parallel edge portions at least in the state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein each electrode of the electrode set of the first electrode strip assembly is coupled to an energy source configured to transmit tissue ablative energy. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein each electrode of the electrode set of the first electrode strip assembly is provided at least in part by an electrically conductive layer of the flexible circuit strip of the first electrode strip assembly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the expandable frame comprises an inflatable member, each flexible circuit strip of each electrode strip assembly of the plurality of electrode strip assemblies affixed to a surface of the inflatable member. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein each flexible circuit strip of each electrode strip assembly of the plurality of electrode strip assemblies is backed by a metallic backing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The medical device of claim 1, wherein the electrode strip assemblies of the plurality of electrode strip assemblies are circumferentially arranged around the expandable frame in the state in which the expandable frame is in the expanded configuration.