Catheter with integrated flow sensor
AssigneeBiosense Webster (Israel) Ltd.
InventorsAssaf Govari, Mikhael Feldchtein, Alexander Kiselman, Yaron Ephrath
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems facilitate catheterization of a living subject by passing a fluid through an irrigation conduit. Heat energy is delivered to the conduit to create a heated pod of irrigation fluid that propagates downstream from the heat source. A departure time of the pod from a first location in the conduit is recorded, and an arrival time of the pod is detected at a second location that is downstream from the first location. A transit time of the pod from the first location to the second location is determined, and the flow of the fluid is adjusted responsively to the transit time.
Claims17
A method of catheterization, comprising the steps of:
- inserting a catheter into a body of a living subject, the catheter having an irrigation conduit;
- causing a flow of a fluid in the conduit;
- delivering heat energy to the conduit from a heat source that is external to the conduit to create a heated pod of irrigation fluid that propagates downstream from the heat source;
- recording a departure time of the pod from a first location in the conduit;
- detecting externally to the conduit an arrival time of the pod at a second location that is downstream from the first location;
- determining a transit time of the pod from the first location to the second location measured by the departure time and the arrival time;
- and
- adjusting the flow of the fluid responsively to the transit time.
An ablation apparatus, comprising:
- a flexible catheter adapted for insertion into a heart of a living subject and having a distal segment and an ablation electrode disposed at the distal segment to be brought into contact with a target tissue in the heart, the catheter having a lumen for passage of irrigation fluid therethrough to an exit from the catheter at the distal segment for cooling of the target tissue;
- an ablator, operative to apply a dosage of energy to the target tissue to ablate the target tissue;
- a flow processor for adjusting a flow of the irrigation fluid through the lumen;
- and
- a sensor unit, disposed in a non-contacting relationship with the irrigation fluid, comprising a heat source that delivers heat energy to the irrigation fluid flowing in the lumen and a thermocouple disposed downstream from the heat source in a direction of flow of the irrigation fluid for measuring a temperature of the irrigation fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.