Grooved catheter with recessed irrigation holes

A medical device, comprising:

• an elongated catheter body defining a longitudinal axis;
• a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the elongated catheter body, the distal tip having an outer surface, a cavity, a proximal end, a distal end, and a wall comprising an end portion and a sidewall portion, the sidewall portion of the wall having a plurality of apertures connected the outer surface and the cavity;
• the distal tip comprises at least one electrode coupled to an energy source to apply an ablative current to a tissue inside a body of a patient;
• a first plurality of grooves formed in the wall of the distal tip, each of the first plurality of grooves formed in a first orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis;
• a second plurality of grooves formed in the wall of the distal tip, the second plurality of grooves formed in a second orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis;
• each of the first plurality of grooves and the second plurality of grooves having at least two respective apertures of the plurality of apertures positioned within a respective groove;
• a fluid-directing assembly having an axial channel that is in fluid communication with the cavity of the distal tip and thereby the plurality of apertures;
• and
• a blocking terminus fixed within the cavity of the distal tip that is configured to block a flow of fluid along the longitudinal axis, direct the flow of fluid through at least one trans-axial channel that is transverse to the axial channel, and direct the flow of fluid through the plurality of apertures.

A method of directing irrigation fluid from a medical probe, comprising:

• providing a probe having an elongated catheter body defining a longitudinal axis, a distal tip coupled to a distal end of the elongated catheter body, the distal tip having an outer surface, a cavity, a proximal end, a distal end, a wall having a plurality of apertures connecting the outer surface and the cavity, the apertures arranged in a grid having columns generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and rows generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the wall having a plurality of longitudinal grooves and a plurality of circumferential grooves, the distal tip comprising at least one electrode that is coupled to an energy source to apply an ablative current to a tissue, and a fluid-directing assembly having an axial channel that is in fluid communication with the cavity of the distal tip and thereby the plurality of apertures;
• providing irrigation fluid into an axial channel of the fluid-directing assembly;
• directing the irrigation fluid from the axial channel through one or more trans-axial channels perpendicular to the axial channel through the cavity of the electrode and into the tissue through the plurality of apertures;
• and
• directing the irrigation fluid from the plurality of apertures and through the plurality of longitudinal grooves and the plurality of circumferential grooves.