Structures and methods for deploying electrode elements
AssigneeEP Technologies, Inc.
InventorSidney D. Fleischman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrode support structure comprises a guide body having at its distal end a flexible spline leg. The spline leg is flexed to define an arcuate shape to facilitate intimate contact against tissue. An electrode element is carried by the spline leg for movement along its axis. The structure includes a control element coupled to the electrode element. The control element remotely imparts force to move the electrode element along the axis of the spline leg. Therefore, in use, the physician can cause the electrode element to travel along a path that the spline leg defines, without otherwise changing the location of the guide body.
Claims16
An electrode support structure comprising
- a guide body having a distal end,
- a flexible spline leg having an axis attached to the distal end of the guide body, the spline leg being flexed to define an arcuate shape,
- an electrode element carried by the spline leg for movement along its axis, and
- a control element coupled to the electrode element for remotely imparting force to move the electrode element along the axis of the spline leg.
An electrode support structure comprising
- first and second flexible spline legs, each having a near end and a far end, the near ends positioned in a circumferentially spaced relationship with the far ends joined at a junction to define an arcuate shape between the near ends of the first and second spline legs,
- an electrode element carried by at least one of the spline leg for movement along it, and
- a control element coupled to the electrode element for remotely imparting force to move the electrode element along the at least one spline leg.
An electrode support structure comprising
- a guide body having a distal end,
- a stiffener extending along an axis outside the distal end of the guide body,
- at least one flexible spline leg having a near end attached to the distal end of the guide body and a far end extending beyond the distal end of the guide body and attached to the stiffener, the spline leg being normally flexed between the distal guide body end and the stiffener in an arcuate shape that extends along and radially outward of the axis of the stiffener,
- an electrode element carried by the at least one spline leg for movement along it, and
- a control element coupled to the electrode element for remotely imparting force to move the electrode element along the at least one spline leg.
A device for ablating tissue comprising
- a guide body having a distal end and a proximal end,
- a flexible spline leg having an axis attached to the distal end of the guide body, the spline leg being flexed to define an arcuate shape,
- an ablation electrode element carried by the spline leg for movement along its axis, and
- a control element on the proximal end of the guide body and being coupled to the ablation electrode element for remotely imparting force to move the ablation electrode element along the axis of the spline leg.
A method for ablation tissue in a heart comprising the steps of
- introducing a probe into the heart, the probe carrying at least one elongated spline leg flexed outward of the probe to define an arcuate shape, the probe also including at least one ablation electrode that is movable along the at least one spline leg spline in response to the application of force,
- establishing contact between the ablation electrode and a region of heart tissue, the spline leg defining an elongated path along the tissue region,
- transmitting ablation energy to the ablation electrode while in contact with the tissue region, and
- applying force to move the ablation electrode along the at least one spline leg while maintaining contact with the tissue to ablate tissue along the elongated path.
A method for ablation tissue in a heart comprising the steps of
- introducing a probe into the heart, the probe carrying at least one elongated spline leg flexed outward of the probe to define an arcuate shape, the probe also including at least one ablation electrode that is movable along the at least one spline leg spline in response to the application of force,
- establishing contact between the ablation electrode and a region of heart tissue, the spline leg defining an elongated path along the tissue region, and
- applying force to move the ablation electrode along the at least one spline leg while transmitting ablation energy to the ablation electrode to ablate tissue along the elongated path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.