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US 2001/0020126 A1Published application
Systems and methods for visualizing tissue during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures
AssigneeEP Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDAVID K. SWANSON, DAVID MCGEE, DORIN PANESCU, JAMES G. WHAYNE, HARM TENHOFF
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A catheter tube carries an imaging element for visualizing tissue. The catheter tube also carries a support structure, which extends beyond the imaging element for contacting surrounding tissue away from the imaging element. The support element stabilizes the imaging element, while the imaging element visualizes tissue in the interior body region. The support structure also carries a diagnostic or therapeutic component to contact surrounding tissue.
Claims75
A probe comprising
- a catheter tube having a distal region,
- an imaging element on the distal region for visualizing tissue, and
- a support structure on the distal region extending beyond the imaging element for contacting surrounding tissue away from the imaging element, and
- a diagnostic or therapeutic element on the support structure to contact surrounding tissue.
1 more element
A system for treating heart tissue comprising
- a catheter tube having a distal region,
- an imaging element on the distal region for visualizing surrounding endocardial tissue,
- a support body carried by the distal region of the catheter tube beyond the imaging element to contact surrounding endocardial tissue away from the imaging element,
- an electrode carried on the support body for use with a source of pacing energy to pace surrounding myocardial tissue.
1 more element
A system for treating heart tissue comprising
- a catheter tube having a distal region,
- an imaging element on the distal region for visualizing surrounding endocardial tissue,
- a support body carried by the distal region of the catheter tube beyond the imaging element to contact surrounding endocardial tissue away from the imaging element,
- an electrode carried on the support body for sensing electrical events in surrounding myocardial tissue.
1 more element
A system for ablating heart tissue comprising
- a catheter tube having a distal region,
- an imaging element on the distal region for visualizing surrounding endocardial tissue,
- a support body carried by the distal region of the catheter tube beyond the imaging element to contact surrounding endocardial tissue away from the imaging element,
- an electrode carried on the support body for use with a source of ablation energy to form a lesion pattern in surrounding myocardial tissue.
1 more element
A system for ablating heart tissue comprising
- a catheter tube having a distal region,
- an imaging element on the distal region for visualizing surrounding endocardial tissue,
- a support body carried by the distal region of the catheter tube beyond the imaging element to contact endocardial tissue away from the imaging element, and
- a plurality of energy transmitting electrodes carried in a spaced apart relationship on the support body for use with a source of ablation energy, the spaced apart relationship of the electrodes being set to create, when the electrodes simultaneously transmit ablating energy from the source an additive heating effect between electrodes that forms a continuous lesion pattern in surrounding myocardial tissue.
1 more element
A method for analyzing tissue comprising the steps of
- introducing into an interior body region a catheter tube carrying an imaging element and including a support structure spaced from the imaging element that contacts tissue in the interior body region away from the imaging element, the support structure carrying a sensing element for contacting tissue to sense a tissue characteristic,
- sensing the tissue characteristic with the sensing element, and
- operating the imaging element to visualize tissue surrounding the support structure.
A method for ablating tissue comprising the steps of
- introducing into an interior body region a catheter tube carrying an imaging element and including a support structure spaced from the imaging element that contacts tissue in the interior body region away from the imaging element, the support structure carrying an electrode for contact with tissue,
- transmitting ablating energy from a source through the electrode to form a lesion in tissue contacted by the electrode, and
- operating the imaging element to visualize tissue surrounding the support structure.
A method for treating atrial fibrillation comprising the steps of
- introducing into an atrium a catheter tube carrying an imaging element and including a support structure spaced from the imaging element that contacts tissue in the atrium away from the imaging element, the support structure carrying a plurality of spaced apart energy transmitting electrodes for contact with tissue,
- simultaneously transmitting ablating energy from a source through each electrode to generate an additive heating effect between electrodes that forms a continuous lesion pattern in tissue contacted by the electrodes, and
- operating the imaging element to visualize tissue surrounding the support structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.