Bipolar architectures for pfa catheters with flexible circuit

A catheter for ablating cardiac tissue through irreversible electroporation, the catheter comprising:

• a tubular outer shaft having a shaft proximal end and an opposite shaft distal end;
• an electrode assembly extending distally from the shaft distal end, the electrode assembly defining a distally located central hub portion and a plurality of splines each including a distal end portion extending from the central hub portion, and a proximal end portion attached to and constrained by the outer shaft, an outwardly facing portion, and an inwardly facing portion, the electrode assembly comprising:
• an outwardly facing flexible circuit disposed on the outwardly facing portions and having a flex circuit hub and a plurality of outwardly facing flex circuit branches extending proximally from the flex circuit hub, the outwardly facing flexible circuit further including an outwardly facing ablation electrode including an ablation electrode hub portion located on the flex circuit hub and a plurality of outwardly facing radial segments integrally formed with the ablation electrode hub portion, each of the outwardly facing radial segments extending proximally along a portion of a respective one of the outwardly facing flex circuit branches and terminating in a proximal end;
• and
• an inwardly facing flexible circuit disposed on the inwardly facing portions of the plurality of splines and having a plurality of inwardly facing flex circuit branches, the inwardly facing flexible circuit further including an inwardly facing ablation electrode disposed on the proximal end portions of the plurality of splines, the inwardly facing ablation electrode terminating at a distal end, wherein each of the distal ends is proximal to the proximal ends.

A catheter for ablating cardiac tissue through irreversible electroporation, the catheter comprising:

• a tubular outer shaft having a shaft proximal end and an opposite shaft distal end;
• an electrode assembly extending distally from the shaft distal end, the electrode assembly defining a distally located central hub portion and a plurality of splines each including a distal end portion extending from the central hub portion, and a proximal end portion attached to and constrained by the outer shaft, an outwardly facing portion, and an inwardly facing portion, the electrode assembly comprising:
• an outwardly facing flexible circuit disposed on the outwardly facing portions and having a flex circuit hub and a plurality of outwardly facing flex circuit branches extending proximally from the flex circuit hub, the outwardly facing flexible circuit further including a plurality of spline sensing electrodes and an outwardly facing ablation electrode including an ablation electrode hub portion located on the flex circuit hub and a plurality of outwardly facing radial segments integrally formed with the ablation electrode hub portion, each of the outwardly facing radial segments extending proximally along a portion of a respective one of the outwardly facing flex circuit branches and terminating in a proximal end;
• and
• an inwardly facing flexible circuit disposed on the inwardly facing portions of the plurality of splines and having a plurality of inwardly facing flex circuit branches, the inwardly facing flexible circuit further including an inwardly facing ablation electrode disposed on the proximal end portions of the plurality of splines, the inwardly facing ablation electrode terminating at a distal end, wherein each of the distal ends is proximal to the proximal ends.