Wide area focal ablation catheter

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, a proximal end portion attached to and constrained by the outer shaft, and an intermediate portion between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion, the electrode assembly comprising:
• a support member having a support member hub and a plurality of support member branches extending proximally from the support member hub;
• a flexible circuit disposed over 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, each of the flex circuit branches disposed over a respective one of the support member branches, the flexible circuit further including an ablation electrode including an ablation electrode hub portion located on the flex circuit hub, and a plurality of ablation electrode branches integrally formed with the ablation electrode hub portion, each of the ablation electrode branches extending proximally along a portion of a respective one of the flex circuit branches and terminating in an ablation electrode proximal end.

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, a proximal end portion attached to and constrained by the outer shaft, and an intermediate portion between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion, 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 disposed over 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:
• an ablation electrode including an ablation electrode hub portion located on the flex circuit hub, and a plurality of ablation electrode branches integrally formed with the ablation electrode hub portion, each of the ablation electrode branches extending proximally along a portion of a respective one of the flex circuit branches;
• and
• a plurality of spline sensing electrodes, wherein one or more of the spline sensing electrodes is disposed within a periphery of each of the ablation electrode branches and is electrically isolated from the ablation electrode.