Systems and methods for controlled tissue ablation
AssigneeVolcano Corporation
InventorsDavid G. Miller, John W. Goodnow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention describes methods for safely delivering ablation energy to a tissue, e.g., thrombus, in need of ablation therapy. The method uses a catheter adapted for IVUS imaging, ablation, and impedance measurements to monitor the impedance of a tissue receiving ablation energy. In an embodiment, a user may view an IVUS image of the tissue with impedance measurements to determine if it is safe to deliver additional energy. In another embodiment, a processor is configured to determine if it is safe to deliver additional ablation energy based upon the impedance measurement.
Claims20
A method for delivering energy to a tissue, comprising:
- delivering to a tissue a catheter adapted for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging, impedance measurement, and tissue ablation;
- imaging the tissue with an IVUS transducer;
- measuring a first impedance of the tissue with an impedance sensor;
- and
- ablating the tissue with an ablation member.
A system for ablating a tissue, comprising:
- a catheter comprising an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducer, an impedance sensor, and an ablation member;
- and
- a controller comprising a processor and memory, operatively connected to the impedance sensor and the ablation member, wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed cause the processor to:
- receive an impedance measurement from the sensor,
- compare the impedance measurement to a predetermined impedance value, and
- allow operation of the ablation member based upon the comparison between the measured and predetermined impedance value.
A system for ablating a portion of a tissue, comprising:
- a catheter having a rotatable ablation member mechanically coupled to a rotational controller;
- an ablation controller;
- and
- a master controller comprising a processor and memory, operatively connected to the rotational controller and the ablation controller, wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed cause the processor to coordinate rotation of the ablation member with energy delivery by the ablation member such that only a portion of the tissue receives ablation energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.