Architectures for high density mapping and ablating catheters using flexible circuit boards

A catheter for ablating cardiac tissue through irreversible electroporation, the catheter comprising:

• a tubular outer shaft having a proximal end and an opposite distal end;
• an electrode assembly extending distally from the distal end of the outer shaft, the electrode assembly defining a distally-located central hub portion and a plurality of splines each including a distal end portion extending proximally from the central hub portion, and a proximal end portion attached to and constrained by the outer shaft, the electrode assembly comprising:
• a support member formed from a superelastic material and having a support member hub and a plurality of support member branches integrally formed with and extending proximally from the support member hub;
• a flexible circuit attached to an outer surface of the support member and having a flex circuit hub disposed over the support member hub, and a plurality of flex circuit branches integrally formed with the flex circuit hub, each of the flex circuit branches disposed over a respective one of the support member branches, the flexible circuit further including:
• a distal ablation electrode including an ablation electrode hub portion located on the flex circuit hub, and a plurality of radial segments integrally formed with the ablation electrode hub portion, each of the radial segments extending proximally along a portion of a respective one of the flex circuit branches;
• a plurality of proximal ablation electrodes, each of the proximal ablation electrodes located on a respective one of the flex circuit branches;
• a plurality of spline sensing electrodes, including a plurality of distal spline sensing electrodes each being disposed within a periphery of a respective one of the radial segments of the distal ablation electrode and electrically isolated from the distal ablation electrode, and one or more proximal spline sensing electrodes disposed within a periphery of each of the proximal ablation electrodes and electrically isolated therefrom.

A catheter for ablating cardiac tissue through irreversible electroporation, the catheter comprising:

• a tubular outer shaft having a proximal end and an opposite distal end;
• an electrode assembly extending distally from the distal end of the outer shaft, the electrode assembly comprising a flexible circuit having a distally located central flex circuit hub and a plurality of flex circuit branches extending proximally from the hub portion, each of the flex circuit branches defining, at least in part, an electrode assembly spline and including a proximal end portion attached to and constrained by the outer shaft, the flexible circuit further including:
• a distal ablation electrode including an ablation electrode hub portion located on the flex circuit hub, and a plurality of radial segments integrally formed with the ablation electrode hub portion, each of the radial segments extending proximally along a portion of a respective one of the flex circuit branches and terminating in a proximal end;
• and
• a plurality of proximal ablation electrodes, each of the proximal ablation electrodes located on a respective one of the flex circuit branches and having a distal end spaced from the proximal end of the adjacent radial segment of the distal ablation electrode.