Basket-type EP catheter with electrode polling for sequential electrode sampling

A catheter system, comprising:

• a) a controller;
• b) a flexible, elongate catheter extending from a catheter proximal connector to a catheter distal connector, the catheter proximal connector being electrically connectable to the controller;
• c) at least a first spline extending from a spline proximal anchor to a spline distal anchor, the spline proximal anchor being electrically connectable to the catheter distal connector, wherein the first spline comprises a first spline ground (Gnd) conductor, a first spline voltage-source (Vsource) conductor, and a first spline voltage-out (Vout) conductor, and wherein at least three electrodes are supported by the first spline, the at least three electrodes comprising a first spline first electrode, a first spline second electrode, and a first spline third electrode,
• d) wherein, with the catheter proximal connector electrically connected to the controller and with the spline proximal anchor electrically connected to the catheter distal connector, the controller is configured to initiate a first electrode sampling sequence along the first spline comprising a first spline first monostable vibrator connected to a first spline first N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, by:
• i) sending a first clock/trigger (Clk/Trig) signal along a first spline first Clk/Trig conductor to trigger the first spline first monostable vibrator to send a second Clk/Trig signal along a second Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the first spline first N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline first electrode to transmit a first spline first electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor to the controller, and
• ii) wherein the second Clk/Trig conductor is connected to a first spline second monostable vibrator connected to a first spline second N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, and wherein the second Clk/Trig signal triggers the first spline second monostable vibrator to send a third Clk/Trig signal along a third Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the first spline second N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline second electrode to transmit a first spline second electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor to the controller, and
• iii) wherein the third Clk/Trig conductor is connected to a first spline third monostable vibrator connected to a first spline third N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, and wherein the third Clk/Trig signal triggers the first spline third monostable vibrator to activate the first spline third N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline third electrode to transmit a first spline third electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor to the controller, and
• iv) wherein the first spline Gnd and Vsource conductors extend from the spline proximal anchor to at least the first spline first, second and third monostable vibrators.

A spline system that is detachably connectable to a catheter, the spline system comprising:

• a) a first spline extending from a spline proximal anchor to a spline distal anchor, the spline proximal anchor being electrically connectable to a catheter, the first spline comprising:
• i) a first spline ground (Gnd) conductor, a first spline voltage-source (Vsource) conductor, and a first spline voltage-out (Vout) conductor;
• ii) at least three electrodes comprising a first spline first electrode located closest to the spline proximal anchor, a first spline second electrode, and a first spline third electrode located furthest from the spline proximal anchor;
• iii) a first spline first monostable vibrator connected to a first spline first N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, wherein the first spline first monostable vibrator is configured to receive a first clock trigger (Clk/Trig) signal from the controller to trigger the first spline first monostable vibrator to send a second Clk/Trig signal along a second Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the first spline first N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline first electrode to transmit a first spline first electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor to the spline proximal anchor;
• iv) wherein the second Clk/Trig conductor is connected to a first spline second monostable vibrator connected to a first spline second N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, and wherein the second Clk/Trig signal triggers the first spline second monostable vibrator to send a third Clk/Trig signal along a third Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the first spline second N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline second electrode to transmit a first spline second electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor electrically connectable to the spline proximal anchor;
• and
• v) wherein the third Clk/Trig conductor is connected to a first spline third monostable vibrator connected to a first spline third N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, and wherein the third Clk/Trig signal triggers the first spline third monostable vibrator to send a fourth Clk/Trig signal along a fourth Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the first spline third N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline third electrode to transmit a first spline third electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor electrically connectable to the spline proximal anchor,
• vi) wherein the first spline Gnd and Vsource conductors extend from the spline proximal anchor to at least the first spline first, second and third monostable vibrators;
• and
• b) a second spline extending from the spline proximal anchor to the spline distal anchor, the second spline comprising:
• i) a second spline ground (Gnd) conductor, a second spline voltage-source (Vsource) conductor, and a second spline voltage-out (Vout) conductor;
• ii) at least three electrodes comprising a second spline first electrode located closest to the spline proximal anchor, a second spline second electrode, and a second spline third electrode located furthest from the spline proximal anchor;
• iii) a second spline third monostable vibrator connected to a second spline third N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, wherein the fourth Clk/Trig signal triggers the first spline third monostable vibrator to send a fifth Clk/Trig signal along a fifth Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the second spline third N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the second spline third electrode to transmit a second spline third electrode voltage sample along the second spline Vout conductor to the spline proximal anchor, and
• iv) wherein the fifth Clk/Trig conductor is connected to a second spline second monostable vibrator connected to a second spline second N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, and wherein the fifth Clk/Trig signal triggers the second spline second monostatic vibrator to send a sixth Clk/Trig signal along a sixth Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the second spline second N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the second spline second electrode to transmit a second spline second electrode voltage sample along the second spline Vout conductor to the spline proximal anchor, and
• v) wherein the sixth Clk/Trig conductor is connected to a second spline first monostable vibrator connected to a second spline first N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, and wherein the sixth Clk/Trig signal triggers the second spline first monostatic vibrator to activate the second spline first N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the second spline first electrode to transmit a second spline first electrode voltage sample along the second spline Vout conductor to the spline proximal anchor, and
• vi) wherein the second spline Gnd and Vsource conductors extend from the spline proximal anchor to at least the second spline first, second and third monostable vibrators.

A spline system that is detachably connectable to a catheter, the spline system comprising:

• a) a first spline extending from a spline proximal anchor to a spline distal anchor, the spline proximal anchor being electrically connectable to a catheter, the first spline comprising:
• i) a first spline ground (Gnd) conductor, a first spline voltage-source (Vsource) conductor, and a first spline voltage-out (Vout) conductor;
• ii) at least three electrodes comprising a first spline first electrode located closest to the spline proximal anchor, a first spline second electrode, and a first spline third electrode located furthest from the spline proximal anchor;
• iii) a first spline first monostable vibrator connected to a first spline first N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, wherein the first spline first monostable vibrator is configured to receive a first clock trigger (Clk/Trig) signal to trigger the first spline first monostable vibrator to send a second Clk/Trig signal along a second Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the first spline first N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline first electrode to transmit a first spline first electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor to the spline proximal anchor;
• iv) wherein the second Clk/Trig conductor is connected to a first spline second monostable vibrator connected to a first spline second N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, and wherein the second Clk/Trig signal triggers the first spline second monostable vibrator to send a third Clk/Trig signal along a third Clk/Trig conductor and to activate the first spline second N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline second electrode to transmit a first spline second electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor to the spline proximal anchor;
• and
• v) wherein the third Clk/Trig conductor is connected to a first spline third monostable vibrator connected to a first spline third N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor, and wherein the third Clk/Trig signal triggers the first spline third monostable vibrator to activate the first spline third N-channel Enhancement MOSFET pass transistor connected to the first spline third electrode to transmit a first spline third electrode voltage sample along the first spline Vout conductor to the spline proximal anchor, and
• vi) wherein the first spline Gnd and Vsource conductors extend from the spline proximal anchor to at least the first spline first, second and third monostable vibrators.